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2 men charged in East Hillsborough smash-and-grabs

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 15, 2009

TAMPA - Two men were involved in several smash-and-grab robberies in Hillsborough County between March and July, deputies say.

Deputies have arrested Jeremy Nichtula, 29, of Brandon, and Thomas Dan Hartley, 21, of Ruskin.

According to arrest reports:

• At 5:13 a.m. March 29, the men used a crowbar to smash their way through the glass door of a Citgo food store on Turkey Creek Road in Plant City. The men took cartons of cigarettes, lottery tickets and the metal lids to a gas pump. The items were worth $11,082, and the business owner estimated damage to the front door at $380.

• About 4:30 a.m. June 13, Hartley interrupted power service to a Ruskin business and smashed his way in through the front door, causing about $1,000 damage. He took about $100 and lottery tickets. He also entered another Ruskin business in a similar fashion about the same time. He took a fire extinguisher and about $100.

• Sometime between 1 and 7 a.m. June 20, Hartley damaged an electric meter outside a business on Boyette Road in Riverview. He used a blunt object to smash the front door, and he tried to pry open the cash register. He couldn't open the register and left without taking anything. He caused about $1,000 damage to the business. Hartley pulled the breaker boxes at the rear of the business next door, smashed the glass on the front door and broke a small lock on a desk in the manager's office. He caused about $1,000 damage to that business.

• At 2:49 a.m. June 20, Hartley smashed through the front door of the Citgo food store again. He took cigarettes and cash, totaling $1,680 combined. The damage to the front door was estimated to be about $700.

• At 5:25 a.m. June 20, Hartley interrupted power service to a business on Lithia-Pinecrest Road and smashed a front door, causing $1,000 damage. He took a fire extinguisher, using it to smash the glass. He took about $125 in lottery tickets.

• At 1:24 a.m. July 2, Nichtula, Hartley and another person, 19-year-old Sarah Marie Payne, drove to the Marathon gas station at 401 Shell Point Road in Ruskin. They removed an electric meter, causing a power failure at the station. They then broke the store's front window with a blunt object, causing more than $1,000 damage. The trio took cigarettes and lottery tickets worth about $300.

• At 3:22 a.m. July 2, Nichtula and Hartley drove to a Speedy Citgo gas station on Riverview Drive in Riverview. They removed an electric meter and used a pry bar to open a side door at the business. They took cigarettes, lottery tickets and cash, worth a combined $8,936.13.

Hartley was arrested at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday at his Ruskin home. He was charged with nine counts of burglary, four counts of grand theft, nine counts of criminal mischief, three counts of petty theft and one count of grand theft of a fire extinguisher.

He remains in Orient Road Jail. His bail has not been set.

Nichtula was arrested at 1:15 a.m. today at his Brandon home. He was charged with three counts each of burglary, grand theft and criminal mischief, and one count of possession of a controlled substance.

Nichtula remains in Orient Road Jail. His bail has not been set.

Payne was arrested Tuesday night at Hartley's home. She was charged with one count each of burglary and grand theft. She remains in Orient Road Jail with bail set at $4,000.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

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