Judge Finds for "Chainsaw Steve" ... An Update!
You might remember Steve from a previous post. He is a businessman, artist, and resident of a neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale called Poinsettia Heights, and he recently gained a new "A.K.A." for trying to protect his neighborhood..... He's now forever known as "Chainsaw Steve"!
This is how his new name came about.
He was just plain fed up with 5 convicts that had taken up residence along the RR tracks near his business and home off NE 13th Street. The neighborhood was having a major spike in crimes like burglaries and car break-ins that just happened to coincide with the felons arrival in the area.
Here are two of those career felons:
"Cross Eyed Mike" "Shorty"
Chainsaw's real name is Stephen Sticht, and he first made news a decade ago with his artistic efforts with the "Bluebikes". He and his group of "avant garde" artists painted dozens of old throw away bicycles blue, and hung them all over town in the most unusual places. It was Fort Lauderdale's version of Chicago's Cows.
After hundreds of calls to the local Police asking them to remove the thugs from their base along the tracks, and getting nowhere, Steve took action.
He powered up his now famous "Chainsaw", and made his way down the FEC line until he found the "Camp". It had to go!
Buzz buzz buzz buzz, and the "Camp" was gone. The Felons were upset! They called Public Defender Howard "Help me Howard" Finklestein and filed a complaint.
Shame on you "Help Me Howard" for listening to this rotten gang of criminals.
A restraining order was granted to the felons by Judge Jorge Gonzalez (shame on you too!) , and Sticht was ordered to stay away from the felons' residence (the tracks !)
Sticht spent thousands on lawyers, many sleepless nights, but thankfully, in the end, justice was done.
Judge Matthew Destry deserves a compliment for sending the felons packing...... hopefully to another RR line far, far away!
Thank you Tim.....
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Horray for Steve!!! The part of this story that really bothers me is that Steve had to spend thousands of dollars for his defense. Steve was out there protecting the interest of all of us who have property, or live and work in Lake Ridge, Middle River Terrace, SMRCA, Progresso and maybe another neighborhood or two that has been battling crime. Steve stepped up to the plate and did what so many of us either didn't have the balls or the opportunity to do, but the bottom line here is that Steve did this for all of us, and a pat on the back along with a "good job Steve" is far from adequate. I think the neighborhood associations should have a fundraiser that will benefit Steve, for the purpose of paying, or at least contributing to the legal expenses that he incurred. I really think we need to pass the hat on this one guys and get our civic associations involved in organizing some type of benefit to help defray Steve's expenses. Again, congratulations to you Steve and thank you.
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100% agree with you Judi! The surrounding civic associations should all get together & do something for Steve. It is not fair that he should have spent thousands of $$ out of his pocket to help his neighborhood or surroundings. Just my opinion.
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Thank God Judge Destry did the right thing! Thank you Judge.
The first Judge, Judge Gonzalez must of had his head up his #$%!! when he placed a restraining order. I have witnessed the way he runs his court room a couple of times & it is like viewing a circus!
I am happy that Steve finally had justice served & the Judge sent these "Homies" down the road.
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Shades of Charles Bronson his spirit lives on albeit with less personal violence! Kudos to the Judge and Raspberries to "Help Me Howard", a certified loony from the 60's.
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Gremlin wants to clarify. When he gave a kudo to the Judge it certainly was not Gonzalez. Gonzalez deserves only a raspberry, the same as awarded to Help Me Howard only larger and juicier. Makes one wonder what universe these two Turkeys are living in.
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While I feel that those blue bikes were an annoying nuisance and not art, kudos for him standing up for himself. If nothing else, all railroad tracks are posted as no trespassing zones as they're owned by the railroads (FEC, CSX). They should have been arrested if they were on private property.
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Never really knew the background of the "blue bicycles" placed around the city ~ but I thought they were pretty cute when I came across one. They reminded me of my first very bike when I was a young tot.
So Fort Liquordale, why don't you start doing some research & contact all the appropriate people with FEC & CSX about this problem. Get your District Police officers involved. A lot you could do ~ get neigbors involved.
