Engine 11 arrived first on scene at 9:35 a.m. on Sat., Jan. 31, 2015 to find the garage completely engulfed in flames and the home approximately 20 percent involved.
Marion County, Florida – In less than 24 hours, Marion County Fire Rescue crews responded to three unrelated home fires.
The first occurred Friday afternoon in Ocklawaha. At 5:30 p.m., dispatchers at the Marion County Public Safety Communications Center received a call from the homeowner at 10451 SE 132nd Place reporting a grease fire. Firefighters arrived nine minutes later and were able to contain the fire to the kitchen.
Damage from the kitchen fire at 10451 SE 132nd Pl. in Ocklawaha, which occurred at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the kitchen.
Saturday morning had firefighters busy with two home-fire incidents before noon. The first Saturday fire, located at 10230 SE 464C in Ocklawaha, was reported to dispatchers at 9:08 a.m. The modified mobile home was approximately 25 percent involved when the first of seven units — approximately 16 firefighters — arrived on scene. The homeowner was not home when the fire, which officials believed was caused by faulty electrical wiring, began. The fire was called under control at 9:25 a.m.
Just 10 minutes after the first Saturday fire was reported at 9:19 a.m., homeowners at 6055 NW 125th St. Rd. in Reddick called 911 and reported they had awoken to the smell of smoke. Occupants of the approximately 2,500 sq. ft. home safely evacuated prior to Engine 11’s arrival at 9:35 a.m.; the garage was completely engulfed in flames and the home was approximately 20 percent involved.
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Twelve MCFR units – a total of more than 20 firefighters – worked to extinguish the fire at 6055 NW 125th St. Rd. in Reddick. The fire originated in the garage and blew through the breezeway to the main building.
Eleven additional units – more than 20 firefighters – worked to extinguish the fire, which originated in the garage and blew through the breezeway to the main building. Engine 11 crews entered the home and conducted a search for the family’s dog, but were unable to locate it. Firefighters initially attacked the blaze offensively from inside the home; however, they had to exit and continue fighting the blaze from the outside after the fire weakened the roof in such a way that made conditions unsafe on the inside.
The home was considered a total loss. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating this incident.
Ocala, Florida — A homeless man remains behind bars after deputies learned he had sex with a minor.
An Ocala father is beyond angry after a homeless man, whom he gave a place to stay, had sex with his minor daughter.
According to reports, Michael Fairweather, 28, had been “couch-hopping” between the father’s house and his neighbor because they felt sorry for him. The victims told police the man was hungry, so they would often cook him meals and allow him to stay in their homes.
They said he put on a good show.
Recently, the neighbor noticed that the minor and Fairweather seemed a little too friendly. The neighbor said it just seemed the two were getting close when the minor’s parents were not around, so she decided to approach Fairweather.
The neighbor asked Fairweather if he had been having sex with the minor; to which Fairweather replied, “Yes, on multiple occasions.” The neighbor told deputies Fairweather admitted to it without hesitation.
The neighbor then notified the minor’s father, who called authorities.
Fairweather admitted to deputies he had sex with the girl and stated it was consensual. The minor confirmed Fairweather’s statements.
The father said he had absolutely no idea what was going on. He stated he just felt sorry for the homeless man and was trying to help him out.
The father was also unaware that Fairweather was on felony probation for domestic violence by strangulation.
Fairweather was arrested and charged with Sexual Battery on a Minor and Violation of Probation.
Ocala, Florida — On Saturday, Ocala Police responded to Spring Manor Apartments in reference to a stabbing of a child.
While en route, Officer Douglas was notified that the child was being transported to Munroe Regional Medical Center. Officer Douglas made contact with the parents of the 21-month-old child at the hospital.
According to reports, while the parents were out, Larry Leroy Floyd, 24, had been babysitting the child. Floyd is the child’s biological uncle — brother of the mother.
The parents stated that Floyd had been living with them for about a week.
The child’s father told police that when he returned to the apartment complex, a witness met him outside and stated, “Your son is bleeding.”
The father told police he then ran into the apartment, past Floyd, and to a bedroom where his son was sleeping naked. Once in the room, he saw his son was bleeding from his penis.
The father immediately went into the living room and asked Floyd what had happened. Floyd stated, “Bro, I tried to circumcise him.” The father reported that Floyd was still holding the knife in his hand, at which point the father drew back to punch Floyd; however, Floyd dropped the knife and fled the scene on foot.
While Officer Douglas was interviewing the parents at the hospital, Officer Drawdy located Floyd walking in the 600 block of NE 27th Avenue and took him into custody.
According to reports, Floyd had blood on his hands and his bare feet.
Investigators reported they located the knife during their search of the apartment. Police also noted, “the apartment was absolutely filthy to the point of being unhealthy for living.” According to reports, there was also months of feces smeared all over the walls. The witness told investigators that he heard the child screaming and once he realized the child was bleeding, he called 911.
DCF was notified and the parents are now under investigation.
Doctor Howard Rogers said the child’s penis was “cut all the way around, and an urologist had to be called before surgery could be performed.”
Floyd did not give a reason as to why he attempted to circumcise the child.
Floyd was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon. He is being held without bond.
Floyd has been arrested more than a half dozen times and charged with Battery, Larceny (x2), Resisting Arrest, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Drug Possession, Aggravated Stalking on a Child, and has had multiple Violation of Probation charges.
Miranda Brantley [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — A 21-year-old Ocala woman has been charged with multiple felonies after she stole from a local business man she was having a relationship with.
The victim, 69, hired Miranda Brantley to clean his home and business following the death of his wife.
According to reports, during the time that Brantley was working for the victim, she began to show interest in him and the pair began dating.
