Law and Order

Caregiver Drains Elderly Man's Bank Account

SPRING HILL A Spring Hill man was arrested Thursday on charges that he stole $18,189 from his 72-year-old father.

The victim contacted authorities on March 25 to report that his son and main caregiver, Aaron Panos, had drained his bank account to a negative balance, a report states.

The victim, who has an illness that impairs his decision making, told an investigator that Panos used the money to purchase illegal drugs. Panos defended his actions, saying the ATM withdrawals were for food, according to a report.

Panos, 30, was charged with exploitation of the elderly and criminal use of identification information.

Man Arrested On Drug Trafficking Suspicion

SPRING HILL Deputies collected 135.5 prescription pills from a man arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking.

A deputy patrolling the area of the 7-Eleven at 6016 Spring Hill Drive grew suspicious Thursday after seeing two cars parked out of sight of the store clerks. He spoke with the people in the two cars and when he asked if they had any contraband, Tristan Velez reportedly produced two prescription pill bottles from his pocket.

One bottle held 40.5 pills of roxicodone and was prescribed to Velez. The other contained 95 pills of oxycodone and was not prescribed to Velez, according to a report. Because of the weight of the pills, Velez, 26, was charged with trafficking.

Man Arrested On DUI Suspicion

BROOKSVILLE A man claiming he drank 12 to 14 beers at a bar was arrested Thursday on suspicion of DUI.

The suspect, Laymon Altizer, was pulled over on St. Francis Street after a deputy observed Altizer's Chevy Malibu had an inoperable tag light. Field sobriety tests were begun, but Altizer said he was too drunk for the tests and refused to complete them, a report states.

Altizer was charged with DUI and taken to the county jail, where he reportedly provided a blood alcohol level of .168 and .180. Florida law presumes intoxication at .08.

Woman Arrested On Shoplifting Charges

SPRING HILL A woman and her two accomplices were arrested on felony shoplifting charges after deputies say they stole $1,600 worth of merchandise from three different stores.

The store manager of the Family Dollar store in Spring Hill Plaza flagged down a passing deputy on Thursday to report a shoplifter who had just left the store in a white pickup truck. A description of the pickup was broadcast over the radio and another deputy pulled over the truck as it headed west on Spring Hill Drive.

The pickup truck was loaded with stolen goods, mostly beauty products, according to deputies. The main suspect, Juanita Burgess, 43, reportedly admitted to stealing from two grocery stores and the Family Dollar; she was charged with felony and misdemeanor shoplifting.

The pickup's driver, Michael Libecap, 36, and passenger, Nikki Wilson, 41, were charged as accomplices.