The pamphlets, many of them scrunched up and packaged in plastic Easter eggs with fish crackers and other enigmatic objects, began appearing in people’s boxes around Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and the Hammock last Sunday. And kept appearing. The telltale sign was the raised flag on mailboxes.
On Wednesday, the mystery was apparently solved when 42-year-old Abril Cestoni, a resident of 1 Princess Place in Palm Coast and an employee at Publix in the Hammock, was pulled over as she drove with a box-full of the pamphlet, and admitted to deputies she was the distributor. Her reason: she was seeking to inform the public about problems with the local clergy, which she said employs homosexuals and doesn’t take care of the elderly.
Because of the coronavirus public health emergency, the sheriff’s office had been concerned that the person distributing the pamphlets, wrapped in other materials, may have been intentionally spreading Covid-19. Cestoni said she did not have symptoms of the disease and was not attempting to spread it. (Up to a quarter of carriers of the virus do not show symptoms, according to recent research.)
Rick de Yampert, FlaglerLive’s culture writer, found one of the packages in his mailbox in Seminole Woods this morning. “The flyer was folded in half with its pornographic photos and text visible, and a small clear plastic bag was stapled to the flyer,” he said. “The plastic bag included a folded paper towel, a Q-tip, and ripped pages from a small Bible. One of the pages is a “red-letter” edition, in which the direct quotes of Jesus are in red letters – although that page has no indication of what book of the Bible it is from. Smaller ripped pages included a corner from Hebrews 11:23 and Acts 5:4.” The small yet clearly discernible photos include five hard-core depictions of heterosexual and gay sex, with two small photos that seem to be of nuns. In the middle of the flyer is a photo of a middle-aged Caucasian man in the center of what may be a condom. (The original flyer is here. Caution: explicit.)
Deputies got a break in the case Wednesday night when a resident of Hernandez Avenue in the Hammock reported seeing a grey vehicle parked in front of her mailbox, then drive off toward 16th Road. When the resident retrieved the material left in the mailbox, it was an orange Easter egg with the same sort of materials found in other mailboxes, including a goldfish cracker, a strawberry drink mix, a piece of toilet paper, and two explicit images.
By April 4, sheriff’s deputies had determined that the likely vehicle the suspect was driving was a Honda Civic from around 2004 or 2005. They subsequently concluded that the vehicle would be in the R Section. (The sheriff’s office has a network of license-plate readers and is linked in to Palm Coast’s traffic signals, which also have live video capabilities.) They located the Honda traveling on Belle Terre Parkway, and pulled it over at Whiteview Parkway.
There they were, in plain view: pamphlets identical to those found in mailboxes on Hernandez Avenue, stacked in a cardboard box. Cestoni was asked to step out and was read her Miranda warning.
According to Cestoni’s arrest report, she confessed to distributing the pamphlets for several days. She told deputies “she was aware the pamphlets contained obscene pornographic images, because she created the pamphlet on a power point program,” but said she “included the images because homosexuals are allowed to teach in the church.” She said she was conducting research on local clergy and people deserved to know the truth, and “made several incoherent statements and rants about the church and local clergy.”
A deputy specifically asked her about demands made in her pamphlets–demands that local clergy pay back their salaries to the public–and whether she intended to harm anyone if her demands were not met. She said she did not, and that she was “a church” herself, and has a business license. She does not. Six years ago she attempted to start a business called Cestoni’s Pizzeria, but it went nowhere. She also faces child-support delinquency charges.The text in Cestoni’s pamphlets echoed her incoherence with deputies. A headline in one of her pamphlets reads: “Flagler County religious leaders’ state of cognitivism and their psychosis’ ” followed by huge letters that read “Healing with marijuana.” The text, reproduced here exactly as it appeared in the pamphlets, continues: “Weed’s surprising impact on dementia and other health issues. With just a click in payment of 29% of your take-home check as church donation, you have assisted your idolized Pastor and their staff members to pay for their unlegalized medication… For themselves and partners… While you and your family are running out of toilet paper.
