An unusually pronounced series of unrelated domestic and neighborhood issues, including a stabbing at European Village, resulted in the arrest of 5 people in Palm Coast between Friday and Tuesday.
The stabbing was apparently the result of a drug deal gone wrong. When cops arrived at the European Village apartment on the fourth floor Friday night (July 20), they saw Homer Winans, 35, and Vitaly Tsabak, 23—neither a stranger to arrests and previous bookings at the Flagler County jail—with blood on their faces, clothing and arms, according to a police report.
Tsabak told police that he and friends had been at Lollipops, the Daytona Beach strip joint, before going to a friend’s place to party, when he went to an apartment on the fourth floor—and was followed by Winans, who then claimed Tsabak owed him $30 “for hanging out together.” Tsabak didn’t have the money. They argued. Homer, Tsabak claims pulled out a small knife with a 3-inch blade and allegedly attacked him, according to the report. The two wrestled and were separated by witnesses. Tsabak had a two-inch laceration behind his left ear and a half-inch laceration under his left arm, “consistent with being cut by the knife recovered on the scene,” the report states.
Tsabak wouldn’t tell cops what the $30 debt was about and asked for an attorney. A witness who’d been with both men at Lollipops earlier, however, told police that the fight was over $100 and the purchase of illegal drugs, according to the report. Winans told police that he’d been picked up at McCharacter’s in Palm Coast earlier and hadn’t gone to Daytona Beach. According to the report, he told police that he’d given Tsabak $100 to buy cocaine. Tsabak allegedly told him he’d do so in an apartment on the second floor, telling Winans to stay in the parking lot.
Winans eventually went to the apartment in question, found it vacant, then chased down Tsabak, who by then said he did not have the money. Winans blames Tsabak for pulling out the knife, but four witnesses told police Winans had done so—and that they’d restrained him until cops arrived at the scene. Winans, who was also injured—his mug shot shows him with blood marks on his scalp—was treated at Florida Hospital Flagler then booked at the Flagler County jail on an aggravated battery charge. He was still in jail Wednesday, on $2,500 bond. He’d been booked there in 2010 on an oxycodone trafficking charge.
Tsabak was arrested four times in 2011 on various charges, including illegally carrying a concealed weapon, dealing in stolen property, burglary, criminal mischief and theft.
The unusual spike in domestic and neighborhood violence began on Monday, with 50-year-old Patrick Bray allegedly attacking his 17-year-old step-daughter over a cigarette. Bray, of 57 Brigadoon Lane in Palm Coast, told police his step-daughter “was upset with him because he wouldn’t provide her with a cigarette, at which time she put a cigarette out in his bowl of food and then started to punch him” according to a police report. He said he reacted in self-defense. The report also notes that the girl had been drinking, and that a witness heard Patrick pummeling her and attempting to kick her in the ribs by the time the witness was pulling him off of the 17 year old. Bray was charged with child abuse and released on $1,500 bail.
The same day, on Eric Drive, Christopher Lumbert, 37, and his 40-year-old wife Marsha had just returned from a difficult session with a marriage counselor, a sheriff’s report states, when they began to argue.
“Marsha stated that while both parties were on the back porch of their residence,” the report relates, “Christopher threw a drinking glass in her direction and that the water in the glass hit her in the face and also her upper body.” No wonder, Marsha then told her husband, that his ex-wife had filed for divorce, the report states, who then allegedly raised a chair over his head and ran toward her yelling, “how dare you” (according to the report).
At some point, Marsha told police, the chair hit her on the right hand, and Christopher “brushed his shoulder against her causing her to stumble back,” the report states, eliciting a warning from her that he not touch her again or she’d call police. “Bitch,” Christopher replied—according to the police report—“if I had really pushed you would have really known it and been laid out flat on your ass.” Throughout the incident, the couple’s 3-year-old son was asleep in another room. Marsha told police that her husband’s “violent past” and his actions that evening rendered her in fear for her life.
Lumbert was booked on a battery domestic violence charged. He posted $5,000 bail.
The same evening on Llewellyn Trail, Ki’eira Woods, a 24-year-old resident of Burroughs Drive in Palm Coast, was arrested on a battery charge after Marciana Logu, 21, accused her of attacking her while she was buckled in a car and couldn’t defend herself. Logu’s boyfriend was in the residence at 35 Llewellyn Trail when Woods allegedly attacked her, pummeling her and pulling off clumps of hair. Logu had a golf ball-size lump on her forehead and swollen and bruised upper lip, according to a police report.
