What started with the report of a shooting-death of a woman in Deltona early this morning ended after a police chase before dawn at the foot of the Hammock Dunes Bridge with a man apparently shooting himself after he crashed through the toll bridge’s arm and veered off the road.
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Family of Six Loses House to Fire in Palm Coast’s L-Section, 21 Year Old Injured Trying to Save Pets
A family of six, including four children, lost their home to a middle-of-the-night fire on Longfellow Drive in Palm Coast early this morning, and a 21-year-old woman was taken to Halifax hospital with serious injuries.
22-Year-Old J.T. Horovsky Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison and 10 on Probation for Molesting Child
When he was arrested last September, Joseph Thomas Horovsky, who turned 22 last week, faced life in prison if convicted on two charges of molesting a family member younger than 12 for several years. He pleaded last month, and this afternoon, walking into court a free man one last time, he was sentenced to five years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation. He will be designated a sex offender for life.
Flagler Sheriff Staly Exploring Deployment of Drones as First Responders: A ‘Much Cheaper Helicopter’
The parking lot of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center last week was transformed into a showplace for Axon, the Arizona-based technology company whose tasers, body cams, car cameras, simulators, interview rooms and real-time crime center equipment and software redefined policing in the past years. It continues to do so with new products–among them, the drone as first responder, which Sheriff Rick Staly is studying for possible deployment in Flagler County.
No Outright Indications of Mechanical Failures in Plane Crash That Claimed Pilot’s Life in West Flagler
A preliminary investigation of the Feb. 14 plane crash that took the life of pilot 75-year-old Thomas Harvey in western Flagler County reveals that the plane had followed a normal flight path until it suddenly began to drop rapidly, at more than 200 feet per second before impact. There was no evidence of a fire on board and “no indications of a flight control anomaly were discovered,” according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report, suggesting that Harvey may have suffered a medical episode.
44-Year-Old C-Section Dad Arrested When 2-Year-Old Is Found Wandering the Street, and Dog Is Near Death
Ross Judy, a 44-year-old resident of Collins Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested Sunday on felony child neglect and a misdemeanor charge of abandoning an animal to neglect after his 2-year-old child was found wandering alone in the middle of a street in pajamas and a soiled diaper and a dog was found barely alive.
Man Who Threatened to Jump Off SR100 Bridge on I-95 Is Rescued After Hour of Negotiations
A man threatening to jump off the I-95 bridge over State Road 100 was rescued after snarling traffic for nearly an hour. The same man had attempted to jump off the Palm Coast Parkway bridge over I-95 last August. He was Baker Acted then, as he was today.
Patient Attack of 2 Staffers at AdventHealth Palm Coast Highlights Dangers Facing Health Care Workers
Rolfe A. Troup, 33, of Palm Coast, who two years ago completed a probation sentence for assaulting his stepfather, was arrested again on Friday after allegedly assaulting two staffers at AdventhHealth Palm Coast Parkway, where Troup had been taken under a Baker Act. He faces two first-degree felony counts, each with a maximum penalty of 30 years. The assault highlights the generally little known reality that health care workers suffer some of the highest rates of workplace violence and injuries of any profession.
Arrest of Alleged Campaign Worker for Theft in Palm Coast Complicates Uphill Congressional Race for Josh Weil
Arlecia Darnae Brown, a 25-year-old resident of Orlando who claimed to be a campaign worker in a special election locally, was arrested on six felonies, including a life felony charge of traveling to commit a burglary, after allegedly stealing a bike in an L-Section neighborhood in Palm Coast last week.
Motorcyclist Killed On Belle Terre Boulevard When Pick-Up Cuts In Front of Him; 4th Bike Week Fatality
A 70-year-old Palm Coast man on a motorcycle lost his life late Saturday night, a day before the end of Bike Week, when a pick-up truck collided with his motorcycle on Belle Terre Boulevard at Finn Way, just south of State Road 100. It was the fourth fatality of Bike Week 2025 between Volusia and Flagler counties, and the second in Flagler.