“Religious leaders and their respective students: ‘I shall not adore toilet paper as Jesus with a St. Mary and St. Joseph on a Yehowah steak . . .’” The ellipses are in the original text. “A net for a realty… A wood for a net … A sham for a man of he… A Christian son for the creator… Perhaps religious leaders you should stop dancing with wolves and become God’s post man to complete the task undertaken.” And so on.
She faces 11 counts of distributing obscene materials, a count of driving on a suspended license and a count of violating health-safety measures during a declared disaster.
“Our team did a great job in tracking this deranged offender down and taking her into custody,” Sheriff Rick Staly was quoted as saying in a release issued this morning. “Thankfully she did not appear to be sick with COVID-19 symptoms, but she certainly needs some help. This again proves that ‘see something, say something’ works and we thank the community for being part of our guardianship policing philosophy.”
ASF says
Possible poster child for Bi-Polar Disorder or some other Brain Disorder. I hope she gets a psych evaluation.
Random says
Oh thank god,I can now sleep at night knowing the world is safe now.
Cynthia says
I shall not adore toilet paper, I shall not adore toilet paper, I shall not adore toilet paper…😂
Don says
One ounce of High Grade Marijuana is being traded in New York City
For a two week supply of Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin !
Col Bob says
My Self-Isolation Quarantine Diary
Day 1 – I Can Do This!! Got enough food and wine to last a month!
Day 2 – Opening my 8th bottle of Wine. I fear wine supplies might not last!
Day 3 – Strawberries: Some have 210 seeds, some have 235 seeds. Who Knew??
Day 4 – 8:00pm. Removed my Day Pajamas and put on my Night Pajamas
Day 5 – Today, I tried to make Hand Sanitizer. It came out as Jello Shots!!
Day 6 – I get to take the Garbage out. I’m So excited, I can’t decide what to wear.
Day 7 – Laughing way too much at my own jokes!!
Day 8 – Went to a new restaurant called “The Kitchen”. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have No clue how this place is still in business.
Day 9 – I put liquor bottles in every room. Tonight, I’m getting all dressed up and going Bar hopping.
Day 10 – Struck up a conversation with a Spider today. Seems nice. He’s a Web Designer.
Day 11 – Isolation is hard. I swear my fridge just said, “What the hell do you want now?”
Day 12 – I realized why dogs get so excited about something moving outside, going for walks or car rides. I think I just barked at a squirrel
Day 13 – If you keep a glass of wine in each hand, you can’t accidently touch your face.
Day 14 – Watched the birds fight over a worm. The Cardinals lead the Blue Jays 3–1.
Day 15 – Anybody else feel like they’ve cooked dinner about 395 times this month?
Concerned Citizen says
Perhaps she’s behind these as well:
https://flaglerlive.com/113237/weird-flier/
MRC says
Wow! I hope they Baker acted her. She obviously needs serious help. But I do think she needs to be prosecuted for distribution of pornographic material. Thank you FCSO for tracking her down and getting her off the streets.
Sherry says
This poor woman obviously needs psychological help. Just the kind of person who should NOT have access to any kind of gun. I hope a family member or loved one will make sure she is treated.
Howard Beale says
First, thanks to all the first responders during this difficult time we’re in. I’m sure deputies have their hands full with COVID-19 related issues and I appreciate taking the time to find this person. With that said;
1.) According to USPS, “By law, a mailbox is intended only for receipt of postage-paid U.S. Mail.” In other words, unless there was a stamp on her propaganda, each mailbox opened is a federal offense. Why no charge in regards to this? She’s not the only one opening mailboxes from time to time. This should stop.
2) Hopefully deputies are investigating or ruling out the possibility of others involved. My mailbox in the F section was a target of a similar “religious” flyer on March 12th at 11pm. Though the double sided flyer contained zero adult content, the font used was the same as the flyer pictured in the article. It was about as creepy as all the random tinted out vehicles parked at intersections around here.
