On Sunday, Ocala police responded to 1940 SW 31st Ave., Ocala, in reference to a disturbance.
Dispatch had received a 911 call and in the background, the dispatcher heard a woman scream “Stop! You’re going to get in trouble. Why are you doing that?.”
Dispatch then relayed that the phone was possibly thrown and disconnected.
Upon arrival, the officer made contact with the victim who was at the other end of the apartment trying to clean herself with baby wipes.
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim had blood dripping from her legs, arms, and face. It was also noted that small glass fragments were on the left side of the victim’s face.
“The victim’s demeanor appeared to be fearful,” the officer wrote in his report.
The victim stated that she and her boyfriend of two years, Kahlil Smoot, got into a verbal altercation after Smoot accused her of cheating.
The victim said his accusations were not true but that Smoot becomes jealous because she lives so far away and drives back and forth to visit.
The victim said she sat on the driver side of her white Honda and was trying to “process” everything that Smoot was saying. She said while she sat in the car, Smoot smashed the driver’s side window with a hammer and then slashed the rear passenger tire.
The victim then attempted to dial 911, at which time Smoot snatched the phone from the victim and broke it into two pieces.
Smoot was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail.
He was charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Criminal Mischief, and Preventing a Victim form Calling 911.
The victim stated that Smoot has been violent in the past.
Smoot also has an arrest for Lewd and Lascivious Battery.
Volusia sheriff’s deputies have arrested a Daytona Beach correctional officer with Tomoka Correctional Institution following accusations that he molested a child.
and charged him with lewd and lascivious molestation on a child victim.
Anthony Checchi, 35, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with Lewd and Lascivious Molestation on a Child.
Checchi was arrested by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office Crime Suppression Team and detectives with the agency’s Child Exploitation Unit.
According to detectives, they have been investigating allegations of sexual abuse involving Checchi since late May.
Checchi was taken into custody Tuesday in Holly Hill and transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he is being held on $25,000 bond.
Checchi is not a stranger to the juvenile female victim.
Detectives said he immediately tried to use the “I am a corrections officer” card.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Child Exploitation Unit at 386-323-3574.
Recreational Red Snapper Season will begin June 11 in Gulf state and federal waters and remain open through July 25, closing July 26.
For-hire operations that do not have a federal reef fish permit may also participate in the season but are limited to fishing for red snapper in Gulf state waters only.
If you plan to fish for red snapper in Gulf state or federal waters (excluding Monroe County) from a private recreational vessel, even if you are exempt from fishing license requirements, you must sign up as a Gulf Reef Fish Angler or State Reef Fish Angler when signing up after July 1 (annual renewal required).
The Gulf Reef Fish Angler designation will be expanded statewide and renamed State Reef Fish Angler starting July 1. To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” then “Gulf Reef Fish Survey” or “State Reef Fish Survey” under “Reef Fish” tab. Sign up at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
Gulf Reef Fish Anglers and State Reef Fish Anglers might receive a questionnaire in the mail regarding their reef fish trips as part of Florida’s Gulf Reef Fish Survey and State Reef Fish Survey. These surveys were developed specifically to provide more robust data for management of red snapper and other important reef fish, and have allowed FWC the unprecedented opportunity to manage Gulf red snapper in state and federal waters. If you receive a survey in the mail, please respond whether you fished this season or not.
When catching red snapper and other deep-water fish, look out for symptoms of barotrauma (injuries caused by a change in pressure) such as the stomach coming out of the mouth, bloated belly, distended intestines and bulging eyes. When releasing fish with barotrauma, use a descending device or venting tool to help them survive and return to depth. Learn more about fish handling at MyFWC.com/FishHandling.
Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy C. Rekully responded to 2920 NE 165th Lane after a tipster reported that a woman, later identified as Ashley Colon, 26, who was wanted on several warrants, was at the location.
The deputy was able to locate Colon and she was taken into custody without incident.
While in the backseat of the patrol car, she began to complain of stomach pain and stated that she recently had surgery.
Marion County Fire Rescue responded and transported Colon to Advent Health.
While at the hospital, Colon was permitted to use the bathroom. When she entered the bathroom she exited out of the door that was on the other side of the restroom. Colon was able to gain access to a hallway and leave the hospital through the front doors where she hitched a ride from an elderly couple.
A short time later, Deputy Fredette responded to Colon’s residence where she was found standing in the front yard. At that time, she fled on foot and into the woods. She was later found walking along the railroad tracks in the 15700 block of Old Jacksonville Road.
