|
Home Search |
Published on Tuesday, May 11, 2004
in the St. Petersburg Times
TAMPA - Rolando Pozo knew the Web site was a long shot.
He created it as a diversion, really, from the helplessness and anger he felt when the man charged with his brother-in-law's death failed to show up for his trial last week.
He called it www.bringcarlosgiddingstojustice.com
"I never thought it would lead to an arrest," Pozo, 34, said Monday. "For me, I was kind of going through the motions with the Web site. Because I just had to do something, you know?"
Turns out, that something gave authorities the breakthrough they needed to find Carlos Giddings, the man police say killed James Robert Burton in a traffic accident last September.
Soon after Giddings missed his trial date, Pozo created the Web site asking for help finding him. Pozo, owner of a business consulting firm, often makes Web sites for clients. But this one was different.
Pozo posted pictures and descriptions of Giddings, and photos of people who might know where he was.
Last Thursday, Pozo's efforts were featured on the WTSP-TV Ch. 10 news. Pozo woke up Friday morning to find an anonymous e-mail, posted before dawn, that said authorities could find Giddings at a particular house in Clearwater.
Pozo gave the information to the Florida Highway Patrol, the agency that investigated the crash. By Friday afternoon, Giddings, 21, was again in custody.
He is being held without bail at the Orient Road Jail on charges of vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, possession of cocaine and driving with a suspended license in a case involving death.
Trooper Larry Coggins, spokesman for the FHP, said that when troopers arrived at 13296 126th St. N in Clearwater, adults who answered the door insisted they knew nothing of Giddings' whereabouts.
"Then the trooper saw a small child inside, and he asked where Carlos was," Coggins said. "Kids don't lie. He pointed down the hall, and sure enough Carlos was trying to go out a window. But we caught him.
"Between law enforcement, technology and a good-hearted person from the community coming forward, we made this happen."
According to the FHP, Giddings was speeding in a 2001 Pontiac on Interstate 4 last fall when he rear-ended the 2001 Harley-Davidson motorcycle Burton was driving. The impact threw Burton, 45, from the motorcycle. He died at the scene.
Investigators say Giddings left the scene after he lost control of his car and slid onto the shoulder of the road. He was later arrested on I-4 after his car broke down. He stayed in jail for four months but was released without bail pending his trial.
Burton, who worked for the Tampa Water Department, is survived by his wife, Pozo's sister Tammy, and two daughters.
Pozo said this second arrest is a relief, even though it doesn't bring back his brother-in-law.
"Other than the birth of my kid, this is the most outstanding thing that has happened," said Pozo, who has a 6-year-old son. "But I have to admit, I never saw this coming. And I never thought this would happen so fast. The whole thing was a long shot from the beginning."
By Monday, the site had an update: Carlos Giddings has been captured. We did it in 3 days.