Pairing evidence from a burglary on South Central Avenue in Flagler Beach with the recovery of a stolen truck in the city, Flagler Beach detective Rosanna Vinci’s investigation led to the arrests of Jesann L. Willis, 35, and Rickley Joshua Senning, 32, in Washington., D.C., last week. They were wanted for armed burglaries in several states.
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Palm Coast Woman, 39, Accused of Attempting to Set Ex-Boyfriend on Fire and Burn His Home Down
Melanie Botts, 39, of Palm Coast, faces a first-degree felony arson charge in the alleged attempt to burn her ex-boyfriend’s B-Section home down and set him on fire. The incident is the latest in a series of domestic violence incident involving the couple, and the latest in a list of charges Botts has faced, and been convicted on, since 2016.
Intoxicated Man Arrested for Child Neglect at Flagler Beach Bar After Refusing Numerous and Insistent Offers of a Ride
A 34-year-old man was repeatedly given the opportunity by a cop–Flagler Beach Police officer Evan Scherr–to be driven home by a rideshare service, a taxi or a friend, warned that if he were to drive himself home he’d be endangering himself, his young daughter and others, and was arrested. The State Attorney’s Office dropped the charge.
Flagler Beach’s Christmas Parade Lights Up in Fiery End Amid Holiday Throngs. No One Hurt.
A 1930s Jaguar replica caught fire at Flagler Beach’s Holiday Parade, ending the festivities three quarters of the way through. No one was hurt as firefighters, some of them who’d been part of the parade, jumped into the fray and quickly controlled the scene.
Matanzas High School Student Who Assaulted Teacher Is Found Incompetent to Stand Trial
An 18-year-old student in a Matanzas High School class class for behaviorally challenged students, facing a felony charge after assaulting a teacher, was found incompetent to stand trial–and not qualified to be sent to a state psychiatric hospital while awaiting a return to competency.
Facing Death Penalty, Michael McIntyre Pleads to Manslaughter, Will Serve 20 Years in Overdose Death of Chelsea Price, 33
Michael G. McIntyre this afternoon pleaded no contest to killing 33-year-old Chelsea Lenore Price. on Aug. 11, 2020, and will serve 20 years in prison after Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced him on that and other charges.
Judge Denies Halving Bond for Angelo Antolino, Repeat Offender Who Killed Indiana Kerns, 59, in U.S. 1 Crash
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins on Monday denied Angelo Antolino’s request that his $75,000 bond be reduced by $45,000 in a vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter case resulting from the April 1, 2020 crash on U.S. 1 that killed that Indiana Kerns, 59, and left William Kerns in critical condition. The judge reduced it by $5,000.
FPC Teacher Forced Out: He’d Paid Student $5,569, Had Relationship With Her, and Lied on Job Application
Timothy Whitfield, a 44-year-old resident of Palm Coast hired as a history teacher at Flagler Palm Coast High School last year, was effectively fired two months ago following sheriff’s and district investigations that uncovered grave ethical improprieties but no criminal findings. Whitfield had maintained a relationship with a female student, paid her nearly $6,000 through 127 cash-app transactions, and lied on his job application.
High-Speed Chase of Man Wanted for Assaulting Cop Spills Into Flagler from I-95 to SR100 to A1A
Several major Flagler County roads were the scene of a high-speed pursuit that started in Volusia County, where a man was wanted on a charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officers, whom the man allegedly tried to run over. The pursuit when it spilled into Flagler spread over I-95, Old Dixie Highway, State Road 100, State Road A1A and back to Old Dixie Highway.
Keon Sands, 27, Veteran of Afghanistan, Is Killed in Motorcycle Collision With Semi on I-95. Semi Kept Going.
Keon Clyde Sands, 27, was killed moments after 11 p.m. Tuesday night as he was riding his motorcycle north on I-95, in a collision with a semi truck near mile marker 296, just south of Old Kings Road.
Sheriff’s Detectives Investigating Death of Michael Ursini, 42, After He Was Reported Jumping in Water on Fire
Michael Josef Ursini, 42, a resident of the B-Section and the owner of Ursini Signature Painting, a company he founded two years ago with his fiancee, died following an unexplained incident in which paint caught on fire and he was seen jumping in a canal near the Tidelands house where he was painting with a co-worker Saturday.
Violent Felon With Long Prison History Accused of Attacking Teen Unprovoked in a Seminole Woods Driveway
Sean Patrick McNamara, who has spent almost 27 of his 53 years in state prison, moved to Palm Coast in 2020 and has since faced four charges in three incidents, the last two being felony child abuse and making threats to kill following a confrontation with a minor child in the boy’s driveway in Seminole Woods in Palm Coast.
