The man and the woman fleeing from cops in a stolen pick-up truck Thursday on U.S. 1 abandoned the truck on fire and ran into the woods before being chased down and arrested. But they’d left their two dogs in the burning truck. One died, the other dog disappeared.
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Stolen Pick-Up Truck Burns on U.S. 1 Near Hargrove Grade as Occupants Flee Intense Chase
The report of a stolen pick-up truck Volusia County and heading into Flagler led to a chase in the county, where the occupants abandoned the truck, on fire, near Hargrove Grade on U.S. 1, triggering a foot pursuit that continues as of now. The incident has drawn a very large police response and some traffic controls on U.S. 1.
22-Year-Old Man Dies in Motorcycle Crash on John Anderson Highway
A 22-year-old Coshocton, Ohio man lost his life in a single motorcycle crash between 2 and 3 this morning (March 7) on John Anderson Highway, north of Bridle Ridge Court/Trotters Lane.
Former Matanzas High Student, 16, Charged as Adult in Alleged Sex Assault of Girl During Class
When Marshall Thomas, 16, was arrested on charges of stealing guns and making written threats to kill in January, authorities did not disclose that he had months earlier been arrested on a sexual assault charge involving a 15-year-old student at Matanzas High School. Thomas has now been charged as an adult on all five charges from both incidents and faces up to 45 years in prison.
Palm Coast Man Who Claimed he Was Robbed Is Arrested for Shooting His Dog
Robert Williams claimed someone had broken into his house on Westhampton Drive in Palm Coast and shot his dog. Sheriff’s deputies charged him with animal cruelty and firing a gun in a residence.
Palm Coast’s William McClean Faces Felony Drunk Boating Charge in Death of Thomas d’Aquila Last July
William S. McClean, a 56-year-old resident of Crain Court in Palm Coast, was charged with operating a boat under the influence of alcohol, a second degree felony, in the boating death of Thomas d’Aquila last July on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Matanzas Student Who Attacked Aide Was Arrested 3 Times for Battery Before; Other Cases Examined
Brendan Depa, the 17-year-old special education Matanzas High School student whose assault of a paraprofessional at Matanzas High School school last week has drawn international attention, was arrested three times on battery charges when he was 13. His case recalls that other violent incidents that did not draw anywhere near the harshness he faces.
Matanzas Student Charged as Adult with 1st-Degree Felony in Assault on Teacher Aide
Brendan Depa, the 17-year-old Matanzas High School special education student captured in surveillance video brutally attacking Joan Naydich, a paraprofessional at the school, was charged as an adult Friday by the State Attorney’s Office.
Matanzas High School Special Education Student Arrested in Attack of Teacher Aide
A 17-year-old Matanzas High School student was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery after allegedly violently assaulting a paraprofessional employee he accused of taking away a game he was playing. The employee was hospitalized.
‘How’s This Working Out for You?’ Judge Had Warned Duane Weeks Jr., Who’s Again Arrested
A judge had warned Duane Weeks Jr., the son of former Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks, to steer clear of trouble when he lasts sentenced him to prison. Weeks was out a matter of weeks before he was re-arrested, and now faces the prospect of a much steeper sentence.
Felon with Long Prison History Faces Stabbing and Home Invasion Armed Robbery Charges
Richard Westervelt, 31, of Ryland Drive in Palm Coast, got out of his last prison stint in August. He now faces up to life in prison if convicted of the latest alleged offenses, including a stabbing, armed home invasion robbery and burglary.
48-Year-Old Man Is Killed in 2-Vehicle Collision on I-95 Near Palm Coast Parkway
A 48-year-old man driving a box truck was killed Friday evening (Feb. 17) when his truck collided with an SUV and rolled into the woods along I-95 about a mile north of the Palm Coast Parkway interchange.
Trio Looking for Guns Charged With Armed Burglaries of 26 Vehicles in Palm Coast
Three young Jacksonville men–La Darvin Noisette, 20, Donte Juan McCrary, 21, and Jamari McCrary, 20–are at the Flagler County jail, each facing 19 felony burglary charges, including two charges each for armed burglary, which could land them in prison for life, if convicted. The trio is linked to similar sprees in Daytona Beach and St. Johns County around the same time.