Flagler Beach Officers Under Investigation as Wrongful Charge of Man Outside Funky Pelican Is Quickly Dropped and City Bristles
Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney has requested an internal affairs investigation of the two officers who arrested a man on a trespassing charge simply for holding a sign outside the Funky Pelican restaurant at the pier, and City Manager Dale Martin has ordered that all city employees receive training in respecting citizen’s rights. The arrest caught public attention and provoked outrage. The State Attorney’s office on Thursday dropped the felony charge of armed trespassing against Gray. The city expects a lawsuit.
Jose Valerio-Rodriguez, 70-Year-Old Homeless Man, Arrested for Human Trafficking and Statutory Rape of a Minor
Jose Valerio-Rodriguez, a 70-year-old homeless man who lived in a tent in the woods behind the Circle K on Palm Harbor Parkway near Frontier Drive, faces a life felony for human trafficking and a second degree felony on allegations of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, or statutory rape.
Man Holding ‘God Bless Homeless Vets’ Sign on Public Sidewalk Outside Funky Pelican Arrested on Armed Trespassing Charge
Jeffrey Marcus Gray, a 55-year-old resident of Forest Court in St. Augustine, was arrested on a felony charge of armed trespassing Sunday morning after he refused to leave the immediate vicinity of the Funky Pelican, the restaurant at the Flagler Beach pier. The pier is public property, as is the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. The restaurant itself leases its space from city government in Flagler Beach. But individuals may be trespassed from public sidewalks or parks or other public property, if not without raising potential legal issues.
Motorcyclist Killed in Crash on A1A in Flagler Beach, Two Teens Killed in Car Crash on CR304 Within Hours
After going more than three months without a road fatality, Flagler County roads were the site of two crashes causing the death of three people within hours early Sunday morning–a motorcycle crash in Flagler Beach and a car crash on County Road 304.
John R. Jenkins, Home Health Care Nurse, Arrested After Footage Shows Him Brutalizing Disabled, Voiceless Man
John Roy Jenkins, 68, had been caring for a profoundly disabled man in his 20s in palm Coast since last March. When the alleged victim’s mother looked at indoor surveillance video, she uncovered repeated cases of Jenkins’s physical and verbal abuse against and torment against her son. He faces four felony counts of abusing a disabled person.
Sheriff’s Deputies Capture 3 in Stolen-Vehicle Incident in Palm Coast’s L-Section
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies captured two individuals and are looking for a third following a stolen-vehicle incident that unraveled in Palm Coast’s L-Section. The vehicle was stolen in Seminole County and appears to have triggered a license-plate reader in Flagler County, leading to a chase and apprehension. The sheriff is urging residents not to take chances.
Judge Denies Bond ‘Across the Board’ to Kristopher Henriqson, Who Faces Capital Felony Over Girl’s ‘Reprehensible’ Abuse
Kristopher Henriqson, 47, of Palm Coast, will remain in jail, a judge ruled today, pending the disposition of the charges against him, including a capital rape charge stemming from three years of alleged sexual abuse of his step-daughter when she was between 9 and 12. He had sought to lower his bond. Instead, it was entirely revoked.
Jordan Pittmon, 26, Faces Statutory Rape Charge After Sex with 14-Year-Old Runaway
After Jordan Scott Pittmon had assured the girl’s aunt that he would never have any interest in a minor, he was arrested and charged with statutory rape of the aunt’s 14-year-old niece, who had run away from her Palm Coast home last May.
Plane Crash Victim Identified as Skydiving Pilot and Ex-USAF Crew Chief Thomas Russell Harvey
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this afternoon identified the victim of Friday evening’s plane crash in the isolated woods of southwest Flagler County as Thomas Russell Harvey, a 75-year-old pilot celebrated by Skydive Palatka as “our favorite pilot and friend.”
Pilot Is Killed in Crash of Eagle Air Transport Plane in Isolated Part of Flagler County, Near Lake Disston
A man piloting an Eagle Air Transport Cessna crashed in an isolated, wooded area of southwest Flagler County near Lake Disston Friday evening for unknown reasons. The pilot died. There were no passengers.