The victim told deputies that he fired Brantley after he suspected her of stealing a ring from him, but continued a romantic relationship. Eventually, Brantley “sweet talked” the victim into re-hiring her.
On January 8, the victim said he went into his check book to write a check when he realized the check numbers were out of sequence. Upon checking with his bank, he was notified that Amscot had cashed a check for Brantley against his account. She had forged the victim’s signature.
When confronted by the victim, Brantley began crying and became very apologetic. Brantley stated that she cashed the check because she needed the money. According to reports, the victim told Brantley he would give her two weeks to pay him back by working at his place of business, but she refused.
On January 28, after completing an investigation, deputies brought Brantley to the sheriff’s office for questioning.
Brantley told deputies that the victim had filled out the check and “fronted” her the money for a trip. However, deputies pointed out the fact that the signature on the check was not even close to the victim’s signature.
Brantley then stated, “He must be doing this because I will no longer sleep with him.”
Brantley was charged with Grand Theft, Forgery of a Bank Bill/Note, and Passing a Forged Bank Bill/Note.
She was released on her own recognizance on January 29.
Brantley also had a temporary injunction filed against her on January 26, for stalking.
Investigators do not know if Brantley sought out the victim knowing his wife had passed.
The Super Bowl is America’s most watched national sporting event. On Sunday, February 1, many Super Bowl parties will feature pizza, wings, and yes…alcohol. That’s why the Florida Highway Patrol is urging football fans to choose sides before the game: are you drinking OR driving?
“Impaired driving is completely preventable,” said Colonel David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “All it takes is a little planning ahead. We want fans to remember that it is a choice. Drink or drive—but, never do both.”
FHP’s game plan for a safe Sunday:
Make transportation arrangements before you begin drinking.
Designate a sober driver, call a taxi, or use public transportation to get home safely.
Even one drink increases the risk of a crash while driving. Do not let anyone who has been drinking get behind the wheel.
If you see an impaired driver on the road, call *FHP (*347).
Play a key role on Super Bowl Sunday—if you aren’t going to drink, volunteer to be a designated driver. You may just keep someone from becoming a tragic game day statistic.
Ocala, Florida — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man who attempted to abduct a 15-year-old autistic child. The incident happened in the Silver Springs Shores area.
According to reports, a newer two-door black Chevy Silverado with chrome accents pulled up to the victim’s home while he was playing in the front yard. The mother was watching through a window.
The mother stated that when the truck pulled up, the driver, a white male in his 50s, began talking to the boy. She said she immediately sent her adult daughter out because she knew her son would have gotten in the truck with the man. The mother said the man had gray hair, wore glasses, and was wearing a red flannel shirt.
According to reports, the truck sped off in a hurry.
Once inside the house, the boy told his mother that the man said, “Come here, boy. I’m going to take you to where your brother is.”
A short time later, while the mother was alone in the house with her son, someone came to the front door, began banging on the door and twisting the door handle, as if they were attempting to gain entry.
The mother said she and her son hid in the master bedroom until the person left.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office wants to make sure that all parents are aware of this situation.
If you have any information about this crime, please call the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 352-732-9111, Crime Stoppers at 352-368-STOP, text a tip to 274637 using keyword 368-STOP, or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com. Anonymity is guaranteed.
Dr. Katherine Sayler passes a white sheet over leaf debris in San Felasco Hammock on Jan. 6. The sheet method is one Sayler used to collect ticks as part of her research. (Photo by Mindy Cherisse Miller)
Gainesville, Florida — University of Florida researchers have discovered a rare virus that belongs to the family Arenaviridae. Some arenaviruses are associated with severe hemorrhagic disease and has had a significant mortality in people in South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The virus was thought to have vanished four decades ago.
Dr. Katherine Sayler, and her team of researchers, found the virus in Lone Star ticks that were collected from Manatee, O’Leno, and San Felasco State Parks.
Researchers said that out of all the Lone Star ticks trapped, collected, and cultured from North Central Florida, 10 percent of the ticks were infected with the Tacaribe virus.
Tacaribe virus (TCRV) was first isolated from 11 Artibeus species bats captured in Trinidad in the 1950s during a rabies virus surveillance program. Despite significant effort, no evidence of infection of other mammals, mostly rodents, was found, suggesting that no other vertebrates harbored TCRV. For this reason, it was hypothesized that TCRV was naturally hosted by Artibeus bats. This particular virus has not been found in rodents as other similar arenaviruses associated with causing hemorrhagic fever.
“This finding is exciting because it expands the range in which these viruses might be circulating in the environment,” Dr. Sayler said in a university news release. “It also raises some really interesting questions about human risk,” she added.
“We never thought we would find an arenavirus in a tick. These types of viruses are usually transmitted by rodents,” Dr. Sayler noted.
Although the Tacaribe virus had previously been found in bats, recent studies indicate that bats are not the natural reservoir host, and efforts to find the virus in other mammals have failed.
“We still don’t know which animal is the natural host of this virus, and whether ticks have harbored the virus for a long time, or if this is something new,” Dr. Sayler said. “Without knowing if local rodents are a major reservoir of the virus, the extent that Floridians are sickened by the virus, and whether ticks can transmit the virus to humans, it makes it hard for us to know if and when there would be an outbreak. Clearly, much more work must be done.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Lone Star ticks are aggressive human biters and do carry Lyme disease.
“We need to use some of the tools that we have at UF to determine if the virus has been around and circulating for a long time, or if it has been absent from Florida and was introduced,” Dr. Sayler said. “Health care professionals should also be aware of the potential tick-transmitted pathogens that occur besides the one that causes Lyme disease. Medical doctors can’t be aware of every emerging tropical disease, but if we have greater awareness of emerging diseases, we can move forward from a proactive surveillance effort instead of from a reactive effort, when there is suddenly a huge outbreak and a crisis situation,” she added.