Palm Coast Man Arrested After Stand-Off With SWAT, and Twice Firing a Gun
Juan N. Nodarse, a 53-year-old resident of Cute Court in Palm Coast, is at the Flagler County jail on $175,000 bond after twice firing a gun–one shot was fired with deputies outside, one fired with his wife in the house–and triggering a SWAT team’s response from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Hopes DNA, New Imaging and Public Can Solve Murder Case from Early 1990s
The unidentified victim’s remains were found in 1993 on Palm Coast’s Sea Ship Place. A 2021 DNA profile was able to trace the victim’s family tree, and in January the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Forensic Imaging Unit produced a new facial approximation.
51-Year-Old Man Riding Pick-Up Truck’s Running Board Is Ejected and Killed in Mondex
Andrzej Kokoszka, a 51-year-old resident of Bud Lake, N.J., and Palm Coast, was killed Thursday afternoon in a vehicle incident at Rosewood Street and Clove Avenue in Daytona North, also known as the Mondex, in West Flagler.
Belt-Buckle Bruise on 5-Year-Old’s Face Leads to Felony Charge Against Step-Father
A 5-year-old child said his step-father, Anthony Aaron Dailey, 25, whipped him with a belt because he was having some candy in his parents’ bedroom. The belt buckle struck the child’s face, leaving a large red welt below his right eye.
Palm Coast’s Frank Fiore, 53, Accused of Fleecing Elderly Woman Who Took Him In
Frank Fiore, 53, of Palm Coast, faces nine felony charges–a maximum of 125 years in prison–for stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry from the elderly women who took him in after he told her at church that he was down on his luck.
For 3rd Time in 2 Months, Matanzas High School and Deputies Confront Bogus Threat
Matanzas High School was the target of a third false threat in two months. Classes were not interrupted nor were evacuations called for as the sheriff’s office swept the school and found nothing.
18-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Faces Child Abuse Charge in Dating Violence Incident
An 18-year-old Palm Coast resident faces a felony child abuse charge stemming from a domestic violence incident involving his 16-year-old girlfriend. The case underscores the consequences of teen dating–just as, coincidentally, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month begins.
Man and Woman Spray-Painting Stolen Truck Scarlet Red Draw Attention, and Arrest
The couple had themselves tipped off a witness to their theft when the witness saw them spray-painting a truck with bright, scarlet-red paint–the kind of color associated with vainglorious attention-seekers.
11-Year-Old Faces Felony for Threatening to Put 30 Bullets in a Buddy Taylor Middle Student
An 11-year-old sixth grader was arrested and charged with a second-degree felony for threatening to shoot a student at Buddy Taylor Middle School as a result of an argument over a girl.
Gabriella Alo, in Jail Over Beating and Hit-and-Run, Is Tased in Confrontation with Deputies
Gabriella Alo, the 18-year-old woman facing four felony counts stemming from allegedly brutalizing a boy and running over a woman earlier this month, had to be wrestled to the floor and tased into compliance at the Flagler County jail on Sunday after refusing to comply with orders from corrections deputies.
Matanzas High School Again Target of a Bomb Threat, Again Deemed a Hoax
Matanzas High School was on “Code Blue”–meaning a bomb threat–again for the second time in two months. The threat was made by phone, and was likely to be a hoax.
Four Arrested in Drug Raid At Rivera Lane House in Palm Coast
On Thursday, January 19, 2023, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and SWAT Team executed a narcotics-related search warrant at 10 Rivera Lane in Palm Coast. This search warrant stemmed from a previous undercover operation conducted by SIU.
Dad’s Alert Over His Son’s Gun Thefts Leads to Arrest of Boys, 15 and 16, Before Confrontation
A 15-year-old and a 16-year-old resident of Palm Coast were arrested on grand theft and other charges after allegedly stealing two firearms in a plan to intimidate or fight other juveniles at Holland Park in Palm Coast. The posturing preceding the boys’ arrests was similar to incidents that led to the shooting deaths of five teens in Palm Coast and Bunnell since 2019.