Palm Coast’s Kristopher Henriqson, 47, a Federal Felon, Charged with Raping Child in His Custody; Could Face Death Penalty
Kristopher Henriqson, a 47-year-old resident of Lindsay Drive in Palm Coast and a federal felon, was arrested late Monday night and booked at the Flagler County jail on two capital felony counts of raping a child younger than 12, a child he was caring for. The charges, relatively a new law the Florida Legislature passed in 2023, makes him eligible for the death penalty if the State Attorney decides to seek capital punishment, and if Henriqson is convicted at trial.
Palm Coast Physician Christine Garrett Arrested on Felony Child Abuse Charge
Christine Elizabeth Garrett, a 55-year-old physician who runs her own practice in Palm Coast with her husband, was arrested on Sunday (Feb. 2) on a felony charge of child abuse when her adopted son called 911. The boy was locked in the bathroom when Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies arrived. When he heard then saw law enforcement officers, “he exited the bathroom crying and ran, grabbing onto Deputy Bishop, saying he needed help,” according to the sheriff’s report.
Eroding Management Plan, Cities Bluntly Tell Flagler County: Not One Extra Dime for Beach Protection
Palm Coast, Beverly Beach and Bunnell officials told Flagler County in blunt, at times almost belligerent terms Wednesday evening that their constituents will not accept any new tax or fee to pay for beach management, whether it’s renourishing beaches or maintaining them. The tone of the discussion during a joint meeting of local governments Wednesday left county officials reeling.
Missile-Like Hunk of Ice, Possibly from Commercial Plane, Tears Through Seminole Woods Roof
Local and federal officials don’t know what may have caused a missile-like shaft of ice 6 feet long to tear through the metal roof of a Seminole Woods house in Palm Coast Monday afternoon on a warm, cloudless day. But they have ideas.
35-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Loses Stand Your Ground Motion Over Bizarre Confrontation with Cyclist, 67
Eric Cooks, a 26-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s P Section and a supervisor at SMA Healthcare’s crisis-stabilization unit, where Baker Acts are triaged, lost a Stand Your Ground motion in circuit court Monday, clearing the way for his prosecution on a felony count of battering a man older than 65. The case touches on several elements that blur the line between good samaritanship and road rage, between the meanings of self-defense and provocation, and with an overlay of race and age disparities.
Judge Refuses to Release 14-Year-Old Girl Accused of Hateful Death Threats as Her Lawyer Claims She’s in Danger
County Judge Melissa Distler today rejected a request by the attorney representing L.H. to release her to her parents, for lack of proof that she is in danger in a youth detention jail in Daytona Beach. The girl, 14, was arrested last week in palm Coast for making death threats laced in homophobic slurs, and for violating her probation. Her attorney argued that the attention the case has drawn, including the posting of her picture, name and address, has led to death threats against her family in Seminole Woods, and threats against the girl in detention.
An 82-Year-Old Palm Coast Resident Dies After He Is Pulled from the Surf, Disoriented, in Marineland
Carmelo Legato, an 82-year-old resident of Palm Coast on an outing in Marineland Friday morning, was pulled out of the surf after he had stumbled in the water, lost consciousness, and died after CPR efforts by a good Samaritan and Flagler County Fire Rescue proved unsuccessful.
Bullied Buddy Taylor Student Arrested for Bringing BB Gun to School for ‘Protection’; 4 Student Arrests in a Week
A 13-year-old Buddy Taylor Middle School students became the fourth Palm Coast teen in the span of six days to face a felony charge and arrest, in this case for bringing a BB gun in the shape of a Glock. The student said he did so to protect himself against bullies, knowing that school officials would not protect him.
26-Year-Old Palm Coast Woman Charged with Molesting 13-Year-Old Boy During Family Christmas
Angel Marie Sexton, a 26-year-old resident of Royal Oak Drive in Palm Coast, was charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy whose family was visiting Sexton’s family over Christmas in Palm Coast. The child’s mother uncovered the alleged assault when she found romantic texts between Sexton and the boy on a family phone the boy had taken for himself. The older woman, according to the texts, was telling the boy that he could be emancipated at 16 and that she would leave her husband and marry him when he was 18.