CNN’s Don Lemon And Chris Cuomo share a kiss. Screenshot from CNN video.
A lawsuit filed against the CNN host in late 2019 is still ongoing.
How it started:
CNN host Don Lemon, a man who has been known to berate blacks who support President Donald Trump, was accused of sexual assault on a bartender in New York’s Tony Hamptons last year.
A civil lawsuit was filed earlier this week on August 11, in Suffolk County Court.
On July 15, after closing, Dustin Hice, who was working at The Old Stove Pub in Sagaponack, states that he left with the owner and co-workers to party at another bar, Murf’s Backstreet Tavern, in Sag Harbor.
According to the lawsuit, he saw Lemon there.
Hice said he recognized him and offered to buy him a “lemon drop”, a drink made with vodka, but Lemon refused the drink.
However, Hice said Lemon later approached him.
Hice said Lemon, who is gay, “put his hand down the front of his own shorts, and vigorously rubbed his genitalia, removed his hand and shoved his index and middle fingers into [Hice’s] mustache and under Plaintiff’s nose.”
The lawsuit states that Lemon allegedly asked Hice an indecent question about Hice’s sexual preference.
Hice said the question left him “shocked and humiliated.”
Hice, in the lawsuit, says that Lemon’s demeanor off-camera is much different than the “#metoo” advocate portrays to his viewers. When the cameras are off, Lemon is very disturbing, Hice said in the lawsuit.
CNN is standing behind Lemon. CNN says that Lemon is being attacked and that Hice is trying to extort money from Lemon.
CNN has also accused Hice of attacking Lemon on social media, but Hice says he has never ranted about anyone online.
“I have never ever ranted about anyone, especially a news station. … I am a private, religious man,” said Hice.
Hice’s ex-boss, George Gounelas, has since come forward and stated that he witnessed the incident.
In an interview with Fox News, Gounelas said, “Dustin worked for me as a bartender [and] we went out after work one night. We were standing there and he said, ‘Hey, that’s Don Lemon. Murf’s is a place you go to drink after you’ve been out drinking. We had just gotten off of work. So that’s why we ended up there because we worked in the restaurant business. So by the time everything is done, we can only hit a late-night spot.”
Gounelas says Lemon was drunk, and that Lemon was very vulgar toward Hice.
Gounelas said that Lemon said something to Hice like ‘Do you like me? Is that why you’re bothering me because you wanna fu*k me?'”
Gounelas told Fox News, “He put his hands down his pants, inside his shorts, grabbed his balls, and then came out with two fingers and, like, clipped Dustin’s nose up and down with two fingers asking ‘do you like pu**y or d*ck?”
CNN denies all allegations, however, rumors have circulated that Lemon attempted to “pay off” Hice before he filed a lawsuit.
The Florida Highway Patrol would like all drivers to use caution when traveling in the area of Baseline Road due to a sinkhole.
Southbound lanes are open, however, Northbound lanes on Baseline Road are closed at the railroad crossing at the landfill. Dogwood Road at Baseline is also closed.
Road crews will be in the area.
Environmental and Infrastructure crews will be assessing the damage and will begin repairs as soon as they can. Heavy equipment could be located within the county right-of-way.
Crews will place barricades and signs to direct traffic through the work zones. Travelers should expect delays and use alternate routes when possible. Adverse weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances may affect schedules.
Power has been restored.
FHP would like to remind travelers to obey the posted speed limit and slow down for road crews.
Ocala, Florida — It’s summertime, a drive through Marion Oaks or Silver Springs Shores after 11 p.m. would reveal children by the dozens roaming the streets, many carrying backpacks, and wearing all black clothing in the darkness of the night.
The state of Florida does have a curfew law, but unlike the City of Ocala, Marion County has not adopted the law. Authorities say even though Marion County has not adopted the law, parents should use common sense. For the safety of the children; keep them from walking the streets after dark.
However, the City of Ocala would like to remind parents that the Ocala Police Department does enforce Florida’s curfew.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said that during the summer months when students are out of school, crime does increase. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice said [that] is because, in this day and age, unsupervised juveniles are the most likely to commit a crime. Namely due to a complete lack of supervision and discipline from a child’s parents.
Last summer, OPD responded to multiple calls from businesses in reference to juveniles who had caused a disturbance or disrupted the normal flow of business. Some of the calls involved juveniles as young as 12 who were harassing other patrons within those businesses. And many of the calls came in after midnight.
