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Police: Nurse arrested for leaving elderly alone

CLEARWATER — Deputies say a nurse was arrested for leaving elderly patients alone when an 88-year-old was injured.

Pinellas County deputies say 60-year-old Epifania V. Fitzgerald put one of the patients at an assisted living facility in charge and left. When she returned 2½ hours later, authorities were there.

One of the facility's residents, a woman, had slipped and fallen in the bathroom. Another resident had called 911.

Fitzgerald was supposed to have been watching out for 21 elderly patients.

Officials say Fitzgerald was charged with one count of abuse and neglect of the elderly and one count of possession of Vicodin.

Authorities would not identify the facility. Fitzgerald remained in jail Sunday facing a bond of $12,000.

— The Associated Press

Police: 1 person dead, 3 injured in shooting

ORLANDO — Orlando police say one person is dead and at least three people were injured at a shooting in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant.

Authorities received a report of a shooting, but they did not find any victims at the scene early Sunday.

Police say one person had been taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead. Two other people went to a home and were later hospitalized. Another person went to a different hospital.

Police say the investigation is ongoing. They have not released the names of any of the people.

— The Associated Press

FHP: Child killed, 3 people injured in crash

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS — Authorities say a child was killed and three people were hospitalized after a car crash in central Florida.

Florida Highway Patrol says the single-vehicle crash occurred Sunday on Interstate 4 near Altamonte Springs.

Authorities say the vehicle overturned and the 3-year-old girl was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.

Three other people, including another child, were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. One of them is in critical condition.

There were two car seats in the vehicle, but authorities have not yet determined whether the infant was properly restrained.

Charges are pending.

— The Associated Press

Police: Woman swings crow bar at revelers

NAPLES — Authorities say a woman was arrested after she took out a crow bar and started swinging it at a group of people trick-or-treating, hitting a parent in the head.

Authorities say children and parents were trick-or-treating Friday night when a black Hyundai drove through the crowd and almost hit a child.

A parent yelled at the driver to slow down. Authorities say the driver, 20-year-old Doniell Daugherty, stopped her car, got out holding a 3-foot long crow bar and began swinging it at the group. They say a parent told her to stop swinging it in front of the children and she hit a parent on the forehead with the crow bar. She drove away and was later found.

Daugherty was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

— The Associated Press

Chihuahua dies after black bear attack

FLOROSA — The owner of a 9-pound Chihuahua says the dog has died after a fight with a black bear.

Tony Claycomb says 5-year-old Coon was attacked by a bear who stepped onto his home's porch. He says the bear wrapped his mouth around the dog's ribs and threw him in the air.

After the bear left, Coon was found sitting bloodied on the back porch.

Okaloosa County sheriff's deputies and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers came to the house. Coon was taken to an emergency veterinarian's clinic and survived for 20 hours after the attack.

— The Associated Press

Officials: 3 adults, 5 kids injured in crash

JACKSONVILLE — Authorities say three adults and five children were injured in a two-vehicle crash on a bridge.

Florida Highway Patrol say the Saturday crash on the Hart Bridge occurred when a vehicle driven by 43-year-old Jack Strickland attempted to make a U-turn.

Authorities say Strickland's Dodge then crashed into a Chevrolet truck driven by 31-year-old Carlos E. Torres and both vehicles collided with a concrete barrier wall.

Five children, ranging from 5 to 15 years old, were injured. They were in the vehicle driven by Torres. The children and two adults in the vehicle, all of whom were wearing seat belts, were in serious condition.

Strickland, who also was wearing a seat belt and was driving alone, was in critical condition.

— The Associated Press

Dog found 1,000 miles from home back in Fla.

ORLANDO — A Maltese dog named Max is back home in Florida after he was found in Chicago — 1,000 miles from where he disappeared.

Max is to be reunited with his owner Richard Gonzalez on Sunday.

On Saturday, Joanne Couture, who runs Li'l Lap Dog Rescue, picked up Max from Delta's cargo office at Orlando International Airport. She took him home for the night.

Max disappeared from the west Florida city of Brandon almost six months ago. An animal-control shelter in Chicago had picked up Max, and the microchip implanted in the pooch's body linked him to Gonzalez.

— The Associated Press

Diamond ring found in supermarket returned

BOYNTON BEACH — A woman returned a 4.6 karat diamond ring she found in a wholesale supermarket.

Mary Klemm saw the ring on the floor of the meat aisle, picked it up, and turned it in to the main office of BJ's Wholesale Club, where she works.

— The Associated Press