Suspects Nab $1 Million in Jewelry from Value Pawn

Thousands of dollars in jewelry was also taken from the business at 5123 N. Nebraska Avenue, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Three people were arrested by authorities after allegedly stripping a Seminole Heights pawn shop of $1 million in jewelry and $30,000 in cash on Friday morning, according to a report from the Tampa Police Department. Here's what happened, according to the report: A man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a dark bandana over his face entered the Value Pawn at 5123 N. Nebraska Avenue around 9:26 a.m. on Friday. He flashed a gun and moved employees to a back room of the business. Once inside the room, the man tied up a male employee and asked a female employee to open a safe. The man took about $30,000 in cash and $1 million in jewelry before he fled. Employees activated the panic alarm at the business, and a customer called police. Authorities …

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Four Arrested in Drug, Prostitution Bust Along Nebraska Avenue

The bust was organized by the Tampa Police Department.

Four people were arrested earlier this week during a drug bust and prostitution  operation initiated by the Tampa Police Department along Nebraska Avenue. The four were: Twanda Y. Vann, 53, of 415 Adalee Street; Edward C. Robinson, 54, transient; Richard T. Nash, 49, 1106 Hillsborough Avenue; Sandra L. Williams, 48, transient. Here's what happened around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, according to a TPD release: Authorities purchased crack cocaine from Nash and Robinson, and Robinson had outstanding warrants for driving with a license suspended or revoked with knowledge. During the operation, authorities were approached by Vann and Williams, who offered to have sex with an officer in exchange for cash. The four were taken into custody. Their …

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Police: Television, A/C Unit Stolen from Home

Authorities are looking for the suspect in a Friday robbery on N. Ola Avenue.

A television and an A/C unit was stolen from a Seminole Heights home on Friday, according to the Tampa Police Department. Authorities say between 1:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Friday, someone entered a home at 3004 N. Ola Ave. through a back bedroom on the northwest corner of the home. A sliding glass window had also been left unlocked, authorities say. Instead of entering through the sliding glass door, authorities say, the suspect entered through a window after removing and stealing an A/C unit. The suspect left the house from a rear door, authorities say, which the victim found unlocked when they returned home. A television mounted on a wall in the family room was also taken. The victim's knife was found on a shelf beneath an area where the …

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Tampa Police Department Hosting 'Meet Me At The Park'

The event includes games, food and health screenings.

Police: Student Robbed While Heading Home from Middleton High School

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon, authorities say.

A student walking home from Middleton High School was robbed on Monday afternoon, according to the Tampa Police Department. Here's what happened, according to police: Around 2:12 p.m. on Monday, the unidentified female victim was walking home from the school, 4801 N. 22nd Street, when she was approached from behind by a male suspect. The man moved next to her and pushed her arm, knocking her to the ground. Then, he took out a pair of scissors and cut the strap of the victim's black purse. He fled south on N. 19th Street. An officer on the way to an unrelated call saw the man fleeing east on E. Osborne Avenue. Additional patrols were called to the scene, but the man was never found. Stolen from the victim were the following items: $10 in …

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Tampa Police Department Hosting 'Meet Me At The Park'

The free community event includes games, food and health screenings.

The Tampa Police Department's Police Athletic League is hosting "Meet Me At The Park" from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 23 at 1924 W. Diana Street. The event is part of the department's 25th annual black history celebration, and includes free admission, food, games, health screenings and vendors. Do you plan to go? Tell us in the comments.

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Operation Medicine Cabinet Aims to Get Pills Off Streets

The initiative kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 16.

Blogger Spotlight: Some Tips to Keep Pedestrians Safe

Lisa Timmer, neighborhood affairs liaison for the Tampa Police Department, shares some ideas to increase safety around Tampa's roadways.

With all the traffic, not to mention all of the visitors who aren't sure where they're going, Tampa can be a scary place for pedestrians. In her first blog, Lisa Timmer, neighborhood affairs liaison for the Tampa Police Department, offers some practical tips for pedestrians, such as catching the driver's eye and making sure he sees you before crossing the street. Read more on Timmer's blog on Seminole Heights Patch. And we invite you to follow in Timmer's footsteps and post your own blog. We're looking for bloggers with a variety of interests, opinions and expertise. Just sign in or sign up on Seminole Heights Patch if you're not already a user. Then post your blog here.

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Rainbow Fashion Manager Robbed at Gunpoint

The store is in the 2500 block of east Giddens.

The manager of Rainbow Fashion was robbed at gunpoint on Sunday morning, according to the Tampa Police Department. The unidentified victim was being driven to the bank to make a deposit for the business around 10:29 a.m. when a man flagged down the vehicle she was in, police said. The man got in the back seat of the vehicle and put a gun to the victim's back  and demanded money, police said. The man had the victims drive him to another location on Chelsea Street, east of 22nd Street, and took a bag with the deposit and victim's cell phone, police said. He fled on foot, police said. The man is described as white with blond hair, blue eyes, and is about 5'11" and 160 pounds. He placed a gray T-shirt over his face and wore a red T-shirt and …

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