Dale Galvin, the victim’s 25-year-old boyfriend, told police he hadn’t witnessed the incident, but that Woods and he are parents to a child, and Woods doesn’t like Logu because of Galvin’s and her interracial relationship. According to Woods, it was Logu who provoked the fight when Logu spat in her direction and “mushed” her (placing two fingers together and pushing them against her forehead). “Woods,” the police report states, “retaliated by slapping Logu with an open-hand slap to Logu’s face” as both fell into the passenger seat of the vehicle. “She then explained that she was on top of Logu hitting her and pulling her hair at that time because she was mad about Logu” by then.
The rest of the night was apparently calmer around Palm Coast. But the following night violence flared at 6 Prairie Lane, where 21-year-old Nicole Stoner told police that her fiancé, 23-year-old Bryan Leonard, had kept “texting her and harassing her” through she was at a friend’s house just three minutes away—with her fiancé’s 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son, according to a police report. The couple had been arguing for a couple of days. When Stoner got home, she put the children to bed, and the couple started arguing. She alleges that Leonard hit her four times in the face before she tried to defend herself. Police noted that she was bleeding from the right ear when cops showed up, but she refused medical attention.
Deputies noted no signs of injuries on Leonard, who told them that she’d come home intoxicated, screamed at him, slapped, punched and spat in his face. Leonard was placed under arrest. As he was searched, deputies found prescription pills for which he had no prescriptions. He was booked into jail on a battery domestic violence charge and a charge of possessing a controlled substance without a prescription. He posted $6,000 bond.
Magnolia says
This is what European Village has become on the weekends. If they don’t clean it out, stop it now, it will become a slum.
Jocona says
Become a slum??? Its already a slum, its to late!!! I wouldn’t walk my dog there let alone go there!!!
Waste says
There is nothing wrong with Palm Coast, it is a beautiful place!
Clint says
Why is it all the white boys involved in criminal activity have no hair ? Maybe their just getting use to how it will be in state prison. Bye Bye !
Outsider says
And people wonder why I liked Palm Coast better as a retirement community. The place has become a real crap hole.
winny says
Has Palm Coast given any thought to creating thier own Police Department? Not that Flagler County is doing a bad job. But, there is such a thing called preventative policing. Having law enforcement detailed to Plam Coast would take care of a lot of these infractions due to higher officer involvement in the area. Just a thought. But, much smaller communities have police departments. Maybe neighbor-watch programs?
Winny
Umm says
Palm Coast residents would throw a fit if the idea of a police dept arose. They complain now about having to a few extra dollars added to their taxes!! Imagine what it would be if PC had to fund a whole police dept. Palm Coast has no one but themselves to blame for the riff raff and trash that has moved in and is now taking over.
Geezer says
Wow, what a mistake I made building my home here.
I lived in NYC and hated the way people behaved over there, the crime, the pushy ways….
Goodness gracious, these people followed me here. It’s getting like NYC here (without the jobs).
It’s time to move again, it’s too crowded here now, with far too many lowlives.
And these stories are only the tip of the iceberg. The rat race has arrived here, with new rats arriving daily.
What a shame, I remember Palm Coast before it became a city. Seems like aeons ago that this was a friendly, laid back place.
Lock your doors. Lock and load.
booperz says
Amen….
confused says
Exactly! Everyone from up north (NY, NJ, etc) all moved to Palm Coast… what did you expect?! I was born and raised here and it was never like this until these last few years.
BeachGuy says
Yes, Palm Coast is a beautiful place…but as long as it struggles to bring decent jobs to the area, there will always be crime. On the flip side, even if there were jobs…the 2 men in this article would most likely NOT qualify for them. I laughed when I read about Winans being picked up at McCharacters, exactly why I don’t go there anymore. Palm Coast = beautiful during the day, scary at night…which is why I go to bed at 9pm.
palmcoaster says
Stop bashing the European Village, please. These criminals are causing havoc everywhere in this county.
The EV is a very nice place to enjoy and have a meal close to home almost walking distance and was a very good conceived idea. We enjoy ourselves lunching, dining or shopping there when we can and never have
witnessed any unpleasant incidents. Is like having a small old town St. Augustine right here in Palm Coast.
What can we expect when even the FCSO takes some trouble maker along to further give a bad wrap to the place? Lets blame the individuals that deserve it and not our European Village
Anonymous says
European Village is no more. Unfortunately it has become a dump absolutely neglected. Last time I was there was over a year ago and you saw everything falling apart. People selling drugs at night in plain sight!
I would never go there again. Upstairs condos selling at 30,000? What kind of people are buying these condos? People the are BROKE!
Lefty Loon says
America has turned into a cesspool. You know what you get on you when you swim in those things. Want to blame anyone, go home and look in the mirror. The whole American culture is rotting from the inside out. Want to stop it? Good luck.
