Ocala, Florida — On Monday, June 2, 2014, at approximately 1:20 p.m., a three vehicle crash occurred in the 3200 block of E. SR 40 that ended in the death of one of the drivers.
Wallace Earl Wenzel, 78, of Ocala, was driving a 2004 silver Buick LeSabre when he pulled out onto E. SR 40 from the north side of the roadway – in front of the McDonald’s area – and into the path of another vehicle.
The vehicle travelling westbound, a 1997 Chevrolet Van driven by Gavin Horst, 30, of Ocala, “t-boned” the Buick.
Both vehicles went into the grass median in the center of the roadway; the Buick spun and continued out into the pass-through area between the grass medians and struck a 2014 black Mitsubishi Gallant, driven by Misty Guinn, 30, of Ocala, in the left rear.
Wenzel was trauma alerted and transported by ambulance to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where he passed away later the same evening.
According to police, all drivers were wearing their seat belts when the crash occurred.
Horst and Guinn were not injured during the crash.
Ocala, Florida — On May 14, 2014, Ocala Post wrote about the deplorable conditions of the historical Evergreen Cemetery in Ocala, Florida.
The cemetery is Ocala’s first cemetery and a large part of history for Ocala.
According to the Historic Ocala Preservation Society, 10 years ago they arranged for volunteers to clean up and restore the cemetery even though it was and still is the responsibility of the city. The cemetery has not had any upkeep since that time.
Now, 10 years later, a group of volunteers have once again bailed out the city and taken on the responsibility of cleaning up the grossly neglected cemetery.
John Linnell, of Ocala, said he arranged the first clean up of the cemetery on May 26, 2014, after reading the story on Ocala Post that had been shared on another Facebook page. Also involved in organizing the clean up was Kristy Lennon and Catherine Wendell.
Volunteers came from all over Florida and sources told Ocala Post only three of the volunteers were from Ocala.
Click on photo to enlarge
“It is important because it is a part of Ocala’s history. Without some of the people that have been laid to rest at the cemetery, there may not be an Ocala,” said Linnell “After people read the story we all started to talk back-and-forth, by the next day the ball was rolling and volunteers were signing up.”
While the first clean up produced great results, there is still much to be done. The goal is to restore the cemetery to its former glory and show respect for those buried.
Click on photo to enlarge
Linnell says the next clean up is scheduled for June 8, 2014. Anyone willing to lend a hand is welcome to come out and participate, he said.
If you own a landscaping, fencing, grave marker, or lawn service business and would like to donate materials and or your time in restoring the cemetery, please contact John Linnell at linnell35@gmail.com or Catherine Wendell – also one of the organizers – at ocalaghostwalks@gmail.com or 352-690-7933.
Ocala Post did reach out to city officials including Mayor Guinn; however, Ocala Post did not receive a response.
Williston, Florida — Readers are urged to read the update on this story at http://bit.ly/1Rfg5em.
Dustin Heathman, 35, will face ten (10) counts of attempted murder on law enforcement officers.
This incident started around noon, Sunday, June 01, 2014, when Heathman’s father notified law enforcement that Heathman was living at a residence, located at 17161 N.W. 162 Terrace, Williston, Florida (Marion County).
According to the Marion county Sheriff’s Office, Heathman’s father told law enforcement there were warrants for Heathman’s arrest, and that Heathman was violent and had numerous weapons inside the residence.
MCSO units arrived and soon learned that a vehicle parked in the yard was stolen and a female was most likely inside the home with Heathman.
According to MCSO, a female exited the residence, but Heathman refused to do so. SWAT was summoned to the area shortly after.
Sheriff Blair said that as SWAT approached the home in an armored vehicle, Heathman fired an automatic weapon, hitting the vehicle at least eight times – striking both the driver and passenger side – and firing at least four times at SWAT members that were not in the vehicle.
Photos of SWAT vehicle that was struck by bullets after Heathman opened fire.
Law enforcement then exchanged gunfire. Heathman was injured by glass fragments, but he was not struck by any bullets. He was finally taken into custody after surrendering.
According to MCSO, Heathman’s injuries were not life threatening.
Additional charges are expected as detectives continue to collect evidence.
The female has been identified as Jennifer Brown, she will face a charge of Grand Theft Auto.
Heathman has previously been arrested and charged with: Felony Domestic Battery by Strangulation, Battery (multiple), Trespassing, Resisting Arrest, Public Brawling and Violation of Probation.
Law enforcement was not injured during the standoff.
Ocala, Florida — A civil jury has awarded $2.25 million to the family of Joshua Salvato in the wrongful death case against the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Salvato was 21-years-old when he was shot and killed by Deputies Lauren Miley and Norman Brown on July 6, 2012.
Deputies had responded to the area of Sunset Harbor Road, Summerfield, Florida in response to a complaint about a man on the side of the road being loud and causing a disturbance. Antomio Romanucci, the attorney for Salvato’s family, says he does not believe that Salvato even matched the description of the suspect that was initially given to deputies.