Brother and Sister Face Several Felony Charges in Beating and Hit-and-Run at Wickline Park
Gabriella Hope Alo, 18, and her brother Nicholas Dean Alo, 21, face several felony charges stemming from an alleged beating of a teen-age boy, running over a 29-year-old woman and leaving the scene at Wickline Park in Flagler Beach last week.
In a First in Flagler, Sheriff Goes Civil Route to Evict Repeat Drug Offenders in Mondex
For the first time in the county, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office invoked a civil nuisance abatement law to evict a homeowner from a homesteaded property that had been used “to facilitate criminal activity,” including drug use and sales, according to the judge’s order granting the eviction.
Jordan Munoz, 21, Faces Felony Charge After Firing a Gun During an Argument in Palm Coast’s Woodlands
Jordan Munoz, a 21-year-old resident of 20 Blackwell Place in Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler County jail last week on a felony charge of aggravated assault and two lesser charges after allegedly firing his gun in the open air during an argument with his girlfriend outside the house on Blackwell, a heavily residential area in the Woodlands.
3 FPC Student Athletes Among 5 Injured in T-Bone Crash at Pine Grove and Belle Terre Parkway
Five people were injured, at least three seriously, in a t-bone crash at the intersection of Pine Grove Drive and Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast minutes after 3 p.m. today.
Jacob Perry, Who Shot Up His Grandfather’s House, Invokes Scriptures and Being ‘Chosen’
Jacob Perry, 24, faces five felony charges following his admitted shooting at his grandfather’s car and house on Tuesday in Palm Coast. He cited a chapter from Isaiah in the Old Testament, telling deputies they could understand a lot about him from it. That may raising questions about his competency.
Shooting On Palm Coast’s Farnum Lane Results in Arrest of 24-Year-Old Grandson of Resident
In a matter of 60 minutes late this afternoon, Flagler County Sheriff’s units got the report of a shooting in the F-Section and a suspect on the loose. They set chase by ground and air. By 5 p.m., they had the suspect in custody–the 24-year-old grandson of the man living at the property he’d allegedly shot up.
Bunnell Man Faces Felony Charge Over Stoning a Puppy With a Paver
John Benning, a 56-year-old resident of Tangerine Avenue in Daytona North, was booked at the Flagler County jail for the second time in a month over the weekend, this time on a felony animal abuse charge after allegedly throwing a paver at a puppy out of anger, injuring the dog.
Man Dies in Single-Vehicle Crash on I-95, North of Palm Coast Parkway
A 29-year-old man died in a single-vehicle crash when his SUV veered into the wood-line on I-95, a mile north of Palm Coast Parkway, Sunday morning.
Collin Calvert, 21, Charged with Mobil Station Armed Robbery in Palm Coast, Plus 8 Volusia Charges
Collin Ray Calvert, a 21-year-old resident of Tropical Drive in Ormond Beach, was charged on Friday with first degree armed robbery in connection with a Dec. 19 incident at the Mobil gas station on Pine Lakes Parkway in Palm Coast. He also faces grand theft, armed burglary and other charges in Volusia County, where he is jailed.
A Driver Is Killed on I-95 as Car Goes Under Semi Near Matanzas Woods Parkway
A woman was killed this morning when she drove her car under a semi truck in the northbound lanes of I-95 just south of Matanzas Woods Parkway.
Student Removed From Buddy Taylor Middle Last Year Is Arrested for Joking About Shooting Up the School
A 14-year-old student who last year was either expelled or withdrawn from in-school attendance at Buddy Taylor Middle School over disciplinary issues was arrested today and charged with a second-degree felony for allegedly threatening to shoot up the school. An investigation found he’d had no means to carry out the act, and that he’d been joking about it in chats.
Mom Who Drew National Headlines Over Boy’s Beating Is Arrested for Selling Cocaine Near Day Care
Ashley Ruffin, the 32-year-old Palm Coast mother of four, drew headlines after her arrest and pleas of innocence in the alleged beating of a boy. She claimed she was defending her son. On Monday, she was arrested on a first-degree felony charge of selling cocaine near a child care center in Bunnell, where she is living in subsidized housing.