In all instances, there was no adult supervision present and their behavior was disruptive to other patrons of the businesses as well as the business owners. Once the juveniles were stopped and detained, parents were called to respond and take custody of their children.
Officials said many parents could not pick up their children or simply didn’t care enough to arrive prior to the close of business, therefore the minors had to be transported to OPD headquarters to await pickup.
The City of Ocala adopted Florida’s curfew law for minors, and the law holds the parents responsible for making sure their child/children do not violate this law.
OPD suggests that all parents familiarize themselves with the statute.
Minors prohibited in public places and establishments (without adult supervision) during certain hours; penalty; procedure:
(1)(a) A minor may not be or remain in a public place or establishment between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following day, Sunday through Thursday, except in the case of a legal holiday. (This means unsupervised, without an adult.)
(b) A minor may not be or remain in a public place or establishment between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
(2) A minor who has been suspended or expelled from school may not be or remain in a public place, in an establishment, or within 1,000 feet of a school during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during any school day.
(3) A minor who violates this section shall receive a written warning for her or his first violation. A minor who violates this section after having received a prior written warning is guilty of a civil infraction and shall pay a fine of $50 for each violation.
(4) If a minor violates a curfew and is taken into custody, the minor shall be transported immediately to a police station or to a facility operated by a religious, charitable, or civic organization that conducts a curfew program in cooperation with a local law enforcement agency. After recording pertinent information about the minor, the law enforcement agency shall attempt to contact the parent of the minor and, if successful, shall request that the parent take custody of the minor and shall release the minor to the parent (Depending on the reason the minor was taken into custody).
In the past, business owners and residents alike have expressed their concerns and stated that they feel this matter is a parenting issue. Business owners have made it clear that they will not risk losing business over a disruptive child. Multiple business owners told Ocala Post that if a child/teen is causing an issue that OPD would be notified.
Previously, the owner of an Easy Street restaurant, who did not wish to be identified, said, “This is a parenting issue. I read OP (referring to Ocala Post) and see the posts on the Ocala Police Department’s Facebook page. Many of the crimes in this area are being committed by kids who are not being watched.” He went on to say, “Kids are committing the crimes then the parents cry about it when their children get arrested. If you (referring to parents) don’t want a business to have your child arrested, then do a better job as a parent.”
Parents are being asked to step up and take more responsibility for their children. However, some parents feel their hands are tied and fear being arrested for child abuse if they discipline their children.
In the city limits, the curfew will be enforced and fines will be issued if parents do not take appropriate measures.
A new study shows that chocolate can actually help gout flare-ups by decreasing the level of uric acid in the body as well as offer other health benefits.
Uric acid is a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are normally produced in the body and are also found in some foods and drinks. Foods with a high content of purines include liver, anchovies, mackerel, dried beans and peas, beer, and other grain alcohols.
Chocolate can lower uric acid crystallization and lowering uric acid crystallization can be a lifesaver if a person has ever had the unpleasure of dealing with gout and the pain it brings. In addition to the swelling and pain in the feet, which makes it difficult to walk, gout can also significantly increase blood pressure.
Chocolate has polyphenols associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and gout definitely induces inflammation. When the inflammation is reduced, the pain subsides.
The antioxidants in chocolate could also possibly lower blood pressure and improve kidney function. Although there have been many claims that chocolate helps with kidney function, more research is needed to prove those claims. Kidneys eliminate uric acid from the body. The majority of the time, high uric acid levels in the blood occur when the kidneys do not eliminate the uric acid properly.
Other influences that may cause the kidneys to not properly remove uric acid are rich foods, being overweight, diabetes, taking certain diuretics (sometimes called water pills), and drinking too much grain alcohol. Drinking tomato juice can also cause gout to flare up.
Factors that may cause a high uric acid level in your blood include:
Diuretics (water retention relievers)
Drinking too much alcohol
Genetics (inherited tendencies)
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
Immune-suppressing drugs
Niacin, or vitamin B-3
Obesity
Psoriasis
Purine-rich diet — liver, game meat, anchovies, sardines, gravy, dried beans and peas, mushrooms, and other foods
Renal insufficiency (inability of the kidneys to filter waste)
Tumor lysis syndrome (a rapid release of cells into the blood caused by certain cancers or by chemotherapy for those cancers)
Also, you may be monitored for high uric acid levels when undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer.
Chocolate also reportedly can affect moods…in a happy way.