Deputy Miley was the first on the scene, followed by Deputy Brown.
Salvato was shot following a short altercation with deputies.
The family says Salvato acted out of reflex after Deputy Brown punched Salvato in the face while [he] was getting up off the ground to run.
Romanucci says that Salvato was actually backing away from deputies when Deputy Miley pulled out her weapon and shot Salvato in the torso. Romanucci says after Salvato was shot, he was handcuffed and then tazed more than a dozen times by Deputy Brown while Salvato was lying on the ground bleeding to death.
Romanucci also says that the dashcam video does not match statements given by the deputies. He says Deputy Miley falsified reports in regards to what happened off camera in order to save her job and avoid criminal charges.
“In a situation like this, the best witness is a dead witness to a law enforcement officer,” said Romanucci.
Romanucci said, “Not only did the deputies use excessive and unreasonable force that caused the death of Salvato, they also violated his constitutional rights.”
According to Deputy Miley’s attorney, Walter Ketcham, Salvato eluded deputies by running away, and since he was still at the scene, Deputy Miley was afraid Salvato would come back – so she shot him. Ketcham said it is logical that Deputy Miley thought Salvato would come back to harm her.
Salvato was unarmed and did not have a criminal record when he was shot and killed.
Attorneys for the deputies fell short of calling Salvato a criminal, citing he had dropped out of high school and could not hold down a job.
Romanucci says this type of behavior should not be tolerated in today’s society. He says it is not OK for law enforcement to act as the judge and executioner; and [that] is exactly what Deputy Brown demonstrated when he continually tazed a man after he was on the ground handcuffed and bleeding to death.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office would not comment, but released the following statement:
“I have received the verdict handed down by the jury this afternoon and am currently reviewing the verdict in consultation with legal counsel. Given the potential for further legal proceedings involving this case, which events took place prior to my administration, it would be premature for me to comment on the verdict at this point. That being said, I thank both the judge and the jurors for their time and the professional manner in which they served in this matter,” Said Sheriff Chris Blair of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Ed Dean was the elected sheriff at the time the incident occurred. According to the family’s attorney, the sheriff’s office, while under the direction of Dean, did not investigate the shooting death of Salvato.
The jury said blame should be placed on the Sheriff’s Office for failing to do its job by not investigating this case.
During the trial it was also proven that Salvato most likely endured a lot of pain and suffering as he was being tazed while on the ground bleeding to death.
Vincent Salvato, father to Joshua Salvato, said the only thing he credits the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with is having the video that showed the truth as to how his son died. He said this case is just one of many reasons Marion County Residents no longer trust local law enforcement.
Family attorney Ted Leopold said officers take an oath to protect and preserve life, not take it and abuse the communities trust.
In 2012 a grand jury refused to indict Miley and Brown. Both deputies are currently on jail duty.
Leopold said this win is a huge victory for Salvato’s family as well as Marion County residents.
Polk County, Florida — At the conclusion of a four-day-long human trafficking/prostitution investigation, targeting online e-commerce sites related to men and women who were advertising to commit prostitution and who were soliciting others for prostitution, 98 suspects were arrested. Their charges ranged from Offering to Commit Lewdness in which the suspects either posted online ads, or answered online ads; to Aiding and Abetting Prostitution; Deriving Proceeds from Prostitution; Possession of Illegal Drugs; Child Abuse by Neglect; Felony Battery; Resisting; Traffic Offenses; and Violation of Probation.
The investigation was conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation was; Operation: “When Will You Learn.”
Of the 98 suspects arrested: (some suspects may fall into multiple categories)
24 were married
15 are on public assistance
16 suspects were arrested when they brought prostitutes to the undercover location;
28 suspects arrested were prostitutes;
52 suspects arrested were “johns” or those who wished to pay for sex from prostitutes.
2 other suspects were charged with other crimes — one was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia — the second was charged with No Valid Driver’s License and Violation of Probation.
And 64 of those arrested have been arrested over 448 times before.
Polk County has a zero tolerance for human trafficking. It is during undercover prostitution investigations that victims of human trafficking are identified.
On May 14, 2014, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the conviction of human trafficker 22-year-old Montavious Rakeem Postell of Orlando. Postell was identified during a 2013 PCSO undercover prostitution investigation in which a 15-year-old girl was arrested for prostitution.
After her arrest, PCSO detectives established a rapport with the juvenile and learned she had been given drugs, physically beaten and sexually abused. Detectives learned Postell had prostituted the young girl to adult men, forcing her to commit lewd acts for his financial gain.
Postell was sentenced to nine years in prison followed by five years of supervised sex offender probation.
During this last investigation, which began on Thursday, May 22, 2014, and ended on Sunday, May 25, 2014, two potential cases of human trafficking were identified. Due to the sensitive nature of these investigations, no additional information about the victims will be released.
Out of the 28 prostitutes arrested, 20 had criminal records that included 233 arrests comprising of 112 felonies and 165 misdemeanors. Of the 16 people who brought prostitutes to the undercover location, 15 had criminal records that included 92 total arrests comprising of 72 felonies and 67 misdemeanors.