Sheriff’s Office’s Ultra-Modern Operations Center Is Dedicated, Ending 4 1/2 Years of Nomadic Existence
Sheriff Rick Staly dedicated the $20 million, 51,600 square foot Sheriff’s Operations Center off Commerce Boulevard before hundreds today, ending four and a half years of borrowing space from the courthouse, among other locations, and closing an unhappy chapter in the county’s history.
Palm Coast’s Lee Ann Daley, 46, is Killed in Head-On Crash Caused By Man Going Wrong Way on US1
Lee Ann Daley, a 46-year-old Palm Coast resident, was killed in a head-on collision on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast when a driver going the wrong way struck her car a little before 9 p.m. Friday.
Community Center Employee’s Alertness Leads to Arrest of Echo Caretaker Accused of Abusing Disabled Man
Chelsey Payne, a 30-year-old employee with Palm Coast-based East Coast Habilitation Options, known as Echo, was fired and arrested on a felony charge over the violent way she handled a client during a trip to the Palm Coast Community Center.
‘There Is going To be a Homicide Tonight,’ Woman Threatens Girlfriend Before Stabbing Her
Sheila Marie Orozco, 34, who had been staying at her girlfriend’s home, is at the Flagler County jail following her arrest on accusations that she stabbed her girlfriend, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, on Sherwood Street in the Mondex (Daytona North) late the night of Dec. 9.
Woman Is Tased in Courtroom After Struggling With Bailiffs and Refusing to be Handcuffed
Evone Diane Clifton, a 39-year-old resident of Hastings, was tased in County Judge Melissa Moore Stens’s courtroom at the Flagler County courthouse on Thursday (Dec. 8) after allegedly fighting and striking bailiffs and refusing to be handcuffed, moments after the judge ordered her re-arrest for failing a urinalysis test. She was supposed to enter a plea on two previous misdemeanor counts that day.
Couple Face 30 Years in Prison for Orchestrating a ‘Hit’ on an Inmate at Flagler County Jail
Margaret Octavia Watkins, 37, and her boyfriend Raymond Wesley Dukes, 52, both of Bunnell, face first-degree felony charges and up to 30 years in prison each for allegedly orchestrating the brutal beating of an inmate at the Flagler County jail in June.
18 Arrested Out of 35 Sought in Sheriff’s Latest Round-Up of Suspected ‘Poison Peddlers’
The 11-month undercover operation started in January, culminating today with 24 search warrants and the seizure of drugs with a street value of $5.7 million. The round-up netted 18 arrests at the time of the sheriff’s announcement, out of 35 people sought. Heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, morphine, methamphetamines, marijuana and other drugs were among those seized, along with 13 firearms–seven of them rifles.
Sheriff and FBI Warn of Holiday Scams, Now Targeting Three Quarters of Adults
Three-quarters of U.S. consumers have experienced or been targeted by at least one form of fraud that can be tied to the holidays, including requests from (often fake) charities, online shopping scams and fraudulent communications about shipping problems.
Nicholas Ceraldi, 50, Is Killed After His Motorcycle Strikes Two Deer in Palm Coast’s F-Section
Nicholas A. Ceraldi, a 50-year-old resident of Firethorn Lane in Palm Coast, was killed shortly after midnight this morning when the motorcycle he was driving struck two deer on his street.
Critical Medical Examiner Choice for Flagler’s District Down to Chief of Palm Beach Office and One of Her Assistants
Dr. Wendolyn Sneed is the Chief medical Examiner for District 15 in Florida, which covers all of Palm Beach County. She is also Dr. Catherine Miller’s boss. Miller is an associate medical examiner. On December 6, Sneed and Miller will be vying for the same job: Chief medical Examiner for District 23, which covers Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties, and is one of the least visible, most consequential jobs in the criminal justice system.
Matanzas High School Is the Target of a Bomb Threat, Deemed a Hoax
Matanzas High School was the target of a phoned-in bomb threat early this afternoon. The threat was deemed not credible by the school administration and little police response was necessary.
Accused of Killing His Grandfather, Luke Ingram Now Faces 1st Degree Murder and Rape Charges
Luke Ingram, 19, previously charged with second degree murder in the death of his grandfather, Darwin Ingram, at the Ingrams’ Palm Coast home, now faces a capital felony for the killing, exposing him to the death penalty, and a charge of rape, a life felony.