Motel Fire Probe Ongoing Will Not Red Cross Stand Trial by Fallan Patterson Helps 231 Staff Writer Steven H
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50 CENTS 112TH YEAR • THURSDAY EDITION JUNE 30, 2011 Peter Covino, Lifestyles editor, launches a once-a-month series on local restaurants that are “off the eaten path.” See page A-2 for the first offering. OOSCEOLASCEOLA NNEWSEWS-G-GAZETTEAZETTE www.aroundosceola.com • www.holaosceola.com Bronson Motel fire probe ongoing will not Red Cross stand trial By Fallan Patterson helps 231 Staff Writer Steven H. Bronson Jr. was fire victims declared incompetent to stand trial Friday by Osceola County By Fallan Patterson Circuit Judge Scott Polodna and committed to the Depart- Staff Writer The 40-year-old Vacation ment of Children and Families Lodge Maingate’s design may for placement in a state men- have contributed to how quick- tal health hospital. He also ly fire gutted the 430-room was found to motel near Disney Sunday be an unlikely night, fire officials said. candidate for “The fire was moving so competency rapidly, we didn’t have a restoration. prayer,” Osceola County Fire Bronson Rescue Deputy Chief Dan was charged McAvoy said, adding the lack of with first- firewalls in an interconnected degree murder Bronson attic may have contributed to in the brutal murder of Norma the blaze. “(The fire) got up in Thomas Page in front of her the attic and just walked (the two young boys in 1979 on perimeter). There’s no more Tennessee Avenue in St. we could have done.” Cloud. State fire marshals began “Oftentimes justice de- their investigation to the origin layed is justice denied,” of the massive inferno that Polodna said, adding he engulfed the extended-stay understood the local, family motel, at 7514 W. U.S. High- and historical interest in the way 192, 4 p.m. Tuesday, and case. “I understand it’s a dif- the investigation is expected to News-Gazette Photos/ ficult case. With the condition take a week, Niki Whisler, Andrew Sullivan Bronson is in today, I cannot emergency management serv- Above is an elevated view of make that finding (to go for- ices spokesperson, said. the carnage Monday morning ward with a trial).” Osceola County Fire Res- Seven mental health pro- at the Vacation Lodge Main- fessionals deemed Bronson cue’s tactical rescue team built a gate motel at the intersection of support system Tuesday, allow- incompetent to assist in his West U.S. Highway 192 and own defense and prone to ing Capt. Bernie Kleinschmidt, Old Lake Wilson Road, taken north central regional com- confabulation, the medical from the eighth floor balcony of term for filling memory gaps mander of the State Fire Mar- the neighboring Ramada Inn. with exaggerated state- shal’s office, to tour the north- ments. Two mental health east corner of the motel, where The fire, which is still uncertain professionals testified Friday officials have said they believe as far as origin, consumed all but three of the 430 rooms at said Bronson had told them the fire began. during interviews conducted “I know it’s one of the the motel, and threatened the attached lobby and Black as recently as June 21, the biggest (fires) we’ve handled 32nd anniversary of Page’s in Central Florida,” Klein- Angus Steakhouse restaurant murder, that Bronson con- schmidt said. “We want to along West U.S. Highway 192. fabulated during several work backwards and identify a At left, displaced motel resident statements. smaller area of the fire scene. 19-year-old Sabrina Thompson Bronson, who had a series The rest of the building is col- comforts her 3-month-old of strokes in 2003 and is par- lateral damage.” daughter, Rose Perez, at the alyzed on the left side of his Firefighters from seven area Celebration High School gym- body, said during the inter- fire departments spent more nasium, which was used as a views he recently rode a bron- than 36 hours fighting the blaze temporary shelter for motel res- co in the Silver Spurs Rodeo, idents Monday morning. See Fire, page A-5 See Bronson, page A-3 Local news Dead teen runaway tentatively identified Next charter committee meeting to be Tuesday By Fallan Patterson “She hung out with trouble,” he According to neighbor Larry Police news said, adding Jung had a juvenile Linton, at 901 Carolina Ave., the The Osceola County Charter Review Staff Writer Committee will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. in St. Cloud Police Department criminal history. home has been vacant for at least Conference Room 4727, County Adminis- detectives continue to await confir- elry and a tattoo found on the Jung’s body was discovered by four months. tration Building, Fourth Floor, 1 Court- mation and a cause of death