Closing Inquiry, Sheriff Rebuffs Charge of ‘Crime’ in Book Controversy; Woolbright Wants ‘All Young Adult Books Checked’
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office found no grounds for a criminal inquiry into School Board member Jill Woolbright’s charge that making “All Boys Aren’t Blue” available to students was a “crime.” The sheriff was sharply critical of having been brought into a position of making judgments he said are the responsibility of the board and its processes. The inquiry also dismissed claims that Woolbright faced any immediate threat, as had been claimed.
“No Response From 5111”: End of Watch for Sgt. Dominic Guida as Family and Community Mourn Young Cop’s Loss
Viewing and services for Sgt. Dominic Guida of the Bunnell Police Department, who died on Nov. 9 in the line of duty, brought throngs of law enforcement officers and first responders to First Baptist Church in Bunnell at noon today as part of a two-hour service that ended with Guida’s End of Watch Call. He was 43.
Two Parents Are Arrested on Felony Child Neglect Charges After Leaving Toddler Unsupervised Overnight
The parents of at least three children were arrested on November 10 on felony child neglect charges after they were found to have left a toddler unsupervised at their house at 57 Blare Castle Drive in Palm Coast, where the toddler’s sisters, 13 and 14, were also left without supervision.
Public Viewing, Funeral Service and Honors Set for Sgt. Dominic Guida
Funeral services for Bunnell Police Officer Sgt. Dominic Guida are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 15 at First Baptist Church of Bunnell, with two public viewing sessions scheduled for Sunday afternoon and Monday morning at the church.
James McIntire, 71, Pleads to Molesting Girl, 15, in Exchange for 2 Years in Prison; He’d Faced Up to 15 Years
James Lee McIntire, a 71-year-old resident of 71 Florida Park Drive in Palm Coast, pleaded guilty on Monday to molesting the 15-year-old daughter of a woman who said he’d molested her, too, when she was 14, some 28 years ago. McIntire pleaded only to the offense for which he was charged–the more recent case, which covers several incidents that took place at McIntire’s home in the summer of 2019.
Sgt. Dominic Guida, A 19-Year Veteran of Bunnell Police and Sheriff’s Office, Dies After Heart Attack in Training
Sgt. Dominic Guida of the Bunnell Police Department was rushed to AdventHealth Palm Coast this afternoon after suffering a cardiac event while in training with Flagler County sheriff’s deputies at the county’s training facility and burn tower on Justice Lane in Bunnell. He died at the hospital. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Guida’s death at 5:40 p.m.
Matthew Wright Dies of Wound in Attempted Murder-Suicide, Gia Troutman, 23, in Critical Condition
Matthew Wright, the 25-year-old Palm Coast man involved in what appears to be an attempted murder-suicide Thursday afternoon, had spent most of his adult life in prison. He’d been out less than a year when he died Thursday of what authorities are reporting as a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, after shooting his girlfriend, Gia Troutman, four times.
Domestic Argument Between Man and Woman Leads to Apparent Attempted Murder Suicide on Bunker Knoll Lane
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a domestic altercation between a woman and her boyfriend on Palm Coast’s Bunker Knoll Lane that resulted in a shooting that left both severely wounded this evening. The shooting appears to have been an attempted murder suicide.
‘You Know This Always Ends Up with You in Jail,’ Cop Tells Fleeing Felon After Manhunt and 10th Arrest in a Decade
A Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy was investigating the latest domestic disturbance at David Badal’s Palm Coast house when Badal fled, almost injuring the cop, and triggered a two-hour manhunt resulting in his arrest and two felony charges, the latest in a chronic, temperamental criminal history.
Turf Battle Over Picnic Tables at FPC Devolves into Threats of a Shooting and Felony Arrest of 15 Year Old Student
An argument over a picnic table between two groups of students at Flagler Palm Coast High School on Tuesday allegedly led one of the students to threaten to shoot another at given place after school. The student was arrested.
Detectives Investigating Alleged Home Invasion Robbery and Shooting on Palm Coast’s Coral Reef Court
Early Monday morning a 36-year-old Palm Coast resident of Coral Reef Court reported to Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives that he was the victim of a home-invasion robbery, in the course of which he fired a gun belonging to one of the assailants, but missed.
Felony Cruelty Charge for Man Who ‘Whacked’ Trapped Raccoon and Left Injured Cat Without Care for 3 Months
Todd Rainey, 55, told a sheriff’s deputy he “whacked” a raccoon that had been trapped in a cat trap because it couldn’t get out, and had left his own cat’s injured leg go without medical attention for three months. He faces a felony count of animal cruelty.