Arenaviruses can in fact cause hemorrhagic fever. Most arenavirus infections cause a flu-like illness that starts within a week of exposure. The initial symptoms are often mild, but may quickly worsen.
Symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever include fatigue, fever, weakness, dizziness, and muscle aches; patients with more severe infections show bleeding under the skin, internal organs, or even from bodily orifices like the mouth, eyes, or ears. Some patients develop severe diarrhea that may also be bloody, and severely ill patients present with shock, delirium, seizures, kidney failure, and coma that often ends in death.
Patients with viral hemorrhagic fevers usually receive only supportive therapy; there is no other established cure for viral hemorrhagic fevers.
According to Dr. Sayler, the cultures taken from the ticks tested 99 percent identical to the only remaining sample from a virus found in Trinidad in the late 1950s.
Dr. Sayler said that people who are bitten by a tick should try to save the tick for further analysis by a medical professional. If possible, put the tick in a ziplock-type bag and place it in a freezer if you cannot get it to a doctor immediately.
Dr. Sayler said she would continue her work at UF, which would include searching for more isolates of the virus for genetic comparison.
“We need to figure out what mammals have it here in Florida and how it got here,” Dr. Sayler said.
This is the first time this virus has been found in the United States.
In light of the recent ambush attacks on law enforcement, the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) is concerned that those who have grievances with law enforcement could use the App known as ‘Waze’ to plan or carry out an attack.
The Waze App is a way drivers can get alerted before they approach police, accidents, road hazards, traffic jams, or detours and the information is all shared by other drivers in real-time. It’s like a personal heads-up from a few million drivers on the road. It’s a real-time GPS on steroids, and most say it is more accurate than a Garmin.
Sheriffs are concerned with the ability of Google’s App, Waze, to locate law enforcement by using the crowd sourcing feature to report an officer’s location.
“While officer safety is paramount and our major concern, we are also concerned this app will have a negative effect on saving lives and with public safety activities,” said John Thompson, NSA Deputy Executive Director. The ability for individual or organized crime to track law enforcement puts every community they protect at risk! If the bad guy knows where law enforcement is all the time, it makes it much easier for them to carry out their illegal activities.
Officials said, “Highway deaths claim more than 30,000 lives each year. The use of radar and other speed reducing activities have helped make a substantial reduction in these numbers. This app will hamper those activities by locating law enforcement officers and puts the public at risk.”
The NSA leadership has requested a meeting with Google to see what can be done to disable this feature in the App. Sheriff Michael J. Brown, Bedford County, Virginia remarked, “The police community needs to coordinate an effort to have the owner, Google, act like the responsible corporate citizen they have always been and remove this feature from the application even before any litigation or statutory action.” NSA hopes to sit down with Google soon to discuss the concern we have with the App.
Drivers who use the App say law enforcement officials are paranoid. Also, most drivers that utilize the App say they tend to driver safer while using Waze.
Many have turned to social media, accusing law enforcement of being angry because of their drop in revenue that is derived from speeding tickets, which the App helps drivers avoid.
Developers said that law enforcement officials do not have any data that supports their theory.
In a statement, Google said they do not have any plans, at this time, to disable the feature.
Other mobile App developers have stated that if Google does disable the feature, there are many others that could take its place.
Google estimates that Waze is currently used by more than 50 million drivers, including other police officers.
Florida — The recreational harvest season for snook reopens on February 1, 2015, in Florida’s Atlantic coastal and inland waters (from the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line north), including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River. The season will remain open through May 31.
In the Atlantic, anglers may keep one snook per day that is not less than 28 or more than 32 inches total length, which is measured from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed while the fish is lying on its side.
A snook permit is required to keep snook, along with a saltwater fishing license, unless the angler is exempt from the license requirements.
Only hook-and-line gear is allowed when targeting or harvesting snook.
It is illegal to buy or sell snook.
Snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. As a result, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to use moderation when determining whether or not to take a snook home, even during the open season.
Researchers ask anglers who harvest the fish to save their filleted carcasses and provide them to the FWC by dropping them off at a participating bait and tackle store. This program allows anglers to participate in the collection of data such as the size, age, maturity, and sex of Florida’s premier inshore game fish, snook.
The harvest of snook in all of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico state waters, including Everglades National Park and all of Monroe County, will reopen March 1.
Snook harvested from the open waters of the Atlantic may not be transported through closed water or landed in the closed area. Anglers may catch and release snook during the closed season, but the FWC encourages anglers to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their survival upon release.
Proper handling methods can help ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come.
Florida — Law enforcement officials are having an issue with drivers not following basic safety laws when it comes to stopping for a school bus. Because of this, many drivers are ticketed and many have recently taken to social media and claimed the officer that wrote the citation was in the wrong.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provided Ocala Post with the exact laws and, just short of drawing it in crayon, a full color diagram.
Officials said if drivers do not understand the regulations after reading the law and reviewing the diagram, then that person should consider visiting a driver testing center.
Stopping for School buses
On a two way street or highway, all drivers moving in either direction must stop for a stopped school bus which is picking up or dropping off children. You must remain stopped until all children are clear of the roadway and the bus’ stop arm is withdrawn.
If the highway is divided by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least five feet wide, you do not have to stop if you are moving in the opposite direction of the bus. Painted lines or pavement markings are not considered barriers.
You must always stop if you are moving in the same direction as the bus and you must remain stopped until the bus stop arm is withdrawn.
Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stopped signal commits a moving violation and will be required to complete a basic driver improvement course.
School Crossings
School area signs advise drivers of school zones and school crossings. School zones help protect the safety of students when they cross the roadway. School crossings help inform drivers that children use that crossing to go to and from school.