Additionally, eating chocolate may also have the following benefits:
lowering cholesterol levels
preventing cognitive decline
reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems
Fetal growth and development
Oxygen levels during workouts
According to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Atlanta, GA., Eating 30g (about one ounce) of chocolate every day during pregnancy might benefit fetal growth and development.
However, there is a catch to all of this chocolate eating.
It is mostly chocolate that is not filled with added sugar and sweeteners that offer some of these benefits and help people with gout.
Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health. Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on earth. Multiple clinical studies show that dark chocolate (not the sugary garbage) can improve health and even lower the risk of heart disease.
Chocolate that has zero sugar and many health benefits is cacao nibs and unsweetened cocoa powder.
White chocolate does not count and is not even recognized as real chocolate since it does not contain much of the cocoa or chocolate solids found in milk or dark chocolate.
Light (milk chocolate) vs. dark chocolate nutrients
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Rule of thumb is that the darker the chocolate, the higher the concentration of cocoa, therefore, according to studies, the higher the level of antioxidants there will be in the chocolate bar.
If you can stomach it, 100 percent unsweetened chocolate is the best, health-wise.
On Friday, a paper delivery man reported that two males followed him through a neighborhood while in their vehicle and fired paintballs at him and his vehicle.
According to reports, the two juveniles also attempted to run the man off the road and eventually crashed into his car. Following the crash, the two juveniles fled the scene.
Deputies arrested Tamalvin Grady, 17, and Jason Coburn, 15. During the arrest, authorities found the paintball gun and some marijuana.
Both juveniles now face felony charges of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and one count of Shooting a Missile into a Dwelling, Vehicle, Building, or Aircraft. Additionally, they will be charged with leaving the scene of a crash.
Summerfield, Florida — Two teens, Justin Ackley, 17, and Dylan Pilcher, 18, were arrested Thursday after they were accused of shooting paintballs from a moving vehicle.
On Wednesday, victims reported that they had been shot with paintballs by two suspects driving a car. One victim was struck in the head and the other victim was struck the leg and calf. One of the paintballs broke the skin on the second victim.
Pilcher was essentially named as a suspect and confessed when questioned. Pilcher also told the deputies that Ackley was involved. Pilcher stated that he drove the vehicle while Ackley did the shooting.
Ackley and Pilcher were arrested and charged with two counts each of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and one count of Shooting a Missile into a Dwelling, Vehicle, Building, or Aircraft.
The Ocala Police Department is looking into other cases that may involve the teens.
A Summerfield woman who boards horses for other people said someone killed a 7-year-old female quarter horse.
According to the woman, when she had fed the horses on May 28 all horses were accounted for. However, when she went to feed them the next day she noticed one was missing.
The woman began searching the property for the horse and discovered its dismembered body.
This is just one of many horses that have gone missing and have been slaughtered across Florida in the last 12 months.
If you have any information, please call (352) 732-9111 Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, or Tipsters can visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com. Anonymity is guaranteed.
[Last updated on June 18, 2020. Approximately two weeks after this article was published, and after Ocala Post refused to take down the article, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has now blocked the use of the plugin mentioned below.]
Many who have applied for unemployment since the “outbreak” of COVID-19 still have not received any benefits.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the governor has promised a fix for the website but has struggled to deliver on that promise.
Due to traffic issues, you may have noticed that those who oversee the connect.myflorida.com website have implemented a virtual waiting queue. The queue displays a bar that seemingly never moves.
Reader Jim Collins asked, “Do they think just because we lost our jobs that we have time to sit in front of the computer for hours to watch a progress bar?”
The good news is that there is a way to bypass that annoying script on the state website.
While you have the Chrome browser open, simply go to the vertical ellipsis (three dots stacked in the upper right-hand corner). Left-click, then go to more tools, then extensions.
Once there, type in NoScript (see photo). Install that plugin and you will be able to log right into the website with no issues. The plugin/addon can also be used with Firefox. The extension can be uninstalled at any time.
NOTE: You should uninstall the script after you are finished with it as it might prevent other features required to run scripts from working on other websites as well as Facebook.
Starting June 1, the following saltwater fisheries will open or close to harvest:
Gag grouper opens for recreational harvest in most state Gulf of Mexico waters and all federal Gulf waters (season-opening does not include Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor and Jefferson counties, which opened April 1, nor Monroe County, which follows the Atlantic state season and opened May 1.)
Snook closes for recreational harvest in Atlantic state and federal waters.
