Amy Gehrt

Lakeland

Journalist and Breaking News Editor at Tampa Bay Times

Journalist, breaking news editor for the Tampa Bay Times, former opinion columnist. Die-hard Cubs fan & doggie mom to a golden retriever named Santo. She/her

Articles

Hillsborough middle school teacher arrested on child sex charges

Dec 15, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

A Greco Middle School teacher has been arrested after “committing numerous sexual offenses against a juvenile and for possession of child pornography,” according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. James Goff, 56, of Valrico, was arrested Friday and booked into a Hillsborough County jail, records show. He faces charges of promotion of a sexual performance by a child, lewd or lascivious battery and possession of child pornography, among others.
Hillsborough man turns himself in on murder charge, deputies say

Nov 20, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

A 21-year-old Ruskin man accused of killing another man in Wimauma has turned himself in, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. On Sept. 23, deputies were called to the 3300 block of Sanchez Ranch Lane around 5:30 a.m. about the death of one person following what the agency described as a domestic altercation. When they arrived, they found the body of a man who had suffered “upper body trauma,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
St. Petersburg man arrested in shooting death of roommate, police say

Nov 13, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

A man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of his roommate earlier this month in St. Petersburg, police said Monday. Relatives called authorities after discovering Julius Moore, 74, dead inside his home at 1033 19th Ave. S in St. Petersburg on Nov. 5. Jimmy Lee Mathews, 55, was arrested at Tampa General Hospital on Nov. 6 and booked into a Hillsborough County jail the following day, jail records show.
Hillsborough deputy arrested after fight in Wesley Chapel, authorities say

Nov 8, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been arrested after a disagreement turned physical in Pasco County on Tuesday, authorities announced Wednesday evening. Deputy James Linen, 51, was walking in Wesley Chapel when he got into an argument with someone in the 1500 block of Tallulah Terrace and it “escalated into a physical altercation,” the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Tampa police release video of people of interest in Ybor City shooting

Nov 6, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

The Tampa Police Department is asking the public for help identifying several people who detectives say “may have been involved” in an Oct. 29 shooting in Ybor City that killed two and injured 16 others — 15 by gunfire. The agency hasn’t released the names of any of them, citing Marsy’s Law, but it did confirm that a 14-year-old boy died at the scene and a 20-year-old man died at an area hospital.
Woman found dead in Tampa, investigation underway, police say

Oct 31, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in Tampa Tuesday afternoon, according to authorities. Officers were called about a death in the 900 block of West Cypress Street around 2:15 p.m., the Tampa Police Department said in a news release. The woman’s body showed signs of upper body trauma, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not release any identifying information about the woman or additional details about the cause of her death.
Tampa driver turns self in, arrested in fatal hit-and-run of bicyclist

Oct 27, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

A Hillsborough County woman turned herself in Friday in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a 57-year-old bicyclist earlier this week, according to the Tampa Police Department. Dameisha Tyana Ceasar, 28, of Tampa, was arrested by detectives Friday afternoon and faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving the death of a vulnerable road user and driving without a valid driver’s license, resulting in death or serious bodily injury, records show.
Woman found dead in Tampa, investigation underway, police say

Oct 25, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in Tampa, authorities said Wednesday. Officers were called to 305 E. Wellington Court after someone reported finding the woman dead, according to a news release from the Tampa Police Department. The release described the woman as being in her early 70s and said she had “upper body trauma.” Police did not provide any additional details about the woman or her manner of death. The investigation is ongoing.
Tropical Storm Tammy strengthens into hurricane

Oct 20, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

Tropical Storm Tammy has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. update. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and hurricane hunter aircraft show the system became much better organized Friday, with “strong convection that has quickly evolved into a curved band, and more recently a closed eye,” the update said.
Girl, 3, dies after falling from Tampa apartment window, police say

Oct 18, 2023 | tampabay.com | Amy Gehrt

A 3-year-old girl who fell from an open fourth-story bedroom window of a Tampa apartment building Sunday has died, police announced Wednesday evening. Officers were called to Mosaic Westshore Apartments, 110 S. Hoover Blvd., around 4:40 p.m. Sunday, according to the Tampa Police Department. The girl was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. The agency said she later died of her injuries. “As a parent myself, I know the extent a parent will go to ensure the safety of their child.