Be attentive to school zone reduced speed limits, school crossing guards, and unpredictable children, since these situations may require you to reduce your speed or stop.
When children (walking, bicycling or skating) or school crossing guards are present in a crosswalk, drivers must yield or stop at the marked stop line and without stopping in the crosswalk.
It is the driver’s responsibility to avoid colliding with pedestrians. Do your part to make every school crossing a safe crossing for children.
Crossing guards are the first to enter and last to exit a crosswalk to indicate to drivers that pedestrians, especially children, are about to cross or are crossing. Do not enter the crosswalk while a school crossing guard is in the roadway.
Ocala, Florida — Churchill Dentistry, formerly Polliwog Dental, is back in the spotlight once again.
In addition to child abuse allegations, there have been allegations that former owner Michael Tarver overbilled Medicaid for multiple procedures performed by his office.
In November 2013, Ocala Post reached out to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to find out if Tarver was being investigated for Medicaid fraud in addition to the child abuse allegations. Press Secretary Shelisha Coleman wrote, “We cannot confirm or deny whether we have an open audit or investigation on a particular provider.”
On Wednesday, it became clear that the pediatric dentistry, now owned by Rebecca Tarver, was under investigation.
Today, the building was raided and a plethora of evidence was removed from the office. Wednesday’s raid was very similar to the raid executed by the DEA in July 2013; a raid Michael Tarver initially denied had taken place.
According to the Florida Department of Health, this investigation involves multiple agencies including the FBI, and the Attorney General’s Office. The Ocala Police Department will be assisting during the execution of search warrants.
Michael Tarver and his wife, Rebecca Tarver, were not on the premises when agents arrived. Instead, the fraudsters left their employees to take the brunt of the raid.
Churchill Dentistry has been plagued with legal troubles since 2012 and Ocala Post has followed the story from the beginning.
Previous coverage of the pediatric dentistry can be found in the links below.
Ocala, Florida — In light of recent terrorist attacks, increased chatter, and intelligence about “lone-wolf” terrorists — both foreign and domestic — the Marion County Sheriff’s Office plans to deter any threats against Marion County by being prepared.
Ocala Post recently reported that the FBI alerted multiple local law enforcement agencies, advising them to be vigilant and stay on high alert.
Well, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is doing just that. Sheriff Chris Blair is restructuring the six bureaus that currently exist within the agency by forming the Bureau of Homeland Security and Professional Compliance, which will include Emergency Management.
Major Terry Bovaird, six-month retired MCSO major, will head up the reorganized bureau.
Wednesday, Sheriff Blair held a press conference announcing the monumental change within the sheriff’s office. Among the many that attended was Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Special Agent in Charge Dennis Bustle, and FDLE Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell.
All of whom welcomed Sheriff Blair’s decision to reinstate Major Bovaird.
“Terry Bovaird is an expert in the field of domestic security and he brings a wealth of knowledge to Marion County,” SAC Brutnell said.
Former Ocala Police Chief Morrey Deen thanked Sheriff Blair for taking the initiative and stepping forward and showing strong leadership by informing Marion County citizens about his preparedness in dealing with evil.
Mayor Guinn said when he was tasked with choosing a new chief of police three years ago, Major Bovaird was on that list. He went on to say he appreciated Sheriff Blair’s leadership and everything he was doing with FDLE and other agencies.
“Sometimes we don’t think bad things can happen here, but rest assured they can happen here just like anywhere else,” Mayor Guinn said.
Marion County Commissioners did not attend the press conference.
“Despite my requests for the media to hold this story until all information was provided, some in the media jumped to conclusions about my plans for the agency, as well as my bringing on Major Bovaird. Today, I am announcing a reorganization at the Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Blair said.
Sheriff Blair claimed many have attempted to portray the hiring of Major Bovaird as a political agenda, when in fact it has nothing to do with politics.
“There is nothing politically correct about terrorism,” Sheriff Blair said.
“It was his (Bovaird’s) qualifications and the fact that he is highly respected throughout the community and the state of Florida because of his expertise and knowledge in the specified field of Homeland Security and Terrorism that I brought him back. Major Bovaird knows Marion County demographics because of his 30 years of service at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He was selected by former Sheriff Dean after 9/11 to head up a counterterrorism unit because of his work ethic and his abilities to handle such an assignment to watch over the citizens of Marion County, keeping them safe from potential acts of violence when it comes to terrorism,” Sheriff Blair said.
Major Bovaird retired with — and returned to — a salary of $102,568.86. However, since Sheriff Blair took office, he has eliminated 16 top-heavy positions totaling $1,412,789.68. This includes the elimination of outside legal counsel, which was paid $150 per hour for an average of 658 hours per year from 2010 to 2012.
Sheriff Blair eliminated that position and hired Bureau Chief Greg Jerald as in-house legal counsel. In 2014, Chief Jerald worked approximately 2,079 hours billed at $58 per hour.
Sheriff Blair also hired Deputy Chief Fred LaTorre at $123,096.18; Major Don Maines at $108,618.27; Major Tommy Bibb at $108,618.27; and now Terry Bovaird at $102,568.86. These four men give Marion County a total of 130 years of law enforcement experience.
Even with hiring the aforementioned, and eliminating the 16 positions, Sheriff Blair saved taxpayers a recurring savings of $848,356.10.
It should be noted that the MCSO is not alone in bringing back formerly retired employees. In fact, national, state, and local agencies — including at least one other Marion County constitutional officer, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Board of County Commissioners — have brought back formerly retired employees in order to retain their experience.
Major Bovaird has also secured more than $3.1 million in grant funding from the Department of Homeland Security for the MCSO for fighting terrorism, thus eliminating the burden to taxpayers.