Greater amberjack closes for recreational harvest in Gulf state and federal waters.
If you plan to fish for gag grouper in Gulf state or federal waters (excluding Monroe County) from a private recreational vessel, you must sign up as a Gulf Reef Fish Angler (annual renewal is required) before July 1 or as a State Reef Fish Angler after July 1.
Lana Van, 17, Mark A. Velez-Amador, 24, and Thaddeous A. Warrington, 19
A man who Kissimmee officials say was involved in a shooting was found dead after a brush fire in Ocala.
Osceola County deputies said Mark Velez-Amador, 24, Thaddeous Warrington, 19, and Lana Van, 17, were also involved in the shooting.
Osceola County deputies were dispatched to Bonita Circle in Kissimmee on Saturday at approximately 2 a.m following reports of a shooting.
Deputies said when they arrived, there was evidence that someone had been shot, but they could not find the victim or anyone else who may have been involved at the scene.
The next morning, Ocala Police Department officers responded to a brush fire in the Cala Hills area and that is when they discovered the body of Malik Brown.
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Malik Brown
On Sunday morning, Daytona Beach police stopped a red 2015 Toyota Camry occupied by the three individuals who had already been named as suspects.
Amador and Warrington were arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder. Van is being charged as an Accessory After the Fact.
Van had been reported missing by her family a day after the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-407-348-2222.
Starting Friday, shoppers in Florida can avoid paying sales taxes while putting together disaster-preparation stockpiles for the 2020 hurricane season.
During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax. The sales tax holiday does not apply to: • the rental or repair of any of the qualifying items listed below • sales in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport
Florida lawmakers included the disaster-preparation tax holiday in a $47.7 million tax package (HB 7097) approved in March. The $5.6 million tax holiday begins on Friday, May 29, 2020, and ends on Thursday, June 4, 2020.
During that time, shoppers will be able to avoid paying sales taxes on items such as reusable ice packs, flashlights, and lanterns, gasoline and diesel fuel containers, coolers, batteries, radios, and tarps. Some restrictions may apply.
The biggest-ticket items are portable generators as long as they cost $750 or less.
For a complete list of items included in the tax-free sale as well as restrictions on those items, click here.
UPDATE: [A previous version of this article stated that Shealy was not disciplined. HR for MCFR stated on May 27, that he was suspended for one shift following the date of his arrest.]
Domestic violence victim Nicole Leinas said it was hard to come out with her story because of victim shaming.
Leinas said that she was engaged to be married to MCFR firefighter Jason Shealy after being in a relationship for eight years and shamefully allowed the abuse to happen because she thought Shealy would change.
When the abuse got worse she said she finally mustered up the courage to file an injunction against him.
Shealy was arrested on May 16 after he violated the domestic violence injunction.
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Jason Shealy
Leinas said that after the injunction was filed, Shealy had once told her he would do whatever it takes to get back at her.
Leinas provided photos that she says illustrates just a small percentage of the abuse she endured. Some of the photos cannot be shared.
She said there were times she had to call into to work due to injuries to her face or because the emotional abuse had taken a toll on her mentally. Additionally, she said that when she found out that Shealy had had multiple affairs and confronted him that the abuse got worse.
“While some of the abuse was physical, including being hit in the face and even choked, a lot of what I endured was emotional and verbal abuse,” said Leinas. She went on to say, “He used to scream at me, call me a whore, told me my face was ‘fu**ed up, told me what a worthless piece of s**t I was and that I was a waste of a human. He used to spit in my face. When I got pregnant and had my daughter he told me I needed to lose weight.”
Leinas, who is a nurse, said, “I didn’t want to be a statistic and have a broken family. All I ever tried to do was help him. I stood by him through his addiction and wanted him to get better. I wanted him to get off the drugs. All of my efforts backfired in my face.”
Leinas said she has never been the type of person to get into trouble much less an altercation. She said but most recently she put herself in a situation that landed her in jail. She said that on that particular day, Shealy had not let her speak to her daughter all day and refused to put her on the phone. She said she ended up driving to Shealy’s house because she knows the type of person he is, who he hangs around, and was afraid for her daughter.
She said Shealy did not want her to come over, but she did not feel she had a choice. Once there, she said Shealy told her that he would call someone to make her leave. That person was a former corrections officer. She said when Shealy’s “friend” showed up that an altercation ensued and she was charged with misdemeanor battery.
