Cape Coral Daily Breeze
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Inside today’s SER V ING CA PE C ORAL , P INE ISL AN D & N. FT . M Y R eal ERS Breeze APE ORAL E state C C MARKETER Your complete Cape Coral, Lee County Quartzite Stone W real estate guide Quartzite Stone W NOR THTH EDITIED FEBRU FE ITIO BRUA N ARY 226,6, 2009 ork 200 ork 9 COVER P RESE AILY REEZE NTED See Page 16 B Y DAN D B ATA GR OUP WEATHER: Partly Sunny • Tonight: Partly Cloudy • Saturday: Partly Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 47 Friday, February 27, 2009 50 cents Alligator makes self at home in northwest drain An alligator is stuck in a FWC waiting on city’s permission storm drain, By GRAY ROHRER his home Sunday afternoon. Coral because the drainage yards away [email protected] “It’s 50 feet from the front ditch lies in a city right of way. from a home For the past five days, Chris door,” he said. City spokesperson Connie off of Burnt Robertson has had an unwanted Robertson called the Florida Baron said Thursday she is Store Road guest near his northwest Cape Fish and Wildlife Conservation unsure whether the city’s writ- in northwest Coral home — an 8-foot alliga- Commission to extract the crea- ten permission is necessary for Cape Coral. tor. ture, but was told it could not the alligator’s removal. Robertson found the alliga- do anything without the written When an alligator was found MICHAEL permission of the city of Cape tor under a drainage swale near See ALLIGATOR, page 10A PISTELLA On trial Jurors hear from victim’s father in Fred Cooper trial Lead detective in case takes witness stand too By STEVEN BEARDSLEY Special to the Breeze “You want to try to estab- The two dramas unfolded on lish the motive. Is this a the same day. burglary? Was the TV As life turned upside down missing, any china, any for the families of Steven and valuables?” Michelle Andrews, a snare — Walter Ryan, began to tighten around the man lead detective accused of killing them, Fred Cooper. On Thursday, jurors in case, testified. Cooper’s double homicide trial Both testimonies focused heard both accounts, when largely on the same day, Dec. MICHAEL PISTELLA Steven’s father and Walter 27, 2005. That is when the Ryan, the lead detective in the See GATEWAY, page 10A Ronnie Perez’s interpreter speaks to him as his lawyer questions a witness during day four of Perez’s murder trial. Annual Lee County Cape victim’s wife takes stand Fair opens tonight “We were trying to get back together, Perez accused work things out.” in fatal stabbing — Tanya Lowell, wife of William Lowell, 36 at Lee Civic Center Lowell in his house, hitched a ride home with By CONNOR HOLMES his then-girlfriend Ana Luisa Munoz, took a Special events planned [email protected] shower and drove with parents Jose Serrano Tanya Lowell told seven jurors, who hold and Lisneidy Lozano to turn himself in to the fate of her husband’s accused killer, about police in the early morning hours of June 22, in response to economy the last time she saw him on the evening of 2007. June 21, 2007 — he gave her a rose and made Thursday was the fourth day of Perez’s trial By ANDREA GALABINSKI dinner plans with her for the following before Lee Circuit Judge Edward Volz, during [email protected] To go which jurors are asked to decide whether he is evening. It was their son’s 12th birthday. The 85th Annual Southwest What William Lowell, 36, and his wife of nearly guilty of second-degree murder in Lowell’s Florida and Lee County Fair is 85th Annual 15 years had been recently separated due to death. If convicted, he faces a life sentence. coming to town, starting Southwest Florida financial problems and personal disagree- Perez initially told officers he thought tonight and running through and Lee County Fair ments. He was the only one residing at their Lowell had a gun during a confrontation in March 8 at the Lee Civic home, located at 2716 N.E. First St., when Lowell’s garage, at which point he stabbed Center. When police discovered his body riddled with knife Lowell, possibly killing him. Today, Feb. 27, It is one of the area’s biggest through March 8 wounds on June 22, 2007, she testified Testimony so far has revealed the only guns events of the year, with all the Thursday. Lowell kept in his home were a broken airgun music, rides, food and tradi- Where Lowell and Tanya, who had three children sitting on a workbench in the garage and a pel- tional fair fun that is the county Lee Civic Center, together, ages 6, 9 and 12, were trying to sal- let rifle atop a refrigerator. fair. But this year, local talent 11831 