“We’ve seen firsthand the negative social costs of how prostitution hurts families, children, and communities, including the spreading of infectious diseases. And more often than not, there is a high correlation between crime—illegal drugs, violent crime and property crime—and prostitution, and we see repeat criminal offenders engaging in sex for money,” said Sheriff Grady Judd of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Some of those arrested include:
44-year-old Michael Johnson of Orlando, a former police officer whom worked for the Orlando Police Department in the mid 1990’s. He attempted to recruit a female undercover officer to engage in prostitution with clients he would locate and take her to for 25% of the proceeds. He told the detective she could keep more if she had sex with him. He was charged with Deriving Support/Proceeds of Prostitution and Use of a Two-Way Communication Device to Commit a Felony.
20-year-old Deanna Elimon of Jacksonville went to the undercover location to engage in sexual intercourse in exchange for $300. Elimon was driven to the location by John Alexander. In the car with Elimon and Alexander were two children Elimon had access to – a five year old and a one year old. Shortly after Elimon made contact with the undercover detective, Alexander left the children, who were sleeping in the unlocked vehicle and came to the undercover room and began to knock. Alexander was arrested. Detectives took custody of the children and discovered the one year old child was soaked in urine. Department of Children and Families was notified and the children were turned over to them. Elimon was charged with Soliciting Another for Lewdness, 2 counts of Child Abuse by Neglect, Possession of Cannabis, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Alexander was charged with Violation of Driver’s License Restrictions, Aiding and Abetting Prostitution, 2 counts of Child Abuse by Neglect, six counts of Violation of Probation (cocaine/sale/manufacture/delivery). On his Facebook page, Alexander listed his work as: “works at: staying out of jail.”
56-year-old Frank Portlock of Winter Haven, solicited an undercover female detective to have sexual intercourse for $100. Portlock listed his employment as a co-owner of the Chevrolet Center in Winter Haven. He was charged with Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution.
30-year-old Amber Gonzalez of Cape Coral, arrived at the undercover location with a 15-year-old girl from Miami to engage in sexual intercourse as a couple with a male undercover detective. The two were driven to the location by 31-year-old Ghassan Gonzalez. Ghassan Gonzalez told detectives that he works for “Girly Girls Escorts” as a driver and gets paid to drive girls to appointments. Amber Gonzalez and the 15-year-old girl was charged with Soliciting Another for Lewdness and Ghassan Gonzalez was charged with Deriving Proceeds from Prostitution.
25-year-old Jalil Hayes of Davenport, was at the undercover location completing an employment application when he made contact with an undercover female detective as she entered the location. Hayes asked the detective what she was doing there and when she advised she was working, Hayes requested her phone number and told her he would call after completing the application. After completing the employment application, Hayes solicited the undercover detective to pay her $40 in exchange for sex. Hayes advised he is currently enlisted in the National Guard stationed in Griffin, Georgia. He was charged with Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution.
33-year-old Justin Link of Davenport, responded to the undercover location after telling the female undercover detective that he was going to put her to work with his friends for sex in exchange for drugs as payment for her work. When Link arrived at the undercover location, he produced three small baggies of cocaine, dumping two bags into a line on the table and requesting the undercover detective to “snort a line” with him. Link brought a backpack that contained rope, duct tape, female lingerie, high heels, a mesh top, lace body stockings, camcorder, a red thong, two chain dog collars, and a vibrator. He was charged with Possession of Cannabis, Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution, Possession of Cocaine With Intent to Deliver, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
34-year-old Margaret Obasi of Rio Pinar Lakes Blvd., Orlando, travelled to the undercover location to commit prostitution with an undercover detective. She told detectives her husband (31-year-old Jamohn Mack of the same address in Orlando) brought her to the undercover location and knew about the prostitution. Mack told detectives he took photographs of Obasi so she could create an advertisement on Backpage.com. Mack also told detectives he took her to the undercover location so she could commit prostitution and that he would receive half the money Obasi would make. Obasi was charged with Soliciting Another for Lewdness (offering to commit prostitution), and Mack was charged with Deriving Proceeds from Prostitution, Possession of Cannabis, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Controlled Substance Without a Prescription.
36-year-old Yuval Barak of Nanuet, New York was arrested after he responded to the undercover location to engage in sexual intercourse with a female undercover detective in exchange for $80. Barak is a registered sex offender resulting from a New York arrest for statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl.
“Prostitution is not a victimless crime. We have found a direct nexus between prostitution and human trafficking – forcing a juvenile to commit lewd acts with adult men for financial gain is something we will not tolerate. One of our best tools to find, arrest, and prosecute traffickers is to conduct undercover prostitution investigations. Whether it is on the street or online, prostitution, and the crimes it attempts to disguise, is illegal and we will continue to investigate and arrest those involved,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.
Ocala, Florida — Five pit bull puppies that were stolen from an Ocala home and away from their mom last week, are still missing.