Two FPC Students Arrested for Texting Joking Death Threats Against Each Oher
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two students at Flagler Palm Coast High School for sending threats toward each other in a text group chat. The threats were not meant seriously. The felony charges are.
14-Year-Old Palm Coast Girl Arrested After Sending Hate-Filled Video Targeting Trans and Other Students
L.H., a 14-year-old resident of Seminole Woods in Palm Coast was arrested last Friday (Jan. 24) on a felony charge of written threats to kill after she allegedly sent a racism-laced rant and threats directed at a transgender student through Snapchat, on a “story” connected to the Ohio high school L.H. attended last year.
Aiden Barnett, 20, Arrested on Aggravated Child Abuse Charge Days After Telling Judge He’s a ‘Changed Man’
Three weeks ago 20-year-old Aiden Barnett of Palm Coast’s B-Section wrote a judge that he was a “a completely changed person” since he fled from a cop at 115 miles per hour. On probation, he was asking for a waiver on his anger-management class and community service hours. On Friday, he was arrested on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated child abuse after allegedly punching a 17-year-old girl so hard that she had a concussion and was hospitalized.
Tuscan Reserve Apartments Handyman Accused of Using His Access to Units to Steal Thousands in Jewelry
Joshua Raymond Powell, a 44-year-old resident of Satsuma employed as a handyman at Tuscan Reserve, the apartment complex in Palm Coast’s Town Center, was arrested last week on nine felony charges of burglary, fraud and dealing in stolen property following a Flagler County Sheriff’s investigation that determined that Powell allegedly entered homes where he was needed for repairs, only to steal the residents’ jewelry and other valuables.
‘I’ll Handle This the Florida Way’: Man Arrested in Road Rage Incident in Seminole Woods
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jordan Frazier Rivers, 28, at his home at 4 Sleepy Hollow Trail on two felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a road-rage incident in Seminole Woods where two people say Rivers pulled a gun on them at a street intersection, and told them “I’ll handle this the Florida way.”
On the Stand, Alleged Victim Describes Sex Assaults Since He Was 11 by ‘Father Figure’ and ‘Best Friend’
Daniel Revay Rodriguez, now 27, is accused of sexually assaulting a young boy over several years after grooming him and his family by making himself an essential father figure and by showering the boy with expensive gifts, food and at times pot. His trial began Monday. He faces mandatory life in prison if he is convicted.
Sheriff Staly Appoints Joseph Barile His Chief Deputy, Filling Post That Stood Empty for 6 Years
Sheriff Rick Staly announced today that he has appointed Commander Joseph Barile as the Chief Deputy of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. The Chief Deputy will be responsible for law enforcement and court and detention operations.
Less Than a Year After Witnessing Friend’s Death By Overdose, She Causes One and Faces Manslaughter Charge
Less than a year after she was in the house when her friend Brian O’Shea died of a fatal fentanyl overdose, Stephanie Raimundo caused the death by overdose of Calvin Stull, who was about to mark his 22nd birthday. Stull was found dead at Belle Terre Park on jan. 3, 2024. Raimundo was charged with manslaughter and may face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
Palm Coast Fire Police’s Steven Brooks Critically Injured by Passing Car as He Worked Seminole Woods Crash
Palm Coast Fire Police member Steve Brooks was on duty, just beginning to secure a crash site in Seminole Woods late Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by a passing car and critically injured. He was flown to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach, where he remains in critical but stable condition, according to Pam Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill.
5 Years in Prison for Joshua Sevin, Who Pleads to Reduced Charge of Child Abuse
Joshua Eugene Sevin, a 30-year-old resident of Lakeside Place in Palm Coast, was sentenced this afternoon to five years in prison followed by five years on the near-equivalent of sex-offender probation after pleading to two reduced charges of felony child abuse. He had originally been charged with two counts of molesting a middle-school girl. The two felony counts carried a maximum penalty of 30 years.
