January 1, 2005

A woman sipping coffee and smoking a cigarette on her patio early Friday morning was attacked, choked and raped by a man who is still on the loose, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.

The victim, 56, was following her normal routine about 6 a.m. at her home in the 800 block of West Oakland Park Boulevard, leading detectives to think the attack was planned in advance.

The attacker, described as a black man about 5-foot-7, 140 pounds dragged the victim upstairs and threatened to kill her if she called police. She called her daughter, who called the Sheriff's Office.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477, and could be eligible for a cash reward.
Florida:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/

Wheelchair bandit, 2 pals steal $4,700 in cigarettes from Broward store
 
By Sheela Dominguez
sun-sentinel.com
July 18, 2005, 2:15 PM EDT

A wheelchair-bound thief and two pals broke into an office at a Broward gas station last week and made off with dozens of cartons of cigarettes worth almost $5,000.

Broward Sheriff's Office detectives said the robbery took place around last Wednesday at the BP/Amoco gas station at 2099 State Road 7 near Fort Lauderdale.

All three suspects arrived at the gas station in a dark green sedan with dark tinted windows around 5:40 p.m., said BSO spokeswoman Liz Calzadilla-Fiallo. After parking at one of the pumps, two of the suspects got out of the car. One of the men appeared to be disabled and had to be assisted into a wheelchair, said Calzadilla-Fiallo. The third suspect remained behind the wheel, then drove-off without pumping any gas.

Surveillance video shows one suspect wheeling the disabled burglar to the rear of the store. Both men entered a restricted storage area, then used a large kitchen knife to pry open a locked door leading to the manager's office. Once inside, the two men ransacked the office and removed 158 sealed cartons of cigarettes worth more than $4,700.

Once outside, investigators said, the two bandits used a cell phone to call the third suspect back to the gas station, then loaded their loot into the car and fled.

Employees told detectives they were unaware of the break-in until a worker discovered the cigarettes missing.

Using the store's surveillance tape, police said the wheelchair-bound suspect had bandages or a cast on one of his wrists or forearm and casts on both legs.

The investigation continues.
 
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