Taco Bell Attack Leads to Arrest

A man who repeatedly punched another man when asked to leave the restaurant on March 8 was recently identified.

Taco Bell Attack Leads to Arrest

A man who repeatedly punched another man when asked to leave the restaurant on March 8 was recently identified.

A Lutz Taco Bell employee asked a group to leave the property after the restaurant's dining area closed for the evening. When he asked a second time, one man in the group punched him in the face at the 22744 State Road 54 location, deputies say. According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Giovanni Labossiere became verbally aggressive with the employee before punching him once, then two or three more times as the man attempted to write down Labossiere's vehicle information at about 11 p.m. on March 8. The man was knocked down and suffered a fractured jaw from the attack, a complaint affidavit stated. Labossiere, 19, of 17453 Sandgate Court in Land O' Lakes was later identified by photo pack, according to the report. He was arrested …

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Daughter Left In Car Cries for 'Daddy, Daddy,' Deputies Say

A man was visiting his ex-wife at Morton Plant North Bay Hospital Recovery Center in Lutz when the incident occurred.

Child neglect charges were filed against a father after authorities say he left his 7-year-old daughter unattended in a car at Morton Plant North Bay Hospital Recovery Center in Lutz. According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Robert Vincent Clark told the hospital staff that he was going to leave his daughter outside with his sister-in-law while he visited his ex-wife at the facility on March 8. When a staff member checked outside, the girl was sitting alone in the car crying "Daddy, Daddy," the report stated. Staff then terminated his visit and told him he needed to attend to his daughter, then called the sheriff's office. The girl was in the car for about 25 minutes, according to the report. Clark, 42, of Zephyrhills was arrested …

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Woman Arrested for DUI with 2 Children in Car

She was pulled over Thursday night for driving without her headlights illuminated.

A Lutz woman faces a DUI charge after authorities say she was driving impaired with two young children in the car Thursday night. According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Leah Ann Deyoung, 37, was observed driving without her headlights on in the area of Oak Grove Boulevard and Rolling View Court in Lutz at about 9 p.m. on March 7. When the deputy made contact with Deyoung, her eyes were bloodshot and glassy and she had a strong odor of alcohol on her breath, an arrest report stated. Deyoung "denied drinking and stated with slurred speech she rinsed her mouth with Listerine," according to the report. She then performed poorly on a field sobriety test, and twice refused to take a breath test. Deyoung of 24336 Summer Nights Court was …

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Lutz Teen Faces Charges After Fleeing Vacant Home

He and two other teens ran from a vacant home when a deputy arrived. A search of the property turned up items from a Sunday night burglary.

A Lutz teen was arrested Monday after deputies say he and two other juveniles were found loitering in a vacant Land O' Lakes home. According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, a witness reported seeing three teens inside a home, which had a sign indicating it was vacant posted on the garage. When the deputy arrived, the three ran through the backyard and jumped the fence, despite the deputy's order to stop, a complaint affidavit stated. The witness who reported seeing the juveniles was able to get one 17-year-old to stop, but the teen refused to comply with the deputy and refused to identify himself, the report stated. A search of the vacant home turned up several items reported missing from a burglary Sunday night, as well as three …

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Man Accused of Molesting Multiple Young Children

He faces four counts of felony sexual battery.

A Lutz Radio Shack employee is accused of molesting multiple children on more than one occasion and threatening them if they told. A girl told a Pasco County Sheriff’s detective recently that Michael James Roberts engaged in multiple sex acts with her when she was about 8 years old. The detective interviewed other children who said Roberts performed sex acts on them, describing the occurences in detail. One boy was about 8 years old at the time of the abuse, according to the report. Roberts, 25, of 9547 Turf Drive in Land O' Lakes was arrested Tuesday and charged with four counts of felony sexual battery of a person younger than 12. He is being held in the Land O’ Lakes Jail without bond.

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Deputies Searching for Armed Robbery Suspects

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office believes two men wanted in connection with robberies in the Land O’ Lakes area are also connected to other robberies in Lutz and beyond.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is looking for help identifying two men it says robbed two Lutz area stores in the early morning hours of Feb. 20. Deputies say the men are believed to be connected to at least seven cases that span into Hillsborough County. The Feb. 20 incidents in Pasco began around 2 a.m. when the 7-Eleven at 23434 State Road 54 in Lutz was robbed. In this incident, two male suspects with hoodies and masks entered the store, threatened the clerk and left with an undisclosed amount of money, a sheriff’s office media release said. About 20 minutes later, the Circle K at 27707 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel was held up by a man in a hoodie and mask. The man held the clerks at gunpoint and left with an undisclosed amount of…

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Authorities Discover Grow House in Lutz

A fire began earlier in the house that led to the discovery, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office is investigating a marijuana grow house in Lutz. The grow house at 1018 Foggy Ridge Parkway was discovered by fire rescue after an electrical fire broke out inside the house today, according to authorities. After the fire was extinguished, detectives found at least 10 plants that hadn't fully matured. Check Patch for updates to this story.

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Target Employee Charged with Pocketing Money on Fraudulent Returns

Joseph Michael Allen Bell was arrested at the store on Thursday.

A Lutz Target customer service employee faces a grand theft charge after authorities say he made multiple fraudulent returns and put the money on a store gift card for himself. According to a Pasco County arrest report, when a customer brought items for return to the customer service department at Target, Joseph Michael Allen Bell, 18, would return the items multiple times in the register and put the money on a gift card after the customer left. On Feb. 13, Bell completed four transactions totaling $492.19 in returns, which he put on a gift card, according to the report. Bell was arrested at the store, 1040 N. Dale Mabry, on Feb. 14 and charged with grand theft. According to the report Bell admitted post-Miranda that he completed the …

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Man Dresses as Cop to Rip Off Lutz Walmart, 'Impress' a Woman

John Vazquez was arrested for impersonating an officer and retail theft.

A man is behind bars after authorities say he walked into a Lutz Walmart wearing a tactical vest labeled "Police" then tried to make off with $200 headphones. According to a Pasco County arrest report, John Vazquez, 26, of Wesley Chapel was first observed "passed out" in the Lutz Walmart restroom wearing the vest on Monday, Feb. 4. A loss prevention officer saw Vazquez re-enter the store at 1575 Land O' Lakes Blvd. at about 5:15 p.m., wearing the vest and a black leather gun belt. The officer followed Vazquez and saw him rip a $200 headphone set off a locked display case, the report stated. Vazquez then grabbed a pair of Sony earbuds, walked to the front of the store, bagged the items without paying and headed toward the exit before he was…

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