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To report a crime or suspicious activity in your neighborhood, call the Naples Police and Fire Department at 213-4844, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 774-4434 or the Marco Island Police Department at 389-5050.

Collier sheriff

Stepfather smoked pot with teen, authorities say

A 46-year-old Golden Gate Estates man was arrested Wednesday after authorities say he smoked marijuana on a regular basis with his 14-year-old stepson and used the boy to buy marijuana for him.

Phillip B. Abatantuno, of 2035 Sage Brush Circle, was charged with one count of felony child neglect and one charge of misdemeanor possession of marijuana not more than 20 grams.

After receiving a report on the Department of Children and Families’ abuse hot line, Collier County sheriff’s investigators spoke with 15-year-old Albert Stade, according to an arrest report. The teen told investigators that soon after turning 14, his stepfather, Abatantuno, found out that he smoked marijuana.

Abatantuno told the teen that if he is going to smoke marijuana, then he was going to smoke it with him, reports said.

The two smoked marijuana on almost a daily basis until about two or three months ago when Abatantuno became paranoid that Stade would report him, and threw out all the marijuana paraphernalia, Stade told deputies.

Abatantuno’s wife, Victoria Abatantuno, told investigators that Stade and her husband used to go out to the car together and when they returned the exhibited signs of having smoked pot, reports said. She said Abatantuno was having Stade purchase marijuana for him.

Victoria Abatantuno told the investigator that she was afraid her husband would kill her if she spoke to authorities, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Investigators found a bag of marijuana in Abatantuno’s bathroom.

Deputies: Man struck co-worker with glass mug

A former steakhouse worker is facing a felony charge after he struck a co-worker in the face with a glass mug for dropping a tray that she was helping him carry, Collier County sheriff’s deputies said.

James Lennox Connolly, 54, of 11430 Whistler’s Cove Circle, #226, East Naples, was arrested early Thursday and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in connection with the April 19 incident at the Strip House inside the Naples Grande Hotel & Resort.

Marie Cadet, a dishwasher at the resort’s steakhouse, 475 Seagate Drive, North Naples, told deputies that she was helping Connolly carry a tray full of plates, when by accident she lost her grip, causing the tray to fall to the ground, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Connolly became angry and struck her in the face with a glass mug.

Attempts by deputies to talk to Connolly immediately after the incident were unsuccessful.

Deputies located Connolly, who arrest reports say is unemployed, at his apartment Thursday morning, reports said. He was taken into custody and then transported to the sheriff’s North Naples substation and arrested.

Traffic stop ends in drug charge

A Cape Coral man is facing a drug charge after being pulled over on Interstate 75 on Wednesday by members of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Vice and Narcotics Bureau.

Jason Avshalom, 38, was charged with possession of cocaine.

Deputies pulled Avshalom over at 9:20 p.m. near mile marker 99 because the light over his license plate was out, the Sheriff’s Office reported. Avshalom seemed excessively nervous, which led deputies to ask for permission to search him, reports said.

Avshalom consented. Deputies found a small bag containing white powder in his right front pocket, reports said.

The substance tested positive for cocaine, according to reports. It weighed 4.26 grams.

Man charged with stealing heavy machinery

A man who Collier County sheriff’s deputies say steered an East Naples equipment rental company wrong when he ordered a pricey piece of heavy machinery in 2007 and never returned it was arrested Thursday.

Brian Hamilton, 36, of Flora Home, Fla., was charged with grand theft.

Hamilton called The Equipment Source, 3727 Prospect Ave., around 5 p.m. on July 27, 2007, pretending to be a representative for a business called Phoenix & Associates, the Sheriff’s Office reported. Hamilton said he needed to rent a skid-steer loader and asked that it be delivered to a job site in North Naples as soon as possible so that he could finish a job over the weekend.

A 2007 Mustang model skid-steer loader valued at $36,000 was dropped off at the job site with no one present. The following Monday, the loader was gone from the site, reports said.

A lengthy investigation by deputies found Hamilton rented a flatbed trailer, which he used to transport the loader to Louisiana to do side jobs for his concrete work. When he was through, he sold the loader to a pool company in Baton Rouge for $23,000, authorities said.

Deputies arrested Hamilton at the Collier County jail, where he has been held since May on unrelated charges, including driving on a suspended license.

Deputies recovered the loader, which was in good condition.

Domestic violence arrest

Luciano DeOliveira, 26, of 245 39th Ave. N.W., Golden Gate Estates, was arrested Wednesday at the Collier County jail. He was charged with grabbing the shirt of his wife, Rosemary DeOliveira, spitting in her face, pushing her, throwing a protein shake at her, punching her face and dragging her into another room. He also hit himself in the head with a pot and told his wife that if she called the police, he would tell them that she hit him.

DUI arrest

Robert Allen Hicks, 46, of 647 96th Ave. N, North Naples, was arrested Wednesday at 10951 Airport-Pulling Road. He was also charged with driving with a suspended license and refusing a breath test.

Florida Highway Patrol

DUI arrest

Michael D. Haldie, 31, of 23424 Olde Meadowbrook Circle, Bonita Springs, was arrested Wednesday at the intersection of U.S. 41 North and Old U.S. 41.

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Police Beat is compiled and written by the Naples Daily News staff from oral and written reports by Naples police, Collier Sheriff‘s Office, Marco police and other agencies. Arrests indicate suspicion of crime, not guilt.