The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • B3

Orlando Sentinel: PRODUCT: OS DESK: LOC DATE: 01-28-2006 EDITION: MET ZONE: MET PAGE: B3.0 DEADLINE: 0.24 OP: rbrunson COMPOSETIME: 01.00 CMYK Orlando Sentinel SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2006 B3 CENTRAL FLORIDA The Area i in Brief Reward set for missing woman The search continues with more pleas from the Orlando resident's family for the public's vigilance. By HENRY PIERS0N CURTIS and RICH McKAY SENTINEL STAFF WRITERS An anonymous donor posted a $100,000 reward for the safe return of Jennifer Kesse, the Orlando woman who disappeared this week. Meanwhile, the search continued Friday with renewed pleas from Kesse's family for the public's vigilance. Drew Kesse asked that everyone keep an eye out for his 24-year-old daughter not just in Central Florida, but nationwide. "Even if you're in Kansas or Massachusetts.

This is how it works," he said, explaining that the most seemingly inconsequential tip could help find her. The search for Jennifer Kesse began Tuesday after she did not show up for work. The absence alarmed family and friends, who contacted police saying she wouldn't miss an appointment without notifying someone. News coverage of her disappearance led to the discovery of her car Thursday RED HUBERORLANDO SENTINEL Logan Kesse of Bradenton, Jennifer Kesse's brother, hands out fliers to motorists Friday at South Orange Blossom Trail and Americana Boulevard. time-share billionaire David Siegel's Central Florida Investments.

'We have a lot of work to do, and the detectives are working methodically through all the information they have received up to this point to try to find Jennifer," police spokeswoman Sgt. OCOEE Pedestrian trying to cross S.R. 50 killed A woman in her 60s died Friday night after a car struck her as she crossed West Colonial Drive in Ocoee, a police spokesman said. The crash took place at Good Homes Road and West Colonial about 8:30 p.m., Officer Granger Pruniersaid. For unknown reasons, the woman was moving slowly if at all as she crossed Colonial, Prunier said.

She was transported to Health Central, where she was pronounced dead, he said. Cars have struck and killed pedestrians crossing at that intersection in the past, Prunier said. "Every year, we get a couple of these," he said. Further details were not available early today. Ocoee police would not release the victim's name until they notify her relatives.

ORLANDO President expected at event President Bush is set to headline a Republican Party of Florida fundraiser in Orlando next month, according to an invitation being distributed to potential donors. Bush will be the "honored guest" at a four-hour dinner reception and photo session at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort on Feb. 17, where the suggested donations range from $5,000 to $15,000 per person. POLK COUNTY 19 dogs are euthanized Polk County officials on Friday said they euthanized 19 dogs and filed additional animal-cruelty charges against a man who detectives say was training dogs to fight. Hewitt Grant, 38, of Mulberry faces 19 felony and 54 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, and one felony count of maintaining and owning equipment and dogs for baiting or fighting, the Sheriffs Office reported Friday.

ORLANDO Man arrested in Internet sting An Orlando man was in jail in Leon County after being arrested on charges he met who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl on the Internet and traveled there to have sex with her, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement official said Friday. Ketankumar Patel, 27, was arrested on one count each of computer pornography and transmission of material harmful to a minor by electronic device, said Bob Bree-den, special-agent supervisor with FDLE's Computer Crime Center. Patel met an FDLE agent posing as a minor in an Internet romance chatroom in December, used a Web camera to transmit images of him exposing himself and arranged to meet the "girl" at a Tallahassee grocery-store parking lot, Breeden said. Bail was set at $30,000. Anyone with information on Patel should call FDLE Special Agent Chad Hoffman at 850-410-7087.

ORANGE COUNTY Man arrested in shooting A man wanted in Seminole County on counts related to a drive-by shooting was arrested in Pine Hills, according to a statement from the Seminole County Sheriffs Office. Nigel Eli Harris, 24, of Altamonte Springs was found in the parking lot of 2621 Silver Hills Drive in Orlando, an arrest report says. He was wanted in connection with a drive-by shooting Jan. 12 near Altamonte Springs. Harris was in a navy-blue Buick LeSabre at the time of the incident, which took place on Plymouth Avenue.

No one was injured. Harris is being held on $10,000 bail, the report states. He faces counts in Seminole County of firing a missile into a dwelling, vehicle, building or aircraft; discharging a firearm from a vehicle; possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon; and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He also was being held on a vehicular-homicide warrant stemming from an incident in Maitland. Willoughby Mariano, Jason Garcia and Amy L.

Edwards of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. 1 Barbara Jones said Friday. Jones confirmed that a bloodhound tracked the scent of whoever abandoned Kesse's car back to her home at Mosaic at Millenia, a condomini KESSE um complex. She de clined to say what clues, if any, were found in the car. Investigators are studying video from a surveillance camera, but Jones would not comment on what it shows or where the video was shot.

Kesse's network of family and friends spent Friday handing out fliers about the University of Central Florida graduate to motorists at intersections. Posters with a photograph of the 5-foot-8, 135-pound blonde with green eyes are taped to mailboxes and signs in southwest Orlando and nearby neighborhoods in unincorporated Orange County. Each carries the telephone number of Crimeline, a clearinghouse fortips: 1-800-423-8477. Henry Pierson Curtis can be reached at 407-420-5257 or hcurtisorlandosentinel.com. Rich McKay can be reached at 407420-5470 or rmckayorlandosentinel.com.

