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Belleair Slaying Suspect Captured In Las Vegas

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Tampa Tribune

Published: January 7, 2009

After his wife was found dead inside their Belleair home in November and a murder warrant was issued for his arrest, Ryan Cataneo headed west, authorities say.

Cataneo, 40, was arrested Tuesday afternoon at the Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Casino in Las Vegas, said Pinellas County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jim Bordner.

Cataneo is being held in the Clark County Detention Center on a fugitive warrant and is awaiting extradition back to Florida, Bordner said.

Pinellas County sheriff's detectives took over the investigation from the Belleair Police Department and tracked Cataneo to Las Vegas after he was recorded on a store's security camera in Louisiana on Nov. 25, authorities say.

U.S. Marshals arrested Cataneo about 11 a.m., said Bordner, who declined further comment on the investigation or the details of Cataneo's arrest.

The body of Deana Cataneo, 39, was discovered by relatives on the morning of Nov. 28 inside the Bellair home she shared with her husband. Detectives initially ruled the death at 7 Baybrook Place suspicious, then ruled the case a homicide a few days later.

Ryan Cataneo was not at the residence when his wife's body was discovered, detectives say.

Man Charged With Kidnapping

A Polk County man has been charged with armed kidnapping and false imprisonment in the carjacking of his estranged girlfriend and one of her friends outside her child's school Tuesday morning, deputies say.

The pair have three children, ages 1 and 2 years, and 8 months.

Daniel Hoyos Lopez of Lakeland showed up at Dover Elementary School, 3035 Nelson Ave., Tampa, with what appeared to be a handgun, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. He forced his way into the car of his estranged girlfriend, 27-year-old Maria Luna, and ordered her to drive away from the school, deputies say.

A friend of Luna's was in the back seat. Deputies say the man began texting a third party, giving details and asking for help.

Deputies arrested Hoyos Lopez, 27, near McIntosh Road and Interstate 4 at 7:42 a.m. He complained of feeling faint and was transported to a hospital.

Hoyos Lopez is charged with aggravated stalking, armed kidnapping, false imprisonment and violating a domestic injunction, and there is a warrant on a domestic violence charge involving the same Polk County resident.

Deputies say they took a pellet gun from Hoyos Lopez.

Searchers Find Girl On Rooftop

A helicopter, bloodhound and several deputies spent hours searching for a missing 8-year-old girl Monday in Sarasota.

Eventually, the girl was found. On the roof of her home.

The incident began when the girl was having an argument with her mother over cleaning her room, Manatee County deputies say. Her mother briefly searched for her, then called the Manatee County Sheriff's Office for help.

Investigators searched without luck at the home.

An all-out search began, lasting two hours and 20 minutes. It ended when the girl was found on the roof, deputies say. She wasn't injured.

A sheriff's office news release didn't say how the girl got on the roof.

Bank Robber Uses Machete

NEW PORT RICHEY - The Pasco County Sheriff's Office is searching for a man who used a machete in a bank robbery.

The man entered the Bank of America, 5923 State Road 54, New Port Richey, about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll said. No one was injured in the robbery, Doll said.

The suspect is described as 35 to 45 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and about 200 pounds. He had a plastic mask covering his face, the sheriff's office said. The man was wearing dark pants, a green Army-style jacket with a backpack under it, a black wool cap and gloves.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at (727) 847-5878.

A staff report

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