Steve maybe stood up for his self, but in reality he was standing up for all the neighborhoods. My Hat Is Off to Steve!
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Trixie, there's no research to be done. There should be active trespass affidavits on file with the PD for both railroads, and the signs are posted, so no contact needs to be made with the railroad companies. I don't live in that part of the city, just trying to help. If police tell you there's nothing they can do, sound educated and tell them that there should be trespass affidavits on file. Make sure you get a case number documenting the who/when/where they're trespassing, 2nd time they go to jail.
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judge gonzales and help me howard are up for eletion in august
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I have a big problem with the fact that after all that has happened with regard to the crackhead felons on the tracks and 13th street they are still there. James Brown and Terry Hampton are still loitering on 13th street and are living on property owned by FPL. They need to move out of the areas they are frequenting. Period end of story!!!.
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Steve, I can understand how you feel that 2 are still living on property owned by FPL. Maybe all civic assoiciations can pull together & present this to FPL. That the neigborhoods want them out of their community & that FPL should not permit them taking living quarters on their property. They always say "one voice" can make a difference, but many more voices are just always better. Not fair for one to fight the battle alone.
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Nothing wrong with clearing brush along the railroad tracks. Could be a hazard. Steve should submit a bill for his legal defense to the railroad, or sue them for not maintaining their "right of way" in a safe manner. FPL should clean out the area the squatters are squatting on. Get rid of the trash and vermin!
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It is up to Citizens like Steve to make a stand for our neighbourhood as the City, as we all know, is prepared to do nothing. It has been an ongoing issue,as we all know, with this area. Shame on you city officials !! And as for Howard I propose he find a space in his back yard to accommodate these Dirt Bags. So Liberal he is !!
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Yeah yeah yeah, so put together a grass roots effort and support the candidates aginst Judge Gonzalez and Help Me Howard. Sadly, this blog is the only media outlet that is giving any press to this story. If the real people who vote knew that this could happen in their neighborhood (well if you are west of federal) maybe you could vote in people who will listen
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I have been told that the reason we have less police patroling our streets then years ago is because the rich areas do not want to pay more taxes. They do not live with drug dealers and hookers walking past their homes.
I guess out of their sight out of their mind ! Well, it is always in my face .........just in the past hour there was a hooker working the neighborhood . I almost felt when I was walking by I should introduce myself! ......they are around so much and I always try and be neighborly!
Personally, I feel alone and helpless with the problems that I observe in the neighborhood. I do call the police, and they do respond to the problem and this has been going on for years, but we do not seem to gain and overcome the problems, so I can understand Steve Sticht.
It feels to me at times like a waste of time .......the problem keeps coming back and what is so sad that the hookers and drug dealers are around because there customers around. We keep going after the sellers. I would spend more time going after the buyers. I say we make a push .. send the hookers and drug dealers to the rich areas .. tell the dealers /Hookers ..... follow the money and just maybe something will change.
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Heads up from an Officer who works the area. James Brown puffed up with confidence now that he has a NAACP laywer has made reports against you Tim. And the area is suffering because there just is not enough of us out there. Check the records 22 officers used to work district 2 now there are 10 on a good day and 3 of those are on overtime. We wish we could have a wall to wall chat with the likes of cross eyed mike and brown but we know the city would throw us under the bus at the first complaint.
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Glad to see that law officers are concerned for their neighborhood and fellow citizens. As for having a "wall to wall chat" with "crossed eyed Mike", Im sure being the compassionate human beings that we all claim to be and concerned for our fellow man, will be very happy to know "Crossed eyed Mike", or just Michael, as that is his name, is off the streets with family and has a job, trying to make his life better. So, be glad that is one less "dirtbag" you have to worry about, at least for now. I in no way condone homeless drug addicts sleeping near families homes and performing illegal acts, but dont forget that dieases such as drug addiction can be very debilitating and take control of an otherwise responsible and upstanding person. Pray it doesnt happen to you or someone you love as it affects all walks of life, it doesnt know rich from poor or educated from not.
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Tim, How about phoning that gal from channel 10 with this story? She wants stories about crime and what people are doing about it.
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Newton's back in jail
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