Deputy Strikes Michael McDermott, 38, with Patrol Car After Cyclist Is Seen Pulling Gun During Traffic Stop
Christopher Murphy observed Michael McDermott, 38, pulling a firearm out of his pants. Dep. Murphy, fearing that McDermott would engage him with the firearm, struck McDermott with his vehicle, ejecting him from the bicycle and causing him to drop the firearm.
Flagler Beach’s Kimberly Chewning, 53, Arrested for Allegedly Attacking Cops and Smashing Neighbor’s Window
Kimberly Chewning, a 53-year-old resident of South 2nd Street in Flagler Beach, was booked at the Flagler County jail Sunday morning on felony charges of battering and threatening law enforcement officers following what had initially appeared as an attempted burglary in her next-door apartment, and in which law enforcement believes she may have been involved.
12 Palm Coast and Bunnell Residents Arrested on Charges of Drug Selling and Trafficking
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly this afternoon announced the conclusion of an 11-month investigation that netted the arrest of 12 residents of Palm Coast and Bunnell on a variety of drug-related sale and trafficking charges. To a man–and one woman–every suspect has a history of arrests, some of them long histories.
Argument Escalates To a Shooting at Palm Coast Econo Lodge, and 2 Men Are Arrested
Two men were arrested Tuesday following a shooting at the Econo Lodge motel off Kingswood Drive in Palm Coast. No one was injured in the incident, which drew a substantial response by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. James L. Everett, 19, faces felony charges of firing into a dwelling and tampering with evidence. Steven Hyatt, 22, faces a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Hit-and-Run Death of Billy Rembert on Palm Coast Parkway
Lyonel Jeune, 66, of Palm Coast’s B-Section, was sentenced to three years in prison and 10 years on probation for the hit-and-run death of William J. Rembert, 56, in December 2021 on Palm Coast Parkway, after Rembert had crossed Jeune’s path with his bicycle.
Prosecution Seeks Death Penalty For Jermaine Williams, Who Stabbed Wife to Death in Bunnell
Assistant State Attorney Jason Lewis told the court today the state filed notice that it will seek the death penalty against Jermaine Williams, the 52-year-old Bunnell resident who stabbed his wife Yolonda Williams to death outside their home on Pine Street the morning of Aug. 2, as one of the couple’s sons, 14 at the time, tried to intervene and implored his father to stop.
Mother Faces 4 Felony Child Neglect Counts As Loaded Gun Is Found on Top of Disney DVDs in Deplorable House
Amanda Gaisford, a 37-year-old resident of Fanwood Court in Palm Coast, was charged with four felony counts of child neglect after authorities found a loaded firearm and numerous drugs within easy reach of the four young children she cares for, and a house in dire conditions. The house had no running water and was infested with insects and roaches.
Ex-Gang Leader Brandon Washington Loses Latest Appeal After Claiming Undelivered Mail
Ex-Bloods gang leader Brandon Washington has nothing to lose: he’s serving four life terms in prison in Okaloosa. So he keeps trying to get a break on his sentence. And he keeps losing. His latest loss was earlier this month as a judge rejected his claim that he was unjustly denied an appeal because mail wasn’t delivered to him.
36-Year-Old Flagler Beach Woman Accused of Abusing Her 4 Year Old and Attacking Her 71-Year-Old Mother
Elizabeth Bliss, a 36-year-old resident of South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach, is facing a felony child abuse charge and a charge of aggravated battery on a person 65 or older–a first degree felony–after she allegedly pinned her 4-year-old daughter to the ground and grabbed and slapped her 71-year-old mother.
Turtle Shack Cafe in Flagler Beach Sustains ‘Significant’ Damage in Early Morning Fire
Turtle Shack Cafe, the popular Flagler Beach restaurant operating for two and a half decades between 21s and 22nd Street on State Road A1A, was damaged in an early-morning fire, drawing firefighters from across the county. The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, but is still under investigation by the Flagler Beach fire marshal.
Help FDLE Find Samantha Fiddler
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) continues to pursue leads into the 2016 disappearance of Samantha Fiddler and hopes the public can help solve the mystery. Fiddler was last seen in Bartow on November 19, 2016. She was 29 years old when she vanished.