On May 21, 2014, Matthew Layfield and Ashley Ann left their home at approximately 1:30 p.m. When they returned at approximately 4:30 p.m., they found their home had been burglarized. The incident occurred in the 5700 block of SE 2nd Street, Ocala.
Thieves stole a Vizio flat-screen TV and five – two week old – pit bull puppies. The puppies are UKC registered and are valued at $6,000 ($1,200 each). The registration papers were also taken.
The suspect(s) may be someone that had recently expressed interest in the puppies.
A reward is being offered for the safe return of the newborn pups.
Anyone with information can call the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, text a tip to 274637 using keyword 368-STOP or submit a tip at www.ocalacrimestoppers.com
Remember to share, social media is a very powerful tool.
According to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, most of the people who reach for gluten-free products don’t have celiac disease and or even a sensitivity to wheat.
“The market for gluten-free products is exploding. Why? Because many people have bought into the hype that a gluten-free diet is healthier,” said Peter H.R. Green, MD.
In fact, it isn’t healthier. For people with celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is essential. But for others, “Unless people are very careful, a gluten-free diet can lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber that is essential to a persons health,” says Green.
Green says that it seems like just about everyone you “run” into claims to be gluten intolerant. However, only one percent of the U.S population suffers from celiac disease.
A gluten-free diet is nothing more than a fad diet and food retailers have made billions by capitalizing on the weakness of those so eager to shed a few pounds.
“While eating gluten-free is extremely important for those with celiac disease, it should be noted it is not an actual weight loss diet. Sure, going gluten free has its benefits of lowering inflammation and bloating, which by proxy will reduce a few pounds. However, many overweight people without a gluten sensitivity, should really consider a different approach to get results,” said Debora Donahue, ARNP-BC, CHT, owner of Symphony Healthcare in Ocala, Florida.
No one should be discouraged from trying a gluten-free diet, because many people say they have never felt better after doing so; but if you desire weight loss results, clinically, gluten-free is not the method that should be used.
Holes left in the window after SWAT deployed tear gas.
David E. Smith [DMV photo]Lakeland, Florida — On May 27, 2014, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive man-hunt for a suspect that killed three people earlier in the week.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., Monday, May 26, 2014, a 14-year-old girl arrived home from a weekend ROTC trip to find her mother, Danyala Smith 31, her moms partner, Miranda Mims, 28, and family friend Nikosi Williams, 25, shot to death inside the home. She told one of the chaperones, her ROTC Sergeant Major, what she found, and emergency responders were contacted.
The suspect was later identified as David E. Smith, 27, of Lakeland, Florida.
Detectives were told that Smith referred to himself as “Prince David” and was described as being delusional. Detectives were also warned that Smith should be considered dangerous due to the training that he had allegedly received in the military.
Detectives say that all three victims were shot sometime after 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, 2014.
At approximately 2 p.m., May 27, 2014, Smith was located at a motel in Knox County, Tennessee by Knox County Sheriff’s deputies after Smith called 911 and confessed to the murders.
When deputies arrived, Smith refused to come out of the motel room. SWAT was then called to the area.
During the stand-off with SWAT, Smith stated that he wanted to commit “suicide by cop” and he fired two shots from inside the motel room, according to reports.
SWAT then deployed tear gas into the room and Smith eventually exited with a self inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
Smith was taken into custody and transported to a local area hospital where he died from his injuries.
Smith’s family says he was suffering from a severe case of PTSD due to serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, Smith had been previously committed for treatment of a mental illness.
The 14-year-old girl is now staying with other family members.
Jacob Fritz [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — The United Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) recently conducted a “Prostitution/John Reverse” Operation for the sole purpose identifying any person attempting to solicit prostitution.
During the operation, an undercover agent was approached by a male, later identified as Jacob Fritz, 22, in the 2300 block of South Pine Avenue, Ocala, Florida.
When Fritz approached the undercover agent, he told her that he was willing to pay $40 for a “blow job.”
The undercover agent then walked toward room #128 at the Shangri-La Motel, followed by Fritz. He was then placed under arrest.
According to reports, as Fritz was being handcuffed he stated that he had “weed” in his right pocket. Fritz stated that he intended to “smoke” it himself.
Fritz stated that he was driving home when he passed the undercover agent. After passing the undercover agent he decided that he wanted a “blow job,” so he approached her and asked if she wanted to “chill,” according to reports.
Fritz then drove to an ATM and later returned with $40.00 cash. That is when he approached the undercover agent and solicited her.
Fritz was transported to the Marion County Jail and booked on charges of Solicit for Prostitution and Possession of Marijuana.
Thomas Roberts [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — The United Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) recently conducted a “Prostitution/John Reverse” Operation for the sole purpose identifying any person attempting to solicit prostitution.
During the operation, an undercover officer/deputy was approached by a male, later identified as Thomas Roberts, 21, in the 2300 block of South Pine Avenue, Ocala, Florida.
Roberts and the undercover officer/deputy engaged in a conversation in which Roberts agreed to pay $25.00 for “p***y action.”