Qualifications
“Major Bovaird’s experience and contacts as a subject matter expert in the terrorism field makes him uniquely qualified to assume the role and we know with Major Bovaird there will be no learning curve and he can hit the ground running,” Sheriff Blair said. “It would take years to develop another individual with the same qualifications as Major Bovaird, and I am not willing to risk the safety of the public for years while we do that.”
“The State of Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Force (RDSTF) was created after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Until its creation, the state of Florida had no combined efforts to fight terrorism. Local law enforcement largely believed it was the responsibility of the federal government to prevent, deter, investigate, and mitigate (recover) any terrorist event,” Major Bovaird said. “Any terrorist event that starts local, ends local. That means if it is your local community that is hit by an event — even after federal and state emergency teams finish their work — it is the local community that must deal with the lasting impacts.”
Major Bovaird developed the MCSO Terrorist Intelligence Unit and Counter Terrorism Unit. These two units were responsible for the analysis of terrorism-related activities and crimes. And he developed the Planning and Research Unit within the MCSO Terrorist Intelligence Unit to deal with acts of terrorism.
Major Bovaird also served as a committee member who developed the RDSTF Standard Operations Guide (SOG) for the state of Florida, which included the development of the RDSTF’s three-year goals and objectives. This plan updates every three years.
As a subject matter expert and lead co-chair for the RDSTF Operations and Planning Committee among local law enforcement, he served in the following areas, just to name a few:
Drafted the Florida Field Operations Guide to Acts of Terrorism, which every first responder in the state of Florida now has.
Worked on Florida’s response to incidents of Anthrax.
Created protocols for SWAT team and equipment deployment in a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear environment.
Developed Multi Agency Coordination Center (MACC) and was assigned as the law enforcement commander of the MACC during the NFL Super Bowl in Jacksonville.
Additionally, Major Bovaird was a committee member that assisted in the development of the LInX information data sharing system in partnership with Naval Criminal Intelligence and Northrop Grumman. The LInX system enables officers and detectives within our region (Region 3) of the RDSTF the ability to search multiple law enforcement data systems from other agencies within other regions of the United States. In the past, a phone call was made to other agencies in order to inquire about a suspect’s criminal activity not involving an arrest. Major Bovaird said, “In all likelihood you would miss all the casual contact between criminals and law enforcement.”
One of the most beneficial factors on Major Bovaird’s resume is he served on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Regional Domestic Security Investigative Task Force and he is recognized as an expert in the field.
Major Bovaird also has a military background in the United States Army where he worked with Hawk Air Defense Missile Systems.
Why in Marion County?
“People need to clearly understand that terrorist attacks could happen in small town U.S.A. ,” Major Bovaird said.
In October 2001, Brian Hagen and Vernon Williams were flying a plane when they deviated from their path and began to head over Marion County and toward the Crystal River Power Plant. The pilot would not respond to authorities. Instead, someone made threats, but authorities could not determine if the transmission came from the pilot. Moments later, two F-16s were side by side with the airplane. “Land or you will be forced to land,” the F-16 pilots stated. It was never proven that Hagen and Williams had made the threats against the power plant, but they were in possession of 65 pounds of marijuana when the plane was grounded in Ocala.
In May 2002, Salem, Massachusetts resident Scott Fuller, formerly of Ocklawaha, planned to contaminate Salem’s drinking water with five pounds of liquid mercury, which he had stored in a storage facility in the Ocala National Forest.
In 2005, Steven M. Ekberg, then 22, was arrested after investigators learned he was in possession of ricin, one of the world’s most deadly chemical agents. He had been storing it in his mother’s Ocala home. The neighborhood was described as a “quaint and quiet neighborhood.” In addition to the ricin, Ekberg was in possession of other terrorism related materials, including a book titled, “The Anarchist Cookbook.” This case was the second-largest seizure of ricin in the U.S. and occurred right here in Marion County.
And let’s not forget the fact that two of the 9/11 terrorists were at the Ocala Airport just prior to the 9/11 attacks purchasing gas and making other purchases on bank issued credit cards.
According to the Global Terrorism Database, there have been more than 125,000 terrorist attacks around the world since 1970 with the number and casualties from those attacks increasing substantially since 9/11.
The FBI said the measures being taken by law enforcement agencies across the U.S. is not a scare tactic because the threats are very real. They said the amount of homegrown terrorists is on the rise.
A spokesman for the FBI said, “People better wake up and realize they are not as safe as they would like to think.”
Sheriff Blair could not go into detail about specific situations of terrorism, or individuals currently being monitored in Marion County, but he did say, “I am committed to working with Major Bovaird in deterring a tragedy such as the attack in Paris or the January 20 ISIS-inspired “lone wolf” plot by an Ohio man to attack the Capitol Building.”
Working together
“Law enforcement is abandoning the thought process of ‘I’ and ‘us,’ and moving to the thought process of ‘we,'” Major Bovaird said. “Prior to 9/11, Florida didn’t have a standard operating procedure for terrorism. Now we work as a team.”
There are four main areas law enforcement evaluates: Prevention, deterrence, response, and the mitigation (recovery). Major Bovaird said these four pillars are critical in the fight on terrorism.
He said no one wants to respond to a terrorist attack, so the main goal is to prevent an attack.
Because of grant funding, law enforcement has been able to build a complicated, very intricate system for fighting terrorism.
Our region consists of 13 counties:
Marion, Putnam, Levy, Alachua, Bradford, Flagler, St. Johns, Gilchrest, Baker, Nassau, Duval, Union, and Clay counties. The region is referred to as the Regional Domestic Security Task Force or RDSTF.
There are multiple layers of response capabilities within this region, such as bomb squads, SWAT, underwater recovery, and forensics. Marion, Alachua, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Offices have the three bomb squads on the RDSTF response platform.
