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Second person arrested following Marco house party
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Though he initially denied taking anything, a 23-year-old man who was watching a Marco Island couple’s home when it was ransacked has been arrested after police say they found power tools and skin care products belonging to the couple in his car.
Clifford Franklin "C.J." Massie Jr.
Clifford Franklin "C.J." Massie Jr., 613 97th Ave. N., Naples Park, was arrested Tuesday on the charge of grand theft by Marco Island police.
Massie also was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and petty theft by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in connection with an unrelated case.
Deputies say Massie and 20-year-old Brian Mitchell Herndon, 617 97th Ave. N., Naples Park, broke into a Naples Park home on Monday morning and stole a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a green lighter, an arrest report said.
Nancy Ehlen, 46, said she and her husband, Thomas, 49, left their Marco home on Thursday morning and hired Massie to watch the house and take care of their dogs. Ehlen said she and her husband have known Massie for a couple of years and have used him to house-sit before.
The couple paid Massie $60 a night to stay at their home, Ehlen said.
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"All we did was accommodate him," Ehlen said. "We always made sure he was comfortable in our home."
The Ehlens even hired Massie, who owns Next Level Canine Obedience School, to train their two Australian Terriers, Killer and Spike.
"We trusted him," Ehlen said.
When the Ehlens arrived home on Sunday afternoon, they found their home ransacked, expensive wine and liquor missing, strangers’ clothes strewn about a bedroom, dog feces on the floor and their pool half-empty. There were used condoms in the garbage can, a sticky liquid on the ground, and a number of items missing from the home.
The missing items initially were valued at $16,830, an arrest report said.
Massie had denied taking anything from the home, but said that an East Naples woman he knows, Veronica Marie Damaso, 19, 4345 Normandy Drive, told him she took a number of items while they were partying. She was arrested Sunday on a grand theft charge.
On Tuesday morning, Massie told the Daily News that he made a mistake inviting people over to the home, but denied taking anything.
"It was one girl who stole everything out of the closet," he said.
Marco Island police say that isn’t the case.
On Monday, police received a be-on-the-lookout notice, or BOLO, for Massie from the Sheriff’s Office in regard to the Naples Park burglary.
"One of our officers came up with a rather ingenious idea," Marco police Detective Glenn Zirgibel said. "He knew Mr. Massie was a dog trainer. He called him and told him he had a rottweiler that needed obedience training. ... He came down at 2 p.m. and met him and the officer placed him under arrest."
Inside Massie’s car, the officer found two green lighters, three power drills and a skin care set. Massie was arrested after the Ehlens identified the power drills and skin care set as belonging to them, an arrest report said.
"I’m glad he got arrested. I’m absolutely excited he got arrested," Ehlen said. "He should be in jail."
And Massie may not be the last person to be arrested in relation to the robbery, Zirgibel said.
"There are more people to be interviewed who were at that party," he said. "I hope to charge at least one more. I don’t know if that will happen. I know there was at least one more person who stole something, let’s put it that way."
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scottlepore,
doesn't matter where anyone is from. this is the norm all over the country. do you think this is the first time anything like this has happend here? just goes to show that kids are getting stupider and stupider every year. NICE PARENTING SKILLS MOM AND DAD! Have fun visiting your kid in jail!! And be happy cause if that was my house and dogs you be visiting him in I C U or worse!!
#1 Posted by strike3 on August 30, 2007 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
DNA testing has determined both the dogs DNA on the condoms. Now that's what a call "doggie style"
#2 Posted by WoolyBully on August 30, 2007 at 3:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Another great job by the Marco Island Police Department. Good thinking by the officer who came up with the plan to get him back on the island.
#3 Posted by talktome on August 30, 2007 at 4:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Was this merely a party, or were the Ehlen's targeted? Who can say?
Some posters astutely note the importance of tidying up. You should have seen what partying Zecchino Estate Grifters left behind. Yikes!