The undercover officer/deputy then directed Roberts to a pre-determined location where [he] was placed under arrest.
Roberts immediately admitted to being in possession of marijuana while being arrested.
During an interview, Roberts stated that he had passed the undercover officer several times before finally approaching her.
Roberts stated that he wanted to make sure that she was a “whore” because he has friends that are looking for “whores.”
It is unclear if Roberts was looking to recruit as a “pimp.”
Roberts was transported to the Marion County Jail and booked on charges of Solicit for Prostitution and Possession of Marijuana.
Kim Blanchette [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — Former Ocala daycare operator, Kim Blanchette, 46, was arrested on a warrant and booked into the Marion County Jail on May 27, 2014.
It all started on March 22, 2013, when Marion County Sheriff’s Detective Erik Dice responded to 21 NE 50th Avenue, Ocala, in reference to a child that had been transported to UF Shands Hospital in Gainesville with life threatening injuries.
When Detective Dice arrived on the scene, he learned that Blanchette was operating an unlicensed family daycare from her home.
Blanchette told Detective Dice that 20-month-old Ellis Padgett had fallen from a chair and hit his head on the floor.
Padgett later died from his injuries.
According to reports, Blanchette told authorities that she had operated the daycare for approximately 21 years. She stated that she failed to renew her license in 2010 due to health reasons. Blanchette told authorities that on the day of the accident she was caring for six children in her home.
During the investigation, Detective Dice learned that Blanchette could not renew her daycare license in 2010 because her husband, whom resided at the residence, had previous felony convictions.
On April 25, 2013, Department of Children and Families obtained a permanent injunction against Blanchette, prohibiting her from ever operating a family daycare.
A medical examiner determined that Blanchette was telling the truth about the 20-month-old’s fall, therefore the State Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges.
Blanchette was released on a $1,000 bond shortly after being booked on Tuesday.
She was charged with Public Order Crimes/Operating a Family Daycare Without a License (M).
Blanchette relocated to Beverly Hills, Citrus County, Florida shortly after the incident took place in her home where she was operating the unlicensed daycare.
Just a few examples of the many items available for pick-up.
Ocala, Florida — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office, through the Evidence Division, is planning to reunite owners with their property.
The event is planned for 1-4 p.m., Monday, June 2, 2014 on the main campus of the sheriff’s office at the multi-purpose building, 3300 N.W. 10th Street, Ocala.
There will be more than 200 items on display. Most of the items are from burglaries. But, there is one case – with more than dozen pieces of property – that involved a citizen simply turning in found property.
Most of the 200 items were taken from homes and cars located in the southern portion of the county within the last twelve (12) months, however, one case is from 2012.
“We know some victims have simply given up hope of getting their property back,” said Judge Cochran, Marion County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer. “This is an opportunity to look through a huge collection of items to see if your property is there and you can take it home.”
All victims are asked to bring some paperwork that provides proof of ownership: photos, receipts, model and serial numbers. Detectives will be on location to help victims.
Cochran adds that some people have simply said “Oh Well,” upon finding out their property was stolen.
“We’ve made arrests in these cases and at this event, we are trying to return the property to rightful owners,” Cochran said.
Cosmic Event — Attention families, space geeks and insomniacs alike, the Earth is set to intercept a new meteor shower late Friday into Saturday.
Many forecasts show 200 to 1,000 meteors per hour between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday.
“We expect these meteors to radiate from a point in Camelopardalis, also known as ‘the giraffe,’ a faint constellation near the North Star,” according to Bill Cooke, who heads NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. “New meteor showers don’t come along that often. It will be the first time in a generation that a new meteor shower will show up.”
The shower would be spawned by debris from Comet 209P/LINEAR, which was discovered in 2004. It orbits the Sun once every five years, shuttling roughly between the orbits of Earth and Jupiter. A relatively close encounter with Jupiter in 2012 pushed the comet’s path closer to Earth.
If you’re having trouble seeing it, or if you want to join other amateur astronomers across the country as it happens, NASA’s website will host a live chat from 11 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday, as well as offering a live view of the skies over Huntsville, Alabama.
NASA says the best viewing advice they can give is…look up.
Photo provided by AccuWeather, our partner in weather forecast.
Rhonda Branch [Left] and Antonio Allen [Right]Lakeland, Florida — Around 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 25-year-old Rhonda Branch, and her boyfriend, 26-year-old Antonio Allen, both of 2103 Reynolds Road in Lakeland, when their neighbors called PCSO to report a three-year-old toddler was locked out of the residence for over an hour, and was outside crying.
“Rhonda Branch is certainly no ‘Woman Of The Year’ candidate – she and her boyfriend sat in their house, smoked pot and inhaled nitrous oxide, and completely neglected a helpless 3-year-old baby boy for whom they were responsible. They are the perfect example of why using illegal drugs is harmful, and should continue to be illegal,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.