Suit accuses Velez family of not paying for services A man claims the parents of 2 young girls killed while crossing the street agreed to pay for representation. By ANTHONY C0LAR0SSI SENTINEL STAFF WRITER An Orlando man who helped the parents of two children killed in a 2004 car crash get the state's red-light-running law changed is now suing the couple for breaching an oral contract. In a lawsuit filed Friday in Orange County, Kim S. LaFleur and his wife allege that Ivan and Yamil-ka Velez verbally agreed to pay the LaFleurs up to $50,000 to help represent them and handle their heavily publicized case. The Velezes' daughters died after Ashley Townsend ran a red light at Goldenrod and Bates roads and struck the young girls, who were crossing the street with their mother.

Anjelica Velez, 5, and Victoria Velez, 2, died after the Oct. 27, 2004, accident. Townsend was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide. The tragedy and the publicity surrounding it sparked an outpouring of support for the Velez family and their efforts to improve pedestrian safety in Florida. Kim LaFleur acted as a spokesman and consultant for the family and organized the lobbying effort to get the red-light-running law changed, according to his lawsuit.

The complaint states that LaFleur "was immediately recognized as the Velez family's representative and consultant by the defendants' attorney, the media, city and state representatives, Florida Hospital, as well as the community." The lawsuit further states that LaFleur prepared the petition that led to tougher penalties for red-light runners, set up benefits for the family "raising several thousands of dollars" and traveled to Tallahassee to support the bill. LaFleur said the cost of his services was discussed with the Velez family and estimated at $50,000. He said they paid him only 1,000. His lawsuit asks for no more than $15,000. The complaint was filed by LaFleur and not a lawyer.

"The lawsuit itself is about the fact that I gave them the services," LaFleur said Friday. LaFleur said his work amounted to about $15,000 and added: "These people broke me. They broke me financially." The Velez family's lawyer, Carlos Diez-Arguelles, was out of the office late Friday and was unavailable for comment. Anthony Colarossi can be reached at acolarossiorlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6218. PHOTOS BY BARBARA V.

PEREZORLANDO SENTINEL morning, when a TV viewer recognized the black Chevrolet Malibu parked about a mile from Kesse's home at another condominium complex on Americana Boulevard. Orlando police will not speculate on what happened to Kesse, who works for ing lawsuit against the city. Current councilwoman Frances Sealey, entered office as a Grant ally, but more recently she became a steady opposition vote on the council, particularly on budget issues since the state audited Eatonville's books in 2004. She and other council members questioned large staff raises proposed by Grant last year. N.Y.

Nathiri, executive director of The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, which runs the Zora Neale Hurston festival, has sharp philosophical differences with Grant about how Eatonville envisions its future and preserves its past. She has been outspoken in asking for a greater emphasis on the town's historic and cultural assets, while Grant's vision focuses more on the town's commercial-development potential. Grant, who has faced re-election opposition ever since he entered office in 1994, said he is ready for the campaign. "I think it's wonderful that all of them are running," Grant said. "It gives the voters a clear choice of candidates." Part of Grant's enthusiasm could be over there being no runoff in Ea Familiar names fill ballots Blue Spring celebrates manatees Joe Pesch, 49, of Jacksonville (above) watches the manatees Friday at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City.

The 21st annual Blue Spring Manatee Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday at Valentine Park on West French Avenue, off U.S. Highway 17-92. A shuttle takes visitors to Blue Spring State Park.

At left, the sign Friday shows 61 manatees were sighted. in 2 cities tonville's March 4 election. His challengers could split the anti-Grant ballots, leaving the incumbent to capture the most votes. At the close of qualifying Friday, Eatonville also had two challengers for James Randolph's council Seat 2 businessman Alvin Moore and former councilwoman Evelyn Miller-Nash. Former Vice Mayor Bruce Mount was unopposed for Seat 3, which Sealey is abandoning.

The Maitland race is likely to split along the same lines that formed more than a year ago over the direction of Maitland's redevelopment. Baldocchi, an engineer, has the backing of Rizzo and a head start on the campaign because he declared his candidacy in May. Kinson, who works for a commercial real-estate research company, has expressed concerns about high-density building and its effect on traffic and schools. That platform is likely to draw from Rizzo's opposition. Maitland voters will go to the polls March 14.

Christopher Sherman can be reached at cshermanorlandosentinel.com or 407-650-6361. Maitland and Eatonville have mayoral races topping their tickets in the March elections. By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN SENTINEL STAFF WRITER Well-known faces abound in mayoral elections in Maitland and Eatonville. Most have held elected office before, but two newcomers to politics occupy positions that place them in the spotlight. In Maitland, former Vice Mayor Rick Baldocchi will face Maitland Little League President Doug Kin-son in the race to replace term-limited Mayor Sascha Rizzo in March.

Eatonville's mayoral campaign features a four-member field that includes incumbent Mayor Anthony Grant and three people who have clashed with him in recent years: Former councilman Michael Johnson led an effort to impeach Grant in 2002 before resigning to become director of the town's redevelopment agency. He was fired from that position and has a pend COLORSTRIP: I.