Our youthful duo faces prison for taking items of moderate value and bizarre signifigance. Can you explain why they allegedly pulled second B&E for cigarettes and a lighter? I can't. Doesn't 'power tools and skin creme in a car', sound like a David Lynch film?
Unfortunately, or perhaps not for this duo, those in review of Zecchino family concerns have long questioned Detective Zirgibel's credibility.
They see his 'nonsensical, manipulative, false, incomplete...' December, '04 report, labeled 'D.V.', Domestic Violence, as part of a team effort to falsely imprison the undersigned so that estate grifters could 'complete the work'.
Even if false allegations in Zirgibel's report were true, they still wouldn't constitute 'Domestic Violence'. Here again, overblown statements and compulsive track covering mark Zecchino Estate Grifters.
Zirgibel stated, my Father, Vincent Zecchino, M.D. allegedly evinced signs of heart attack or stroke. Yet Zirgibel didn't call a Rescue.
LE personnel state, you err on the side of caution, all the more so when the supposed complainant is 95 years old. Family and longstanding friends are long familiar with 'heart attack' and 'broken wrist' tales. They date back forty years. MI PD, using delusions for evidence, damaged us, in effort to perpetuate profitable lies. Short term investments have expensive legal consequences.
LE personnel and others say the reason for not calling a rescue may have been due to concern EMT's would see my father as malingering or delusional. Hospitalization may have occurred. Wouldn't that have made matters difficult for Zecchino Estate Grifters?
Zecchino Estate Grifters are older than our impetuous partiers. Cops describe them as 'cunning, well-schooled, praticed...aided and abetted by police who are complicit and/or incompetent.'
Please tidy up after illicit parties. To pull a successful take-down, aim for the high-buck. First, always, falsely imprison, or outright murder legitimate family members, and always, always - have the cops on your side.
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
30 August, 2007
#4 Posted by paul_vincent_zecchino on August 30, 2007 at 7:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Where were the MIPD? Everytime I had a party or my friends had a party (in H.S.) and a little beyond the police showed up and sent us all home. We were all drinking but o'well at that time.
But why weren't MIPD there? There are how many? We pay how much? They can't stop a party by just patroling the streets? Their job?....................I AM NOT PAYING FOR THIS ANY MORE!!!...............7X7 island and 20 cops? Can't stop a party or find one?
#5 Posted by strike3 on August 30, 2007 at 9:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
PS - A poster earlier speculated about insurance hijinx. Rare in general, it's inconceivable in this case.
There's always a few cops for sale. Dog lover, Mason Verger, in "Hannibal", acknowledged he lacked wealth sufficient to buy a senator, yet he still could rent one from time to time.
Screenwriter Chandler, in "Double Indemnity", identified the ravening beast beyond criminals' reach, one which sends sophisticated crooks screaming into the night: the insurance investigator.
Cunning California cretins discovered this, to their eternal chagrin, in 'Indemnity'. Mess with insurance companies?
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
30 August, 2007
"In a wilderness of mirrors,
you must learn to quickly recognize
when a lie masquerades as the truth,
and deal with it effectively
and dispassionately."
- W. J. Fredericks, Ph.D.
"The Good Shepherd"
c. 2006
#6 Posted by paul_vincent_zecchino on August 30, 2007 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm moving to Miami where its safe.
#7 Posted by exposed on August 30, 2007 at 11:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why are there sooooooo many cop haters on this island? These Marco cops go above and beyond to address the issues of the people of this community. I say keep them and pay them more!
#8 Posted by talktome on August 31, 2007 at 7:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is the best! Look forward to all your comments for a good hearty laugh in the morning. Dr. Zecchino, I want what you're smokin'...half of your stuff goes over my head, but you're the best....love you! Love the one-liners from the others. My take on this is....guys look a little further, I know this guy owns a banjo somewhere and squeals like a pig. At least he didn't get his sister pregnant (this time). Yay for condoms!
#9 Posted by heebeed on September 4, 2007 at 8:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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