School Officials and Sheriff’s Deputies Again Forced to Respond to Generic Attempt to Disrupt the Day at FPC
A local school–this time, Flagler Palm Coast High School–was again the target of a vague threat of violence, disseminated on social media and mirroring similar, low- to no-credibility threats circulating in other parts of the country.
Homeless Man Didn’t Want to Walk Back to Volusia. So He Carjacked a Truck.
Eric Christian Marcotte is a 25-year-old homeless person who normally makes Volusia County, is accused of carjacking the work truck of a power line crew on State Road 100 in Bunnell because he didn’t want to walk back to Volusia.
A Child at Rymfire Elementary Makes False Report of a Shooting, 7 Weeks After Identical Incident There
Rymfire was again locked down early this afternoon when authorities got a call from a child reporting the same claim as seven weeks ago: a shooting in a classroom–the same classroom that had been the supposed location of the shooting in early September.
Traffic Stop Leads to Recovery and Controlled Explosion of Grenade
A man said he had cleaned out a veteran’s home and found the grenade and decided to keep it. He was unaware if it was active or not. The grenade was removed from the vehicle and safely detonated by St. John’s County Explosive Ordinance Disposal experts at a nearby county-owned facility.
With 100 Cases and $190,000 in Missing Funds, Sheriff Turns Flagler Tax Services Fraud Case to IRS Investigators
The cases against Bob Newshomle, long-time owner and operator of Flagler Tax Services, began emerging soon after he shot himself in an apparent suicide attempt in August. The Sheriff’s Office was overwhelmed with complaints about Newsholme’s tax business, resulting in allegations of grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, and embezzlement.
Road Rage Incident Spills Into Circle K and Leads to Violent Confrontation, 2 Hospitalizations, 1 Felony Charge
Bruce Hunter Rohr, 22, of Palm Coast, faces an aggravated battery charge, a felony, after a bruising confrontation with a 53-year-old man at the Circle K on Palm Coast Parkway Tuesday night. But there may not be surveillance video of the a crucial part of the fight: who threw the first punch.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Saves 3-Year-Old Boy as he Hid from Flames and Alarms in W-Section Kitchen Fire
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Marcus Dawson, first at the scene of a W-Section fire in Palm Coast Sunday evening, entered the smoke-filled house and found a 3-year-old boy hiding under a cover in a bedroom. The fire was contained to the kitchen.
Palm Coast Man, 63, With Recent History of Domestic Violence, Faces 1st-Degree Attempted Murder Charge Over Roommate Attack
Steven Schneider, on probation over a stalking charge, was charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly attacking his 29-year-old roommate with a hammer and a knife and repeatedly stabbing him. The roommate survived. the incident was witnessed by the roommate’s mother.
State Attorney Drops Felony Charge Against Mom in Indian Trails Incident With Boys But Files Misdemeanor Battery
Ruffin, 31, of Palm Coast’s R-Section, drew as much mainstream and social media attention a month ago from an allegation that she had assaulted a juvenile boy as she did from a 15-minute video of herself indignantly countering the charge and describing her role as an instance of instinctive protection of her son, who she said had been targeted by others.
A Buddy Taylor Middle Student Is Arrested for Making Threats to Kill at School, Adding Misogyny to Insults
A 13-year-old student at Buddy Taylor Middle School was charged with two felony counts of making threats to kill after he allegedly threatened his teacher and a classmate at school on Tuesday. It is the second instance of a student arrest for making threats at school since school resumed on Aug. 10, the third involving a child making such threats on or off campus.
Throwing Sledge Hammer, Tool Box and Other Items at Cops from Bed of Truck, Man and Woman Are Arrested After Chase
One man is being held on $278,000 bond, a woman is being held on $152,000 bond after the two combined for 34 criminal charges in a chase through Bunnell that included throwing heavy tools and a tool box from the bed of the stolen truck at chasing cops.
A Matanzas High School Football Player Shoots and Wounds Another With BB Gun, and Faces Felony Charges
A 14-year-old student at Matanzas High School, faces two felony charges after allegedly shooting a BB gun and wounding a fellow-student early Thursday evening in Palm Coast’s F Section. The incident was preceded by a case of bullying and sexual humiliation that had originated earlier in the day at the school, though authorities say no connection was established between the bullying and the shooting.
Ruth Rupprecht, Owner of Animal Rescue Operation with Checkered History, Faces 17 Animal Cruelty and Drug Charges
Ruth Rupprecht, accused of using her animal rescue operation as a front for selling drugs, has run the organization known as Saffari since 2012, and surrendered numerous animals to the Humane Society in 2016. A search of her property in September revealed deplorable conditions–and drugs–and she surrendered 46 animals before being charged.