According to the arrest affidavits, the young child was very upset, crying, and banging on the doors and windows of the home trying to get someone to let him inside. Neighbors said it appeared the child had been locked out of the house for quite some time. The neighbors called PCSO and cared for the small child until deputies arrived. When deputies arrived, they banged on the doors and windows for approximately 10-15 minutes before getting a response.
When Rhonda Branch and Antonio Allen finally opened the door, a cloud of smoke billowed out that smelled like marijuana. The pair admitted to smoking marijuana and ingesting “whip it” (whipped cream nitrous oxide canisters). Marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and the nitrous oxide canisters were easily located in the house.
Branch and Allen admitted to using the drugs “all morning” and then going into their bedroom to take a nap, and that neither were supervising the small child. They told deputies that “marijuana should be legal anyways” and that is why they smoke it all the time. Neither of the adults were aware that the toddler was locked outside. Branch admitted he has gotten out of the house twice before in the past two weeks. The home is located on a busy road.
Allen was so intoxicated that while speaking with the deputy he fell over and hit his head on the ground. Branch had two black eyes. She stated that she had recently done a “whip it,” passed out and smacked her head on something.
Branch and Allen were both placed under arrest and booked into the Polk County Jail for the following charges:
One count Child Neglect (F-3)
One count Possession of Marijuana (M-1)
One count Inhaling Harmful Chemicals (M-2)
One count Maintaining a Home for Drug Use (M-1)
One count Possession of Paraphernalia (M-2)
Branch has no prior arrests in Polk County. Allen has been in the Polk County Jail on four prior occasions, for Armed Trafficking, Possession of Marijuana, Carrying a Concealed Firearm, Aggravated Domestic Battery on a Pregnant Victim, and VOP. In 2008 he was sentenced to 5 years in state prison for the Trafficking and Weapons charges. He was released in August 2013.
Robert Wood [Mugshot]Summerfield, Florida — Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man and chargeg him with five felonies after they say he resisted after being handcuffed.
On May 19, 2014, Deputy Douglas Watts responded to the 1400 block of SE 55 Avenue in reference to a domestic altercation.
When Deputy Watts arrived on the scene he could see Robert Wood, 28, holding a female victim by the hair while trying to drag her inside the residence. Watts instructed Wood to stop and place his hands behind his back.
According to reports, Wood was compliant and followed Watts’ orders until he and the victim began talking, which aggravated Wood to the point he became aggressive.
Deputy Watts said that Wood walked up to him and began bumping him with his chest.
Deputy Travis O’cull arrived on the scene shortly after Wood became aggressive.
According to Deputy O’cull, when he arrived Watts was on top of Wood in the front yard of the residence. O’cull said that Wood was kicking his feet and trying to grab deputy Watts’ hands and fingers, while at the same time trying to rotate his body in an attempt to get up.
Deputies Watts and O’cull said as they began walking Wood to a patrol vehicle, Wood wrapped both of his legs around Watts’ left leg which caused all three of them to fall.
According to the deputies, they gave several verbal commands to Wood instructing him to stop. Deputy O’cull then gave several knee strikes to Wood’s left side between his shoulders and waist. Deputy O’cull said the knee strikes were successful.
Once they were at the patrol vehicle, Wood was placed into leg restraints to keep him from kicking.
Deputy O’cull then spoke with the victim whom had a swollen left eye, chunks of hair pulled from her head and a bloody mouth. The victim said she had gone to the residence so she could pick up her clothes and personal items since she and her boyfriend were breaking up.
She said when she arrive at the residence Wood was intoxicated and she had a feeling something was going to happen. She then took her children to a neighbors house.
Shortly after, Wood started and argument with her so she decided to leave. As she was leaving, Wood followed her and began punching her. She said she was able to make it to her vehicle, but he reached into the car and began punching her repeatedly with a closed fist. She said he then grabbed her by the hair and started slamming her head into the head rest. With one hand holding her hair, he placed his other hand over her nose and mouth so tight that she couldn’t breathe, at which point she began to blow the horn.
A neighbor told deputies that when he heard the horn blowing he went outside and saw Wood punching the victim. He said Wood was screaming, “I am going to kill you.”
During the commotion, deputies learned that Wood had also struck one of the children with a belt approximately two weeks earlier. According to reports, Wood hit the child so hard [that] the belt marks were still visible.
Wood was transported to the hospital, treated and released. He was then transported to the Marion County Jail.
He is charged with Cruelty Toward a Child/Child Abuse (F), Domestic Battery by Strangulation (F), Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (F), Resisting Arrest with Violence (F) and Violation of Probation (F).
He is currently still being held at the Marion County Jail.
There will be a Roadside Safety Checkpoint Friday, May 23, 2014, from 10:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of SE Fort King Street.
The Ocala Police Department says the checkpoint is intended to look for traffic violations such as drivers who are impaired, vehicles with faulty equipment, drivers without a valid license, no proof of insurance and drivers not wearing their seat belt.
If you do not want to be held up in traffic, you may want to consider an alternate route.
Zachary Malvasia [Mugshot]Polk County, Florida — On May 21, 2014, Polk County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 14-year-old Zachary Malvasia of Lakeland, a student at Crystal Lake Middle School, and charged him with one count Poison Food/Water (F-1) for putting hand sanitizer in his teacher’s water.