Major Bovaird said one the most outstanding aspects of the three bomb squads is that they all train together and they all know each other. He said prior to 9/11 they did not train together.
Another layer is SWAT, and they too train together post 9/11. Every year — twice a year — SWAT commanders get together, and every three years, the state of Florida brings all SWAT teams together to discuss goals, tactics, and equipment.
Major Bovaird said no one agency can effectively respond to an act of terrorism. He said it has to be a joint effort. This effort also includes, among others, fire-rescue, aviation, and medical teams. He said no one person can survive on his or her own, so everyone must help, and that is why law enforcement as a team have created so many layers of specialty units within the RDSTF within the regions in Florida, which is broken into seven regions.
He said the entire infrastructure of the response teams is so complicated it would literally take days and pages of literature to explain it.
An idea of how it works
Let’s say there is an attack on a public building, the situation would follow something like this:
911 call to communications
First uniformed officers arrive and either contain or resolve the issue themselves. The Incident Command Structure (ICS) is established and a Unified Command is established based on the current situation. Anytime an active shooter is involved, law enforcement is the lead incident command.
If not resolved SWAT is called
Hazardous Device Disposal unit is called (Bomb Squad).
Negotiations Unit is called
Notification is made to our state and federal partners through the Regional Domestic Task Force and the State Warning Point
If it’s a confirmed terrorist event, the federal government will designate the FBI as their Lead Federal Agency (LFA)
A Joint Operation Center (JOC) is established to integrate all of the state, federal, and local authorities into one seamless incident command.
A Joint Information Center is established to incorporate all of the agencies’ public information officers (PIO) at the event and one central location for media access is established
A Multi Agency Coordination Center (MACC) could be established or a Regional Law Enforcement Coordination Team (RLECT).
In the end the local authorities must deal with the issue and end the crisis
Emergency Management assesses the damage and mitigates the damage.
“If something were to happen, we cannot afford to wait for the area to be declared an emergency by the governor. This task force would step in and there would be no waiting for a declaration,” Major Bovaird said.
“While some in the media may not like the selection of Major Bovaird, it is my job to keep the citizens safe from criminals and enemies of all types. And as long as I am sheriff, I will make no apologies for doing everything within my power to make sure I have the right men and women in the right positions to ensure the safety of our citizens and our community,” Sheriff Blair said.
Joe E. Clinton, Jr. [left], and Jacques MaddoxOrlando, Florida — On Monday, Senior United States District Judge John Antoon, II, sentenced Joe E. Clinton, Jr. 23, of Orlando, to 17 years in federal prison for aiding and abetting the attempted robbery of a Walgreen’s store, the robbery of a CVS store, and using and carrying a firearm during those violent crimes. Clinton pleaded guilty on March 24, 2014.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial of Clinton’s co-conspirator, Jacques Maddox, 22, on the night of September 2, 2013, Clinton and Maddox went to the Walgreen’s store on South Kirkman Road near Universal Studios.
After “casing” the store for hours, they walked into the store for the final time around 11:00 p.m. Maddox acted as a lookout near the center of the store, while Clinton forced the store manager inside an office at gunpoint.
Clinton then demanded that the manager open the store’s safe, threatening to shoot him if he failed to do so. When the manager refused to comply with Clinton’s demands, Clinton pistol whipped him, striking him several times in the head and shoulders. Clinton then ran out of the office, met up with Maddox in the middle of the store, and pulled his gun on other employees and store customers as he and Maddox fled the scene.
On the night of September 10, 2013, Clinton walked into the CVS store located at 1201 East Colonial Drive, Orlando. He took a beverage from the cooler and brought it to the front counter. As the clerk tried to ring up the purchase, Clinton pulled out his handgun, pointed it at the clerk, and demanded that she open the register. The clerk then gave Clinton all of the cash from the register, at which time he fled from the store.
Clinton admitted to committing a series of additional armed commercial robberies in Central Florida before being captured by police in Dothan, Alabama, on October 1, 2013.
On July 9, 2014, a federal jury found Maddox guilty of aiding and abetting the attempted Walgreen’s robbery. He was subsequently sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison.
This week, in a speech at the National Sheriffs’ Association Winter Conference in Washington, D.C., FBI Director James B. Comey discussed the Bureau’s current priorities as well as collective issues facing the law enforcement community as a whole.
He specifically highlighted the FBI’s number one priority—counter-terrorism—and talked about how the proliferation of al Qaeda offshoot groups and the use of the Internet to spread terrorist propaganda and recruit new members complicates their efforts.
He focused on the need for a national conversation on the Going Dark issue, in which a combination of outdated laws and rapid changes in technology is making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement to access the evidence needed to prosecute crime and prevent terrorism.
Comey also discussed the recent increase in shootings and ambush-style attacks against law enforcement officers and said that law enforcement personnel and the communities they serve both need to better understand each other’s concerns and the challenges they face.
According to FBI Assistant Director Kerry Sleeper, who heads the Bureau’s Office of Partner Engagement, Director Comey’s meetings with law enforcement groups like the National Sheriffs’ Association “reinforce the Bureau’s stated commitment to collaborate and share information with every state and local law enforcement partners.”
This speech comes just weeks after the FBI issued an alert to every law enforcement agency in regards to homegrown terrorists as well as the possibility of sleeper cells following the Paris attack.
The alert warned that law enforcement agencies should watch for increased terrorism activity while cautioning American travelers abroad they are at risk of attack or kidnapping.
Recently, authorities foiled the plot of Christopher Lee Cornell, 20, of Green Township, Ohio to carry out and attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
On January 15, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S Attorney A. Lee Bentley III for the Middle District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Michelle S. Klimt of the FBI Jacksonville Division announced that Shelton Thomas Bell, 21, of Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan also ordered Bell to a lifetime of supervision following his release from prison.