3) In this case the, “sheriff’s office has a network of license-plate readers” that was used to help locate this person. Again, I’m thankful the police found this lady but the fact that this network of draconian surveillance tech even exists here is a major privacy overreach. I was born and raised in America and proud of the freedoms that were handed to us by the generations that came before us. I find it offensive that LE can use examples like this to justify the use of mounting license plate readers to poles at intersections. Geofencing the public far exceeds a reasonable expectation of privacy and is in my opinion, un-American. If license plate readers were not used, law enforcement would have most likely found this lady another way. How do we know someone sitting on the Board of County Commissioners isn’t secretly requesting the use of this technology to keep tabs on all the “liberals” due to some crazed political agenda? Mullins has already publicly expressed, “Flagler county is a TRUMP county. Love it or leave!” as well as “Rather it be a bus, train or plane we can accommodate. And send them to a Part of the world that already welcome socialism.” The possibilities are endless. Just like Joe’s previous statements, license plate readers are not in line with the freedoms that made this nation so different from any other authoritarian regime. Lastly, the LPR’s in our community may likely have been installed and operated by a private company called “Vigilant Solutions.” Where else does all your data go as you pass through one of these? Find out for yourselves on EFF.org.
Lauren Gilliam says
This was my thought exactly. I hope she gets the care she needs and not more public humiliation.
FlaglerBear says
I found the “abuse” of toilet paper aspect really disturbing here. Clearly that should be a felony.
L says
I got one in my mailbox in Bunnell. So this is what the crazies do around here when their bored.
palmcoaster says
Now they need to catch the Grand Heaven blond walking her white dog sneezing or coughing intentionally on passerby’s and the brunette on her 20’s intentionally sneezing in the open fresh meat case and then saying it “that will do it” and laughing of her prank about 2 weeks ago in the Island Walk Publix. To jail with anyone pulling that type of dangerous prank…
Me says
She obviously needs help, because what she did is the true signs of a nut job. I hope Publix did the right thing and let her go and gave her job to someone that appreciates it.
Pogo says
@Lauren Gilliam said, “…not more public humiliation.”
Best comment – period.
Pogo says
@Sherry said, “…Just the kind of person who should NOT have access to any kind of gun…”
Most useful comment – period.
Sherry said, “…I hope a family member or loved one will make sure she is treated.”
“Msabu’s bleeding. She does not have this ox. This lion is hungry. He does not have this ox. This wagon is heavy. It doesn’t have this ox. God is happy, msabu. He plays with us.”
– Malick Bowens as Farah in the 1985 film Out of Africa
Name (required) says
Try to drive on an expired tag (yes, a minor tax formality) and they’ll be waiting for you as you come home. Literally waiting to pull you over. Had an illegal stop driving my dads vehicle (registered, insured) and was pulled over because HIS license is revoked due to stroke. My license is fine. Why was I stopped for no infraction?? “Oh just checking.” Meh. This is a full on police state county. They think it’s cute. I think it’s overreach. Bored boys in blue ‘round here.
Mary Fusco says
Humiliation? Who the heck cares. If I received one of these arsehole eggs, I would throw it in the garbage. Just trying to stay alive these days is exhausting. Everyone wants their 15 minutes including the criminals and the so called victims. Get a life people.
Marky says
I met her whilst shopping at the Hammock Publix – she worked as a cashier. I found her to be intelligent, engaging, somewhat beguiling and in need of hair coloring. Who knew? Who cares. You can bet Carl Hiaasen clipped this story and she’ll turn up (or a character thereof) in his next “bizarre Florida” novel…
Name (required) says
Meh, Maybe? but this is more of a “standard fare “
for this demographic, sadly. ~ 11 year observer.
Name (required) says
Again. As stated before, town is full of transient whack jobs. Mental health should be the UTMOST priority in the town. Lots of lost “stragglers” find their way here. Somehow…
Penelope says
She does have a lot of family. She have three kids and yes she is sick and I’m praying to God that she’ll get help