on a body, SCPD Sgt. Kirk Zilke said. a neighbor who had recently pur- “It’s been stinking for a while house Square, Kissimmee. tentatively-identified teenage run- Details about Jung’s personal chased a riding lawnmower and here; it smelled like something The committee meets to develop recom- away found in vacant backyard belongings found at the scene planned to tidy up the vacant yard, dead,” he said. “I didn’t think it mendations on any possible changes to the nearly a week ago. were unavailable. Zilke said. The neighbor found was a dead body; I thought it was county charter. The meetings are open to Ashley Nicole Jung, 16, was “A lot of that is not being Jung’s body behind the gate of a a stray cat. It’s weird, I feel unsafe the public. reported missing at 6:15 p.m. on released yet,” Zilke said, adding 6-foot-tall wooden fence enclosing in St. Cloud.” City of Kissimmee to offer June 3 by her father, Michael her death is considered suspicious the backyard. Linton’s pickup truck was Jung, who last saw her alive May parked less than 30 feet from summer swimming lessons until a cause of death is deter- In response to the neighbor’s 30 at their home on the outskirts mined. “This is an ongoing inves- call, police responded to the home where Jung was found. The city of Kissimmee Makinson Aquat- of St. Cloud city limits, Twis Liza- tigation.” at approximately 8:15 p.m. and Linton, who moved to St. ic Center will offer swimming lessons dur- suain, Osceola Cloud from Detroit in March, said ing the summer season; sessions will run Orange-Osceola County Chief found her remains, which were County Sheriff’s the smell was prominent during a every two weeks through October. Medical Examiner Dr. Jan Gar- described in a press release as Office spokesper- Memorial Day barbecue at his Registration will be accepted for session avaglia performed Jung’s autopsy decomposed. son, said. home with family and friends. 5, beginning on Saturday, July 9, from 8 to and has yet to release a cause of The two-bedroom, one-bath The case was Zilke stressed residents should 10:30 a.m. The lessons for session 5 will death, Zilke said. house, built in 1925, is owned by turned over to call police for anything out of the be offered from July 11-21, at various SCPD after Jung’s The house where Jung was Hughette Crumpler, of Kissim- times. found June 23 at 819 Carolina mee, according to Osceola County ordinary, including odors. body was identi- “Normally, if they smell a Swim lessons are open to participants fied, Lizasuain Ave. in St. Cloud sits on a corner Property Appraiser records. The ranging in age from 6-months-old to adults Jung lot with a slightly overgrown yard, backyard is surrounded by the strong, suspicious odor, they said, and the Sher- should call,” Zilke said, adding no and the registration fee is $45. unkempt trees and boards cover- weathered wooden fence with iff’s Office had previously disclosed calls were made in reference to a For more information, call 407-870- the case to St. Cloud detectives. ing some of its windows. faded “Beware of Dog” signs and smell on Carolina Avenue. “If they 7665 or visit the Makinson Aquatic Center Although DNA results, current- Jung was known to hang out in includes a large, cement-wall call us, we’re going to investigate.” at 2204 Denn John Lane in Kissimmee. ly at the lab, will confirm Jung’s the neighborhood and had an ex- garage with a short, concrete While there are no active miss- identity, the body was identified by boyfriend who lived in the area, driveway and a metal shed with a See News briefs, page A-5 Jung’s family due to clothing, jew- Zilke said. rusted lock on the sliding doors. See Police news, page A-6 Inside Homefinder Sports News for you Classifieds . C-4 Harmony hon- Gulf Coast Around Kissim- Community . B-3 ored as one of League Astros mee, Around St. Homefinder . C-1 the best mas- begin season Cloud and sur- Legals . C-6 rounding areas Opinion . A-4 ter-planned at Osceola Sports . A-7 communities. Stadium. featured in zoned editions. Page C-1 Page A-7 Section B Page A2, NEWS-GAZETTE • Online All The Time • www.aroundosceola.com • Thursday, June 30, 2011 News-Gazette Try the burgers at Photo/Andrew Sullivan Cypress Restaurant employee Rose Cypress Restaurant Porter displays a sampling of an all Angus beef hot dog, lunch entrees (served on a bun, $5.95). available to While your order won’t take too long to get brought to order during a the table, it is a good time to visit to Forever By Peter Covino restaurant got their start as cat- wander around the restaurant Florida, includ- tle on the ranch, our host, Lifestyles Editor a bit and take in the native art- ing turkey and Euell Gibbons used to Matt Duda, said.