According to the FBI, Americans will most likely begin to see changes within their local law enforcement agencies in coming months in regards to counter-terrorism.
Charles Murillo [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — A career criminal remains behind bars after Ocala police attempted to serve a trespass warning, but instead arrested the 26-year-old father.
According to reports, a maintenance worker with the Motel 6 on Blitchton Road went to a room where Charles Reynaldo Murillo, 26, had been staying in reference to complaints Murillo had made about the room.
The worker told police that when he arrived at the door he could hear a baby screaming from inside the room. The worker knocked on the door several times, but no one answered. Due to no one answering, the worker decided to open the door.
Once inside, the worker found Murillo lying on the bed with an infant girl, who was crying. Murillo was asleep.
The employee woke Murillo up and transferred him to a different room.
According to reports, Murillo had been a nuisance at the motel and there were several complaints against him.
The motel eventually notified Ocala police so they could trespass Murillo from the property.
When police arrived, they could hear an infant crying inside the room with a TV blaring. Police knocked several times, but no one answered. After several attempts, maintenance let police into Murillo’s room.
Police stated that Murillo was asleep inside the room and they attempted to wake him several times, but were unsuccessful.
According to reports, Murillo would open his eyes for a second, but immediately close them again.
Police reported that the room was in complete disarray and the bed was covered in feces and urine. According to reports, there was also a large amount of cash wrapped in rubber bands on the night stand.
Due to police not being able to wake Murillo, EMS was dispatched.
While in the room, police saw a handgun, marijuana, and hypodermic needles in a car seat inside the room. The marijuana weighed in at four (4) pounds, which Murillo later denied any knowledge of.
Murillo told police that the items must have already been in the room.
According to reports, the infant’s diaper was soiled and had not been changed in quite some time. The infant also appeared to be suffering from malnutrition.
Murillo was arrested and charged with Possession of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, Cruelty Toward a Child, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Violation of Probation.
Murillo was first arrested for carjacking when he was 17-years-old. He served one month in jail and committed a second carjacking just four (4) days after being released.
Murillo has since been arrested for numerous crimes and violated probation on several occasions.
Rescue 24 on its side after being t-boned. (Submitted photo)
Ocala, Florida — Emergency vehicles, including police, fire, and ambulances, respond to calls throughout the county every day. While some calls are ordinary, others include life-threatening situations.
Despite the many safety campaigns advertised by emergency personnel, citizens cannot seem to grasp the concept of yielding to emergency vehicles.
On Friday, January 23, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Rescue 24 with Marion County Fire Rescue was transporting a patient from an accident in Marion Oaks when they were involved in an accident on South Pine Avenue, Ocala.
Rescue 24 was crossing the intersection of South Pine Avenue and Southwest 10th Street — with lights and sirens activated — when a vehicle failed to stop at the intersection and “t-boned” the emergency vehicle.
The force of the collision caused Rescue 24 to flip onto its side.
In addition to the patient, two rescue workers were inside the vehicle. All three were transferred to a Ocala Regional Medical Center and are excepted to recover.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the emergency vehicle was ticketed.
Marion County Fire Rescue said they would like to thank Ocala Fire Rescue and the Ocala Police Department for their assistance at the crash scene.
Officials said, “As a reminder, all drivers are required to yield to emergency vehicles.”
K-9 Officer Casey Walsh and K-9 Sergeant Erica Hay park their patrol vehicles in front of the fire-damaged apartments as they walk the perimeter of the complex.
Ocala, Florida — Citizens of Ocala that wanted Spring Manor Apartments shut down, might soon get their wish.
Back in June, Ocala Post was the first to tell you about the possibility of the City of Ocala filing a Nuisance Abatement Order. Well, the city did just that; however, Spring Manor property owners failed to comply with the stipulations agreed to in the order.
A nuisance abatement, as a legal term, is a condition or use of a property that interferes with neighbors’ use or enjoyment of their property, endangers life, health or safety, or is offensive to others. Because of the harm they do to others, Florida law authorizes local governments to use their police powers to compel the owners of nuisance properties to correct those conditions. If the owner fails to do so, the municipality can step in and correct, or abate, the conditions itself.
A nuisance abatement also applies to properties overridden with criminal activity, including high traffic drug and prostitution areas.
In some instances, judges have ordered properties (such as motels and apartment complexes) to cease operation.
Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham wants the complex cleaned up.
Stipulations of the order required the complex to:
Perform background checks
Require residents to sign a Crime Free Lease Addendum
Replace all lighting
Upgrade camera systems with night vision that are capable of being recorded to DVR, and
Provide armed security
The property owners did not comply with any of the orders.
The city has now filed a lawsuit for the purpose of enforcing the Nuisance Abatement Order.
The lawsuit would also require inspections of the apartment complex and possibly eviction of many that live in the complex.
Reportedly, some residents pay as little as $50.00 a month for rent. Officials said — even at $50.00 a month — many resident are behind on their rent, but have not been evicted.
In addition to the lawsuit filed by the city, the Ocala Police Department billed the complex for excessive use of man power. If the owners fail to pay, the city could place a lien against the property.
In the past several months there have been multiple shootings in the complex, and many times Ocala police have had to increase police presence in the area.
In July 2014, following an arson and shooting, K-9 Officer Casey Walsh and K-9 Sergeant Erica Hay parked their patrol vehicles in front of the fire-damaged apartments and walk the perimeter of the complex all night.
If the owners of the complex continue to ignore the order, the complex risks being shut down.
Ocala police said the complex is overrun with drugs, prostitution, and other criminal activity, and it needs to be halted.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development said, “It is the tenants that ‘make’ up a neighborhood. If you have bad tenants, you will most likely have a bad neighborhood.”