Bayshore Road, vage their relationship prior to his slaying. Police and medical experts testified Lowell and several special events were North Fort Myers Lowell had given her a rose every day since had been stabbed and cut a total of 33 times on built in to reflect the state of Admission their separation, Tanya told jurors. his head, chest, neck, arms, legs, lungs and the economy. Adult, $6; child, $3; “We were trying to get back together, work heart, along with multiple other bruises and Concerning local talent, and under age 5, free things out,” she said. lacerations. Perez had suffered a cut on his foot expect a lot of hometown The Lowells never got the chance to rekin- and bite marks on his thumb from the alterca- favorites to perform. tion. Mosley, general manager of the dle their relationship. “We are using a lot of local Southwest Florida Fair. Ronnie Perez, 26, allegedly fatally stabbed See TRIAL, page 10A talent this year,” said Alta See FAIR, page 10A Mariner’s Silver Magic Car and Bike Show set play for approximately 2,000 spectators. High school calls biggest fund-raiser This year’s show will To go include a tethered hot air bal- What By MCKENZIE CASSIDY Classic cars and custom from noon-2 p.m. loon ride on Mariner’s practice designed motorcycles will be “We have cars and bikes 6th Annual Silver Magic [email protected] football field. RE/MAX Realty Car and Bike Show Mariner High School is on display at the school from from all generations that are is donating the balloon, said When hosting the 6th Annual Silver 10 a.m.-3 p.m. modified and fully restored,” Yoho, who said the rides will Magic Car and Bike Show, the Earnest Graham from the said Robert Yoho, organizer Saturday, Feb. 28, be open from 10 a.m. until the from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. school’s largest fund-raiser of Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a from the Mariner High School pilot says the weather is too the year, on Saturday. Mariner High alum who also Band Booster windy. Where Each year the school takes in attended the University of According to Yoho, the It also features a fully Mariner High School, between $12,000 and $15,000 Florida, will return to greet the show will host more than 250 701 Chiquita Blvd. in revenue from the show. crowd and sign autographs cars and motorcycles on dis- See MARINER, page 10A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Council for Progress to meet Renewable energy meeting Council for Progress will meet at 7:30 a.m. A Florida Alliance for Renewable Annie’s Mailbox ....6A Nation ................5A Friday at GulfCoast Village on Santa Barbara Energy town hall meeting will be held Business ................7A Obituary ............2A Florida Boulevard. City and county officials will dis- from 4-6 p.m. today at the Hilton Garden Lottery cuss the UEP. Submit questions/comments Inn, 12600 University Drive, Fort Myers. Classifieds ..........1-6B Police Blotter ....2A ahead of time. For details, call 282-2186. The program, “How we can use the CASH 3: Comics ............14A Sports ........15-17A 4-4-5 / 1-4-1 demand for renewable energy to create Crossword........14A State ..................3A PLAY 4: Former resident to share jobs and economic recovery,” will feature 5-8-3-0 / 0-3-8-7 guest speakers state Reps. Paige Kreegel, Dr. Donohue ......6A TV Listings....11-13A Fantasy 5 stories of city’s early days R-Punta Gorda, and Gary Aubuchon, R- Editorial..............4A Weather ............2A 2-15-25-26-32 The Cape Coral Historical Society will Cape Coral; state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D- Lotto Greenacres; Mike Antheil, executive Horoscopes........6A meet at 2:30 p.m. March 10 at Cultural Park 11-19-43-44-47-53 Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd. The guest director of Florida Alliance of Renewable Florida Powerball Energy; and John Burges, managing 17-32-42-49-56 speaker will be Betsy Zeiss Lewis, a former PB 11 x 4 full-time resident of Cape Coral who wrote director of Knight Capital Markets. “The Other Side of the River,” an historical For information, call 727-709-3398, account of the city’s early days. For informa- or check online at: www.floridaalliance- 7 48445 46010 1 tion, call Anne Cull at 772-7037. forrenewableengergy.org. Page 2A Friday, February 27, 2009 cape-coral-daily-breeze.com CAPE CORAL DAILY BREEZE POLICE BLOTTER OBITUARY (The police blotter contains pub- S.E. 14th St., was charged firefighter EMT and resist officer Marilyn I. Smith lic information obtained from the Wednesday with domestic violence with violence.