Dorothea says
@Winny
Discussions about a Palm Coast Police Department were going on for a long time. They stopped abruptly after the economic downturn. For years the city of Palm Coast paid millions of dollars for “extra” patrols in Palm Coast (check the city budget). Legally they are not obligated to do so. Why it continues you will have to ask the City Council. However, IMO, it is and always has been a waste of Palm Coast taxpayers dollars. I suspect that any “extra” money paid by Palm Coast, should Fleming remain in office, will be used to offset Fleming’s million dollar budget reduction.
Winny says
Dorothea,
I have been in law enforcement for a very long time, and have seen the changes that take place in crime reduction with a solid, well-run police department in place. Without bashing the sheriffs department, and with all due respect to them because they do a honorable job, they are overworked and understaffed to take care of the entire county, plus a city the size of Palm Coast. Their resources may not be able to support both in a time when the economy brings out the worst in people. Also, it is clearly shown that a community that has its own safety services is a safer community, and the citizens retain a higher level of pride and distinction.
As far as costs go to start and maintain a police department, there are grants avalible for this purpose, and the last figures I read on the percentage of stoplight camera money going back to the company that installed them, Palm Coast could do better with a police department and a few deticated officers.
Thank you for the reply
Winny
Dorothea says
@Ummm
Financing a Palm Coast police department is not all that expensive, although probably this is not the right time in view of deficits that we are facing. Palm Coast already pays millions of dollars to the FCSO for additional patrols. Also, a PD can be financed through a special taxing district that would remove the taxes paid by residents of Palm Coast for the law enforcement part of the FCSO and instead gives the tax money to a local police department. I think that this process is known as an MTSU.
JL says
I do hate to read about these types of crimes going on in PC. I would expect it in Daytona, but PC used to be a nice, family town. Now with the economic downturn, people are renting out their homes to anyone for such cheap rent. That brings this type into the community. We need more police officers. Not necessarily our own police dept. And how about stiffer punishments for people. Put them in jail and leave them there for awhile.
elaygee says
Domestic Violence has nothing to do with crimes against strangers or property. It happens in “nice” neighborhoods and even in “real fancy” neighborhoods. We tolerate it as long as we can’t see it.
As for the criminal druggies, they get out of prison on prior convictions too quick.
Flagler Native says
Honestly IMO..if Flagler County is this bad just imagine how bad it is elsewhere in other parts of the country. These types of offenses are really minor in comparison.
Calvin says
As the heat of summer increases so does the rage in society. As the politicians argue and lie so do the citizens who have to hear their political BS. As the media vomits their political correctness 24 hours a day so do the youth of America who believe they most “Occupy” to get on the 6 oclock news. As the government shames those who seek god so grows the atheist views and its ” I don’t care about nobody but me” attitudes. As the planet wars over land, politics and religions so the population loses its mental sanity !
JOHN R. says
Thank you for that lengthy article about that problem in the EV, and similar stories about the changing demographics in P.C. One does not read this in the News-Journal or in the local paper which overflows with optimism and feel-good stories and which neglects such stories. I think the latter is simply waiting to be bought by the other paper as it recently purchased a number of local papers.
Eric says
I know Vitaly, I used to go to college with him and we used to hang out quite a bit up until about a year ago. It seems like he got sucked into drugs really bad and became a habitual thief, and this is what it brought him, multiple arrests and a stabbing. Hopefully he cleans his life up and goes back to school, it sucks seeing someone with so much potential go so far down the drain.
d says
European village is a dump, and has been for awhile. If you go there at night its filled with every wanna be gangster and thug in Flagler County, dont waste your time or money going to this place.
palmcoaster says
Latest I learned is that vandals have also destroyed some stand alone bathrooms in the middle of Palm Harbor Golf Course…Is not the fault of the Golf Course…but instead of these unsupervised kids and the lack of sufficient patrolling of our community by the FCSO…as well. Too many chiefs at handsome compensations and too few indians to do the real work around our community.
European Village is NO DUMP, but one of the NICEST PLACES at walking/cycling distance for many of us in our community.
Anonymous says
If you walk and ride during the day BUT at night, carry a weapon!
NativeFloridian says
Ya’ll blame it on whatever you want – I say that the increase in crime is due to all the nasty people from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania (what we call “Tri-Staters”) moving down here. I’ve lived in Florida my entire life, and anytime one of our towns experiences a boom in growth due to Tri-Staters, the crime rate soars. It’s the same reason Flagler County has been experiencing deadly automobile accidents as of late – damn Yanks don’t know how to drive proper!