“While I have never been in trouble and was so embarrassed, I would do it again if I felt my daughter was in danger,” said Leinas.
Before the incident, Leinas said she talked to the HR director at MCFR and was treated like a criminal. She said she was told that MCFR always hears stories from women who try and make false accusations against other firefighters. She said they told her it was her word against his.
“I even provided them with the photos of my injuries that were a result of the abuse,” said Leinas. She went on to say, “Shealy told his supervisors that the injuries were self-inflicted.”
Leinas said, “One of the injuries is from where he bit me on the face. It is not even possible to bite myself on the face.”
MCFR Human Resources Director Amanda Tart told Ocala Post that they know Shealy was arrested and are aware of the allegations. Tart said they are investigating and Shealy was suspended for one shift following the date of his arrest. He has since returned to full duty.
“I have been victim shamed, laughed at, accused of self-inflicting my injuries, and received hateful messages,” said Leinas. Adding, “I believe a woman should not have to be scared to come forward. A woman who has been abused, especially by someone who works as a public servant, should be able to exercise her rights.”
Leinas said, “I feel like the agency is just protecting its own and that is another reason I was scared to come forward…the good old boy network.”
Leinas, with tears running down her face, said, “I have been told that I must have deserved it and that I must have been the instigator. That is wrong on so many levels. Yes, I made the biggest mistake and stayed. I allowed my emotions of not wanting a broken family to cloud my judgment, but I did not deserve it by any means.”
She said that there are those who have turned a blind eye to the abuse even after she spoke up. She said certain family members acted like it never happened even when it was witnessed.
“Family should not turn their back on you,” said Leinas. “If there is something to take from all of this it’s that I want other women to know that they can have a voice. No matter who the abuser is, you can have a voice, use your rights, and speak up.”
Shealy could not be reached for comment.
The State Attorney’s Office said that they could not comment because the investigation is ongoing.
Exotic Pet Amnesty Days are events held periodically around the state to provide the opportunity for people to surrender their exotic pets free of charge with no penalties. Exotic Pet Amnesty Days are free and everyone is welcome to attend.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that even though Exotic Pet Amnesty Day events have been canceled due to COVID-19, the agency can still help find a new home for your exotic pet. Pet owners never have to attend an event to participate in the program.
Due to the high volume of pond turtles surrendered, red-eared sliders, yellow-bellied sliders, cooters, chicken turtles, and redbelly turtles will NOT be accepted at Exotic Pet Amnesty Day events (unless specifically arranged by the FWC).
Contact our Exotic Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (483-4681).
FWC is also accepting applications for new adopters! If you are an experienced pet owner and have room in your home for a new pet, please consider adopting through the program. See the applications below.
According to detectives, on May 20, 2019, Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call for service in reference to a two-month-old infant who was unresponsive. First responders on the scene discovered that the infant was having difficulty breathing and that, prior to arrival, the infant had stopped breathing altogether.
Detectives said that as the infant was being stabilized and EMS arranged for transport to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, however, the child succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
A year later, investigators arrested 33-year-old firefighter Jose Dorta III. He has worked for the Citrus County Fire Rescue for three years.
When EMS responded to Dorta’s home that day, they reported that they found the infant unresponsive, not breathing, and gray in color.
The very next day, May 21, 2019, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Wendy Lavezzi immediately found that the infant died from “blunt force trauma.”
Lavezzi reported that the infant suffered extensive blunt force trauma to the infant’s head, bleeding along the spine and eye nerves, and a broken left rib and fractured thigh bone that had already started to heal. This indicated that the child had previously been beaten.
Lavezzi determined that the cause of death was a homicide, according to court records,
Dorta denied any wrongdoing and denied moving his son from where he had been sleeping after his wife left.
During the investigation, it was determined that the mother left the home at approximately 7:15 p.m. to go to the gym after Dorta had returned home from work. A short time later, as captured on a nanny cam, the baby started crying. Moments later, Dorta is seen crying and pacing back and forth while carrying his son.
Dorta called his wife at 7:32 p.m and told her that their son was having trouble breathing. Dorta did not call 911 until 8:24, according to court records.
Dorta tried to convince investigators that the child was already having trouble breathing before his wife left.
Based on evidence from the nanny cam and medical examiner’s report, Dorta was charged with Aggravated Manslaughter and Child Neglect.
Rule of thumb is that the darker the chocolate, the higher the concentration of cocoa, therefore, according to studies, the higher the level of antioxidants there will be in the chocolate bar.
