Stupid Teen

ZEPHYRHILLS - A convenience store robbery under investigation since November was cracked this week with a little unintended help from one of the suspects, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office reported Friday.

That suspect, Brandon Lee Fithian, 19, of 36050 White Fir Way in Dade City, turned out to be wearing a Global Positioning System ankle monitor that placed him at the scene of the Nov. 15 robbery of the Quick Mart at 7086 Fort King Road, sheriff's reports state.

"I don't know if he realized GPS is pretty accurate down to a couple of feet," sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said.

Fithian was wearing the monitor, intended to keep him within county limits because he was released on his own recognizance while awaiting trial on a lewd and lascivious charge.

According to Tobin and written reports from deputies and detectives, Kyle Morgan Malone, 18, also of the White Fir Way address, committed the armed robbery after Fithian cased the Quick Mart a few minutes before.

Clerk Chirag Patel, who recently identified both men from a photographic lineup, said Fithian first came into his store shortly before 8 p.m. Nov. 15 and bought a soda. About five minutes later, Malone is accused of entering the store, pulling a knife and ordering Patel to hand over all the money in the cash register, about $500, and two cartons of Newport Menthol 100s, reports state.

Before leaving on foot, the robber also grabbed a cell phone and a cordless land-line phone, reports state.

Shortly after the robbery, Deputy Adam Tellier and his dog, Pete, were able to follow a track leading north along Fort King Road to the intersection of Sunshine Road, where the track ended and the stolen cell phone was located, reports state. Along the route, Tellier and Pete spotted an empty pack of Newport Menthol 100s.

The detective initially assigned to the case was unable to make any arrests, Tobin said. But after Detective Mark Morrison began working on it, he was "able to gather enough evidence of probable cause to make these arrests," the spokesman said.

Malone and Fithian are charged with armed robbery and grand theft. Both remain in jail with bail set at $160,000.