49-Year-Old Bunnell Man in Mental Crisis Decapitates Family Parrot of 48 Years and Faces Animal Cruelty Charge
A 49-year-old Bunnell man with a recent history of mental disabilities faces a felony charge of animal cruelty after killing a parrot that had been in his family for 48 years, and threatening to do harm to other pets and family members in the household.
James Egan Jr., 64, a Flagler School Bus Driver, Is Killed in Motorcycle Wreck on Belle Terre and Ponce de Leon
James Egan Jr., a 64-year-old Palm Coast resident and school bus driver with the Flagler County school district since 2016, was killed in a motorcycle crash at Belle Terre Parkway and Ponce De Leon Drive Tuesday evening.
Flagler Beach Golf Club’s Terry McManus Is Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison on DUI, After Snubbing 2-Year Deal Hours Earlier
Terry McManus, who owns the company running the Ocean Palms Golf Club for Flagler Beach government, had snubbed a plea offer of two years in prison, setting two separate cases. He got sentenced to four years in prison in one case, and now still has to deal with another case where he may yet get more prison time.
Michael McIntyre, 35, Is Latest Flagler Resident Indicted for Murder in Overdose Death of a Client–Chelsea Price, 33
Chelsea Price of Palm Coast died of a fentanyl overdose on Aug. 11, 2020. Michael G. McIntyre, who has a history of drug trafficking, allegedly sold or gave Price the fentanyl that killed her. He was in jail on a charge of selling meth when he was served the grand jury’s indictment for murder, a capital felony.
Brooke Lorenzen, 19, Charged With DUI Manslaughter in Death of Mario Bizier, 56; She’d Been ‘Distracted By Her Phone’
Brooke Anna Lorenzen, 19, of Palm Coast, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI with property damage in the 2020 crash that killed Mario Joseph Bizier, 56, on I-95. Lorenzen, who was to turn herself in at the jail today–and who had won a scholarship to an SEC university–told an investigator she had been distracted by her phone, and her blood-alcohol level registered 0.111.
Angered by Dean’s Office Visit, 12-Year-Old Girl at Buddy Taylor Middle Threatens to Shoot Classmates in Violent Language
A 12-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School student was arrested and charged with sending written threats to kill, a second-degree felony, after her teacher overheard her say she was going to “shoot up the school” at around 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
In Flagler Beach, Cop Pulls Gun on Once and Future Commissioner Who’d Called in Assault Claim
Wayne L. Herboldt, a 66-year-old resident of Flagler Beach, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault after a confrontation with his neighbor, Doug “Bruno” O’Connor, the former Beverly Beach city commissioner who has spoken of his intentions to run for Flagler Beach City Commission.
Deputies Break-Up Underage House Party of Over 30 People on Selden Court, Arresting 50-Year-Old Woman
Some 33 people were counted at the house by the time the questioning was done, and the owner, 50–year-old Christan L. Myers, was under arrest on a county of holding an open-house party with alcohol and a count of causing the delinquency of a minor.
Palm Coast’s Brittany Myers, a NICU Nurse, Arrested for Aggravated Child Abuse; 4 Children Describe Chronic Beatings
Brittany Myers, a 38-year-old mother of five and a nurse at an AdventHealth newborn intensive care unit, was arrested on a charge of aggravated child abuse after her 16-year-old daughter took video of her mother brutalizing her 14-year-old brother on Tuesday evening at their P-Section home in Palm Coast.
Another Juvenile Is Arrested at Indian Trails Complex For Illegally possessing 2 Guns, One of Them Stolen
Amarilis Merino, a 17-year-old resident of a group home on Burgundy Place in Palm Coast, and Justin Brown, 19, of Lake Gray Blvd. in Jacksonville, were arrested at the Indian Trails Sports Complex after a deputy’s search uncovered two guns and drugs.
Illegal Images Lead to Allegations that 29-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Was Sexually Victimizing a Child
The case started only as one of possession of illegal images, but took an unexpected turn when some of the illegal images turned out to have been produced by him, involving a child victim. The child and objects in the background were traced to Steven J. Card’s whereabouts at one of two locations.
A 4-Year-Old Child Is Catapulted Out of a U-Turning Car. His Mother Was Oblivious. The Car Kept Going.
A Flagler Beach resident going to work this morning saw a 4-year-old child catapulted out of the back seat of a car that was making a U-turn on State Road 100 and Old Kings Road. The car kept going. The child suffered minor scratches. The child’s mother and his uncle face felony child neglect charges and drug charges.
Assailant of Armed Robbery at GameStop Had Left FPC Campus, and Was Returning There After Heist
GameStop, the store along the Target shopping center adjacent to Kay Jewelers, was the target of a robbery by a student in an alternative program on the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School. He’d left campus–and was returning there immediately after stealing over $300. A School Resource Officer apprehended him.