COP BRIEFS

Cops: Woman Kicks, Bites Deputy

LAKE PLACID - A Lake Placid woman remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $2,000 bond Wednesday after she was accused by a sheriff's deputy of kicking and biting him and resisting him violently while she was being transported.

Sheriff's central records said Monday they were not at liberty to say why Nora Frantzis, 49, of 40 Herons Landing, was being transported by a sheriff's deputy or to where she was being taken.

They said she was not being arrested, adding to the mystery, but never the less she was in handcuffs, according to a report.

Sheriff's Deputy Brennan Walker reported that on Sept. 1, while transporting Frantzis, she began calling him vulgar names for taking her wherever it was he was taking her.

Frantzis was able to manipulate her hands and slip out of the handcuffs, Walker wrote. He stopped his vehicle at the intersection of Lake Josephine Drive and U.S. 27

"I pulled my patrol car over and attempted to restrain Frantzis," he stated. "While doing so Frantzis kicked me in the groin, stomach and chest area multiple times. Frantzis also bit me on the lower left forearm and scratched me in the face."

Deputy Lars Kirkland arrived as backup and helped get Frantzis restrained. She was then taken to an undisclosed location.

The deputy's injuries were photographed as evidence and criminal charges were issued.

Man Charged With Flashing Children

AVON PARK - An Avon Park man was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition with the victims younger than 16 years old.

Jose Luis Martinez, 44, of 236 Tulane Drive, remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bond Wednesday, after he was accused of flashing the victims Monday afternoon while they walked east on the sidewalk of Tulane Drive past the suspect's home.The victims told police that Martinez was standing on his front porch and tried to speak with the victims.

They told police Martinez began to laugh and pulled down his shorts and exposed himself, and then made obscene hip movements.

The mothers of both victims told police they wished to pursue charges.

Scrapper Charged With Burglary

AVON PARK - A Wauchula man remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond Wednesday, after sheriff's detectives charged him with burglary and grand theft in the case of some scrap reported stolen from the 4000 block of East C. Hill Road, in Avon Park.

The scrap reportedly was taken between Oct. 7, 2007 and Jan. 7, the report stated.

Matthew Mark McEntyre, 31, of 3886 E. Main St., Wauchula, was picked up on warrants from the Hardee County Jail, transported and charged Tuesday with burglary of a structure and grand theft $300 or more but less than $5,000.

The report states that the victim reported the theft of six radiators, two aluminum condensers and some miscellaneous copper tubing valued at $690, taken from within a fenced in area on the victim's property.

On the date the victim reported the items stolen, he claimed he passed McEntyre on Riverdale Road, and thought it was unusual because he did not live there. He recognized McEntyre from a month and a half earlier, when he offered to negotiate a sale of the scrap.

The victim told deputies he didn't sell it to him because McEntyre didn't have any money.

When the victim got home he saw the chain on his gate had been tampered with and noticed the missing items.

The victim went to Carls' Recycling, in Hardee County, remembering from an earlier conversation that McEntyre had mentioned that's who he dealt with. He spoke with an employee and described the missing items.

Shortly after the victim arrived, McEntyre pulled up with a load, including items the victim claimed were his. McEntyre told the victim the items weren't the victim's property and drove away in a hurry.

Both the victim and the employee saw the items. Narrow tire tracks at the victim's property were similar to those of the truck operated by McEntyre, the report stated.