Key West 'True Crime' writer gets a little too involved with true crime in Key West

Terry Schmida
Booking photo.

Terry Schmida is a reporter at the Key West Citizen newspaper where he covers education and social services.

Schmida tured 45 on Friday, and apparently decided to cap off a night of celebration by stopping in at the Denny's on Duval Street in Key West.

Larry Kahn of KeysInfoNet has the story:

A Key West Citizen reporter skipped out on his meal tab and tried to run a restaurant manager over with his car early Saturday morning, Key West police say.

Terry Schmida .... turned 45 on Friday. [...] He remained in the Keys jail early Saturday with no bond allowed.

Schmida posed for a gag photo at the old
Monroe County Jail in Key West in 2005.
Via Facebook.
(Click image to enlarge)

According to a report from Key West police officer Michael Diaz, Schmida was at the Denny's at 925 Duval St. When it came time to pay his $9.23 bill around 2 a.m., all he could produce was a stack of his business cards and a $5 bill. He told manager Nicole Estep he would go to his car, a white Toyota, to get money.

She and another employee went outside, as well. That's when Schmida decided to drive away, Diaz wrote. He allegedly accelerated his car with Estep in front of him, forcing her onto the hood. Then he took off, with Estep left on the ground.

But the story doesn't end there.

The cops eventually caught up with Schmida and arrested him. He's been charged him with "felony aggravated assault ... misdemeanor drunk driving and theft."

Kahn also reports that officers at the jail pepper-sprayed and Tased Schmida because he was "noncompliant."

By the way, Schmida is also the author of a trilogy of books appropriately titled "True Crime Stories of Key West and the Florida Keys."


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Keysnews.com: Citizen writer arrested