The lawsuit was filed on January 20, and is being handled by City Attorney Patrick Gilligan, with Judge Lisa D. Herndon presiding.
While citizens are glad the city has taken action, they are also worried that the element might “spill over” into their neighborhoods if residents are forced to leave the complex.
Spring Manor Apartments is not the only complex with these types of issues in the city; however, it is statistically one of the worst. Parkside Garden Apartments also rates as one of the worst complexes in the city, right behind Spring Manor.
The outcome of the lawsuit has yet to be determined.
Ocala Post will keep you updated on the situation.
Phillip Wagoner [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — On January 21, 2015, at approximately 7:04 p.m., Ocala police responded to the 4400 block of Northeast 11th Street in reference to a crash.
Upon arrival, Officer Jared Forsyth saw a broken chain link fence on Northeast 44th Avenue, where it dead ends at Northeast 10th Place.
According to reports, the officer observed tire tracks leading through the back yard of the home. The officer reported that there was debris scattered throughout the yard, and a shed in the yard had serious damage.
Officer Forsyth stated that when he was investigating the area he could also smell the odor of natural gas.
As the officer got closer to the crash site, he could hear a male saying, “Don’t get up! Just stay on the ground.”
The officer then saw Phillip Wagoner, 26, laying prone on the ground and the resident of the damaged home, Travis Bland, standing over him.
During the investigation, officers determined that Wagoner had been driving a 2004 Toyota hatchback when he reached the dead end street and crashed through the chain link fence.
The vehicle hit the first shed on the property and continued northbound until it struck the house. It then spun around and “took out” a second shed. When the vehicle hit the second shed, it extinguished the pilot light on the hot water heater, causing the area to become filled with natural gas.
Ocala Fire Rescue was dispatched so they could secure the broken gas line.
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According to reports, Bland told Officer Forsyth that Wagoner stated he had been doing drugs and drinking.
As Officer Forsyth attempted to explain Wagoner his rights, [he] interrupted and asked; “How long will I be in jail?” He then asked; “Can we just go?” Immediately followed by, “The rights are bulls**t!”
Officer Forsyth then finished explaining Wagoner his rights.
Officer Forsyth reported that Wagoner admitted to drinking. Wagoner stated he consumed, “A fu**ing s**t ton of beer in his car” before he crashed.
Wagoner refused a breath test.
While Officer Forsyth attempted to advise Wagoner of implied consent, he constantly interrupted the officer. Officer Forsyth said that Wagoner kept saying, “Just put the cuffs on me and go to jail.” Wagoner then began crying and mumbled, “Why does it have to be all dramatic? I don’t know what you’re talking about! La La La La La La! I speak Espanol! Really! What the f**k? Misdemeanor misdemeanor!
Wagoner went on to say, “I shouldn’t have peed! If I didn’t pee would it just be a crash? I’m an a**hole, I f**ked up, I’m guilty.”
After Wagoner was medically cleared, he was transported to the Marion County Jail. He was charged with DUI with Property Damage.
The City of Ocala building inspector deemed the house unlivable. Now Bland and his three children have been displaced.
Brandon, Florida — Clarence Daniels, 62, drove to the Walmart located at 11110 Causeway Boulevard — with label in his pocket — to purchase coffee creamer for his wife.
But just as Daniels entered the sliding doors to the Walmart, he was tackled and placed in a choke hold — and not by police or Walmart security.
He was actually tackled by Michael Foster, 43, who had seen a gun under Daniels’ jacket. The problem is that Daniels had a carry permit for the weapon.
According to deputies, as Daniels was exiting his vehicle, his jacket had moved. That is when Foster saw the gun and followed Daniels from the parking lot.
According to reports, Foster shouted, “He’s got a gun.” Then tackled Daniels.
Daniels replied, “I have a permit.”
“Unfortunately he tackled a guy that was a law-abiding citizen,” Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Spokesman Larry McKinnon said. “We understand it might be alarming for people to see other people with guns, but Florida has a large population of concealed weapons permit holders.”
The Sheriff’s Office said Foster is lucky Daniels kept his cool and didn’t pull his weapon, which he would have legally been entitled to do.
“Vigilante citizens should refrain from taking matters into their own hands,” McKinnon said. “And if you do, you better make sure you have a good reason to tackle a law-abiding citizen legally carrying a gun.”
Eagle Lake, Florida — On Wednesday, January 21, 2015, around 6:10 a.m., Codey Kierstead, 15, from Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake, was walking to school when he decided to cross U.S. Hwy 17 southbound just south of the intersection at CR 540 (Winter Lake Road), in lieu of using either of the two crosswalks.
According to reports, Kierstead “darted out” into the path of a 1999 silver Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck that was traveling southbound on U.S. 17 in the outside lane.
The driver of the truck, Juan Camacho, 48, of Kissimmee, attempted to avoid striking the boy by veering to the right, but the driver’s side of the truck struck the boy.
The boy was then struck by two other vehicles that were also traveling southbound.
Kierstead was struck by a 1996 maroon Chevrolet 2-door car, being driven by Taunja Moore, 48, of Winter Haven, and a 2008 white Chevrolet pickup truck, being driven by Gregory Crather, 55, also from Winter Haven.
All three drivers, and other passersby, stopped and attempted to render aid to the boy, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The boys’ parents were notified, and arrived on the scene a short time later.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office chaplains and victims’ advocates were also present at the scene.
The victim was originally identified by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as Codey Kierstead. A subsequent release indicated the victim’s name had been legally changed to Codey Robert Means.
The family told investigators that they do not blame anyone, and hope people will talk to their children about traffic safety. Family members also said that all parents should remember to kiss their children and tell them you love them everyday; because you never know when something like this will happen.