According to the affidavit, during the morning hours of May 20, 2014 the victim, Ana Morejon, a teacher at the school, stepped outside of her classroom to discuss a matter with the dean of students. While she was outside in the hallway, the students inside the classroom got out of their seats and lined up to get ready to head to lunch.
When Morejon came back into the room, she took a sip from the cup of water that sits on her desk. She noticed the water tasted funny, so she took another sip. She then took the lid off the cup and smelled the water, and detected the odor of hand sanitizer, which also sits on her desk. Detectives were told Ms. Morejon went to Bartow Regional Medical Center on the advice of her doctor to be evaluated because she was experiencing symptoms of not feeling well, including a headache and stomach ache.
During the investigation, the suspect, Malvasia, was identified by two student witnesses as the student who intentionally squirted Zep’s Professional Hand Sanitizer into his teacher’s cup. Deputies arrested Malvasia on the aforementioned charges and transported him to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
He did not give a reason as to why he squirted hand sanitizer in his teachers drink.
Chief Mike Chitwood, Daytona Beach Police Department
Daytona Beach, Florida — Ocala Post has now received the body cam video of two Daytona Beach Police Officers, following the completion of an Internal Affairs investigation.
On June 13, 2013, Officers Justin Ranum and Matthew Booth encountered Ms. Christine Chippewa, 36, (complainant) near the boat ramps of the Seabreeze Bridge (eastern span).
Chippewa was alone in her boyfriend’s vehicle and appeared to have mechanical issues. The officers spoke to Chippewa and established that she was not in medical distress. This interaction was captured on Officer Ranum’s Mobile Video Recorder (MVR).
Approximately ten to fifteen minutes after speaking with Chippewa, the officers noticed she continued to have issues with her vehicle. The officers re-approached Chippewa because they felt her behavior was suspicious. Chippewa said she realized the car was not out of gas as she originally suspected and she had forgotten to press in the clutch.
During the second contact with Chippewa, Officer Ranum began to question why she was really at the boat ramp. Officer Ranum asked for and received oral consent to search Chippewa’s vehicle and her purse. Officer Booth began searching Chippewa’s vehicle as Officer Ranum began searching her purse.
While Officer Booth was searching Chippewa’s boyfriend’s vehicle, Officer Ranum stated that he observed Chippewa unbutton her shorts and wrote in his offense report that he felt like she was trying to hide something. Officer Ranum approached Chippewa and asked if she had anything in her shorts. As Chippewa answered “no”, she turned her pockets inside out. Officer Ranum wrote in his report he saw a “large bulge” in Chippewa’s left cheek area. Officer Ranum asked Chippewa what was in her mouth and she said “nothing.” Officer Ranum stated that he then asked to see inside of her mouth, at which time Chippewa opened her mouth and Officer Ranum says he saw what he suspected was illegal narcotics. Officer Ranum reported Chippewa began trying to chew and swallow the substance. Officer Ranum stated that he told Chippewa to spit out the substance and she attempted to pull away from him.
Officer Ranum said he took hold of Chippewa to keep her from “tampering with evidence.” Officer Ranum took the defendant to the ground to gain better control over her in an attempt to retrieve the alleged narcotics. The struggle between Officer Ranum and Chippewa continued as Officer Booth ran over and assisted Officer Ranum.
Officer Ranum also wrote that the incident was captured on his MVR, but in actuality only the last few moments of the encounter were captured due to the fact his body cam had been shut off.
While the body cam was turned off, Officers Ranum and Booth continued to press Chippewa’s face into the pavement while they squeezed her cheeks in an attempt to open her mouth and retrieve the alleged narcotics. While Officer Booth was squeezing her cheeks she clamped down with her teeth. Officer Booth wrote in his report that when she clamped down it caused him pain, so he kicked her in the head.
When Chippewa would not open her mouth, Officer Booth took his department issued flashlight and jammed it in her mouth while simultaneously sticking his fingers in her mouth. Officer Booth referred to it as the “flashlight technique.” At some point Officer Booth removed the flashlight and Chippewa’s teeth made direct contact with Booth’s fingers. Booth said he then removed his fingers from her mouth and did not locate any narcotics. When Officer Booth removed his fingers he had blood and saliva on them, he then wiped his fingers on Chippewa’s sweatshirt.
The Internal Affairs report reads as follows:
Directive 1006 defines an officer’s use of deadly force as: “Deadly Force: Techniques used as a last resort, which may result in imminent death, great bodily harm, or permanent disfigurement, such as the use of a firearm or impact weapon strikes to the head.”
The investigator noted that knee strikes and kicks to the head are prohibited by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) as well as Daytona Beach Police Department policy, unless, “A subject makes overt, hostile, attacking movements with or without a weapon with the intent and apparent ability to cause death or great bodily harm to the officer or others.”
