Circumstances of Disappearance
John Podniestrzanski was last seen in Clearwater, Florida on February 1, 1995 shortly before he was scheduled to go to trial on charges of dealing in stolen property.
Largo police arrested him October 18, 1994, after he was accused of having parts of a stolen Thunderbird. He also was charged with driving without a valid license. Initially held at Pinellas County Jail on $10,000 bail, Podniestrzanski was released on his own recognizance. He pleaded innocent, and his trial was set for April 6, 1995.
After his disappearance, arrest warrants for failing to appear in court on the driving without a license and stolen property charges were issued. They are still outstanding. Records show Podniestrzanski has been convicted of aggravated battery, car theft, driving without a valid license, violation of probation and disorderly conduct.
Podniestrzanski's family moved to Clearwater from New Jersey in 1981. Some of his relatives still live in Clearwater. Podniestrzanski had no permanent address and lived with various friends and girlfriends. He listed his address on his arrest record as a trailer in Keystone Mobile Home Park at 620 Clearwater-Largo Road, but people at the park do not recall him.
Podniestrzanski is a part-time mechanic and also described himself on arrest records as a "repo man."