Unwanted Hug, Not-So-Great Aunt, Up-Skirt Peeper

Patch operates 24 daily news sites in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. The following are some of the more unusual, wacky, wonderful or just plain weird stories that have had people talking over the past week:

Not-So-Great Aunt Left Baby With Stranger: Deputies

A 48-year-old Bradenton woman faces child neglect charges after Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies say she left her 2-week-old great niece in the care of a stranger she met at Bee Ridge Park.

Unwanted Hug Lands Man Behind Bars

A 48-year-old Hudson man faces criminal charges after Pasco County deputies say gave a woman a hug in a Holiday parking lot Monday night. While that might not seem like a major offense, deputies also say Jerry Lee Campbell forced his way into the driver’s seat of the woman’s vehicle to deliver the embrace. She was sitting in it at the time.

Bed Bug Infestations Earn Tampa National Ranking

Mosquitoes might not be the only nasty, pesky, biting bugs for folks in the Tampa Bay area to worry about. Terminix on Friday released its list of top 20 bed bug-infested cities across the country. Tampa was the only Florida town to earn the dubious placement.

Mom, Daughter Prostitution, Massage Operation Shut Down: Cops

A call into Crime Stoppers about possible illegal activities occurring at a home on Sarasota’s Bay Street kicked off a month-long investigation that ultimately led to the arrest of a mother and her adult daughter.

Starbucks’ Up-Skirt Peeper Foiled By Flash: Deputies

A 48-year-old Tampa man’s decision to turn on his flash while taking photos in Palm Harbor Starbucks on Monday evidently did more than illuminate his intended subject. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the action tipped off an employee that the man was allegedly taking up-skirt photos of a customer.

Bus Driver Who Dropped Kids Off Blocks From School Under Investigation

The St. Petersburg Police Department says a Tuesday morning scare involving missing kids from Lealman Innovation Academy ended with all students accounted for. The school bus driver who allegedly dropped the kids off blocks from campus, however, is now under investigation by the school district.

McDonald’s ATM Hauled Off By 3 Masked Men
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is on the hunt for three men accused of forcing their way into a McDonald’s Wednesday morning and then helping themselves to the store’s ATM.

Eclipse Watchers’ Grow House Burns: Deputies
A Monday fire in Wesley Chapel’s Lexington Oaks subdivision sparked an investigation after “felony amounts of marijuana” were discovered by firefighters and deputies. The alleged owners of the illegal substance were reportedly out of town to watch the eclipse when the grow house went up in smoke, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday.