Baseball Bat Used In Violent Family Feud

A baseball bat took center stage in a violent family feud Thursday, used once to beat a brother and an hour later to smash out the windows of a pickup, deputies say.

The trouble started around 9 p.m. at 6034 Waycross Drive, when an argument between two brothers turned to blows. The victim, Anthony Pawle, was nursing a two-inch cut to his forearm and was walking with a limp when Deputy Harold Morales talked with him outside the house.

Pawle wouldn't say where his injuries came from, but a witness told Morales the victim's brother, Steven Pawlowski, had struck Pawle multiple times with a baseball bat, a report states.

Pawlowski, who was holding a bat when the deputy approached him, said his brother was ignoring him so he starting hitting Pawle to get his attention, a report states.

Pawlowski, 54, of St. Petersburg, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery.

An hour later, the victim, Pawle, was driving on Spring Hill Drive and was stopped at the Kenlake Avenue intersection when another vehicle smashed into the truck from behind.

Pawle said he recognized the driver as Edwin Ramirez - a man he has a restraining order against - so he tried to drive away from the scene of the crash.

As Pawle waited for traffic to clear so he could pull a U-turn, Ramirez reportedly stepped out of his vehicle and smashed the driver's side window of Pawle's pickup with a bat.

Pawle's passenger ran across the street to the 7-Eleven and called 911. Ramirez continued to smash Pawle's truck until the victim drove away, a report states.

Asked why he violated the restraining order by following Pawle, Ramirez reportedly answered he was just trying to retrieve some items from the victim.

Ramirez, 18, of 6049 Waycross Drive, was charged with three felonies, aggravated battery, assault and stalking, and misdemeanor criminal mischief.