He also noted that using forceful techniques such as knee strikes, kicks, impact weapons or any other physical force that could cause bodily harm, cannot be used simply because a citizen would not comply with the orders of a law enforcement officer.
Officer Anthony Galante with the Daytona Beach Police Department, and certified FDLE defensive tactics trainer, told investigators that an officer should never use knee strikes except when deadly force is authorized. He also stated that it is extremely dangerous and very hazardous for an officer to stick their fingers in a suspects mouth.
During the investigation it was learned that Officer Booth expressed some concern to Officer Ranum, and told Ranum he was worried about what occurred because this was a “use of force incident” and they did not recover any evidence.
Officer Ranum asked Officer Booth if he had completed his report. Officer Booth said, “I’m not writing anything until you write yours because God forbid we write something in the least bit different.” Officer Booth said in his interview that he wanted to “rehash the incident with Officer Ranum and make sure all of their ducks are in a row” before writing his report. Officer Booth indicated that he wanted to make sure they both remembered the incident correctly before writing his report. Officer Booth also said his supervisor was meticulous about accurate report writing and he wanted to make sure that he and Officer Ranum “were both on the same page”.
Officer Justin Ranum resigned while being the subject of this investigation. His resignation took place on July 31, 2013.
Officer Booth was terminated at the conclusion of this investigation for:
Failing to Acknowledge and Adhere to Laws and Directives
Making False Statements
Conduct in Arresting and Dealing with Law Violators
Use of Force (Strikes to the Head)
Unauthorized Actions Regarding Use of Force
Chippewa was transported to the hospital the night of the incident, however it was determined that she did not need to be treated for ingesting a narcotic.
She was, however, treated for a bloody mouth (split lip), abrasions (road rash) to the face, injuries to the torso and a knot on her head from being kicked.
Officer Booth admitted that he did not actually see any narcotics in Chippewa’s mouth.
Officers that arrived on the scene the night of the incident testified that Chippewa did not appear to be impaired in any way and was extremely cooperative. Officers did state during interviews that Chippewa looked “rough” from her injuries.
“We don’t break the law to enforce the law. And I don’t tolerate excessive force,” said Chief Mike Chitwood, Daytona Beach Police Department.
Chief Mike Chitwood said the investigation first caught his eye when it was discovered there may have been a possibility the officers turned off their body cams.
“We believe Officer Booth’s actions and the injuries that this woman suffered are conducive to excessive force. That’s not how we operate. We don’t just jam flashlights down their throats, jam fingers down there and everything else,” said Chief Chitwood.
Chief Mike Chitwood also said that all officers are required to wear body cams and keep them on at all times.
In recent interviews with Dayton Beach residents, Chief Mike Chitwood was praised. The chief is known for his no nonsense attitude and a by-the-book kind of guy. Chitwood says he does not allow his officers to violate citizens constitutional rights, he wants the public to have trust in the police.
Chief Mike Chitwood has also been known to leave his desk and patrol the streets of Daytona. He does not believe in just sitting behind the desk he says. He also participates in bicycle patrol with his officers. He says he would not make his officers do something that he would not do himself.
Chippewa was charged with Resisting Arrest and Tampering With Evidence, those charges were later dismissed.
Pharrell Williams’ video “Happy” by six Iranian students
Iran — Six students who were arrested in Iran for dancing in a YouTube video to Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” have been freed, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
They were released after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted, “Happiness is our people’s right. We shouldn’t be too hard on behaviors caused by joy.”
One of the six students announced that she was freed. “Hi I’m back,” Reihane Taravati wrote on her Instagram account, thanking Williams and “everyone who cared about us.”
Tehran Police Chief Hossein Sajedinia, ordered the six arrested because they made an “obscene” video. He also says that women are forbidden to dance in public.
Pharrell Williams wrote on his Facebook page, “It is beyond sad that these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness.”
A storm of outrage filled social media pages following the arrests.
One person tweeted, “No one can be happy as long as they are living in Iran.”
According to documents released by Police Chief Sajedinia, he forced the student to repent on state TV, and has forbidden them to speak with American media outlets. Sajedinia wrote, “It is not over.”
Mims [left] Wallace [right]Houston, Texas — Robert Wallace, 32, of Houston, filed a lawsuit against a stripper today.
Wallace says that he and stripper, Nomi Mims (stage name), were in an intimate relationship, or so she led him to believe.
He says he bought her extravagant gifts, allowed her to borrow movies, even gave her credit cards.
Wallace said, “We were building a future together.”
Mims claims that the relationship was strictly professional, but says she does consider him a friend as well as a good customer. Mims said that she finds it unfortunate that she gave Wallace the wrong impression.
Mims said, “We don’t give refunds or rain checks in the strip club. We also don’t do lay-a-way.”
She said that strippers sue customers all the time, but she has never heard of a customer suing a stripper.
Wallace said he also loaned Mims over $2,000 and he wants Mims to return everything he gave her; including the credits cards, cash and a lap top.
Mims said, “I have given him gifts too. How am I supposed to get my boobs and booty back?”
Wallace vows that he will never date a stripper again.
