The State Attorney’s Office today dropped the charges against Virgilio Mendez, the 18-year-old migrant arrested last May in St. Augustine over a dubious encounter with sheriff’s deputies prompted by nothing apparent, then charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of one of the deputies, who had died of a heart attack the medical examiner ruled was of natural causes from heart disease. The charges drew widespread public outrage.
Cops/Courts
Florida House Passes Ban on Homeless Sleeping In Public Despite Added Burdens to Local Governments
The Florida House on Friday approved a controversial proposal that would prevent homeless people from sleeping in public, despite concerns about increased costs for local governments. The Republican-controlled House voted 82-26 along almost-straight party lines to pass the bill (HB 1365), which is backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. It also would make it easier for residents and business owners to challenge local officials over how homelessness is addressed.
Six Arrests After 70 Thefts at Big Box Stores in Flagler and 7 Other Counties
The suspects, all from Georgia, traveled to Florida weekly to steal merchandise using self-checkout lanes. Using self-checkout, the suspects made only partial payments before leaving stores with additional items. More than 70 thefts occurred at stores in Flagler, Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Columbia, Volusia and Alachua counties.
Fight at Matanzas High School Leads to Charges Against Two Students
A fight between two Matanzas High School students, 15 and 18, on Tuesday resulted in charges against both students, but no arrests, according to police reports.
Ahead of Trial, Lawyer for Man Accused in Murder of Noah Smith Says Interrogation Was Constitutional Violation
Tyrese Patterson is one of three men facing a murder charge in the shooting death of 16-year-old Noah Smith in Bunnell in 2022. In court today, Patterson’s attorney, Tim Pribisco, heatedly sparred with Flagler County Sheriff’s detective Augustin Rodriguez, who was testifying, and just as fiercely argued to Circuit Judge Terence Perkins that an interrogation of Patterson at the county jail by Rodriguez is inadmissible, because Patterson twice directly and indirectly asked about his attorney, only for the interrogation to continue.
Andy Dance Responds: ‘School Resource Deputies Are Not Leaving School Campuses.’
In a detailed response to FlaglerLive reporting and an opinion piece on the county’s plan to “defund” its portion of school sheriff’s deputies, County Commission Chair Andy Dance refutes the claim as inflammatory and out of context, and lays out a history of county attempts going back to 2022 to initiate a conversation about school and county funding for school deputies, in hopes of realigning those responsibilities. If that proves unfeasible, Dance pledges, than the shared responsibility will continue.
Christopher Lemke, Who Threatened Neighbors With a Gun on July 4, Avoids Jail Or Felony Conviction
Christopher Lemke, 70, threatened to shoot his neighbor’s family last July 4 in Palm Coast’s R-Section as he pointed a laser-equipped firearm at several people, including a pregnant woman. He was sentenced Friday to 48 months on probation, but will not be adjudicated a felon. Still, he will have some of the same consequences, among them a lifetime ban on owning or possessing guns.
A 24-Year-Old Bunnell Woman Is Killed in a 3-Vehicle Crash on State Road 100
A 24-year-old Bunnell woman was killed and four people were injured in a head-on crash that ultimately involved three vehicles on State Road 100 just east of the old Bimini Bar late Sunday morning.
Sheriff’s Employees and Partners Honored at 4th Quarter Awards Ceremony
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly awarded several Lifesaving Awards to employees for their roles in saving the lives of others from October through December of last year. Sheriff Staly also awarded several individuals with Distinguished Service Certificates, Certificates of Commendation and Certificates of Appreciation, as part of the ceremony.
Audit Reveals ‘Urgent Need’ to Improve Florida’s Prison System, But State Budget May Balk
Concerned about dilapidated buildings in Florida’s statewide prison system, the state Senate has set aside $100 million a year for 30 years to address repairs and new construction, a total of $3 billion. But the state House hasn’t following suit. That sets up a fiscal clash as House and Senate lawmakers craft Florida’s 2024-25 budget.
Da’Mari Barnes, 17, Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Shooting Death of Jamey “JuJu” Bennett, 19, at Bonfire
Da’Mari Barnes was sentenced to nine years in prison followed by 15 on probation for the shooting death of Jamey “JuJu” Bennett two years ago at a bonfire party near Matanzas High School. Barnes was 15. Bennett was 19. The two had argued over a girl Barnes had pushed. Barnes had been carrying a gun out of fear, since the shooting death of his cousin, 16-year-old Noah Smith, days earlier.
7 Years in Prison for Unrepentant Man, 48, who Stalked and Solicited 14-Year-Old Girl, and Still Blames Her
Palm Coast’s Jerome Byron Malerba, 47, was sentenced to seven years in prison, two years on probation and a lifetime as a sex offender for luring and soliciting a girl starting when she was 13–when he offered her pot–and going on for 18 months. The judge used unusually strong language to describe Malerba as “creepy” and as a man who still blames the victim and covers himself in self-pity.
Couple Visits Sheriff’s 911 Dispatcher Lucas Santos, Who Saved Husband’s Life
On the evening of Monday, December 18, Communications Specialist Lucas Santos of Flagler County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a resident who stated her husband had stopped breathing and was turning blue after complaining of chest pains. Santos saved his life.
DOA: Behind the County’s Clumsy Push to Defund School Deputies
Whichever way you look at it, the Flagler County Commission’s and its administrator’s letter to the school district calling for a plan to defund the county’s portion of money for school deputies was clumsy, terribly timed, and an unnecessary invitation to political grandstanding in an election year. Deputies aren’t going anywhere, nor is the county’s funding. But nor should this be another invitation for the School Board to consider harebrained ideas like arming staffers.
Mom Who Let Her 6-Year-Old Daughter Wander Onto CR 305 Is Sentenced to a Year in Prison
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins on Wednesday sentenced Sarah Anne Welker to a year in prison followed by four years on drug-offender probation. The 36-year-old mother left her 6-year-old daughter unsupervised for almost three hours until she wander unaccompanied on County Road 305, where she was seen flagging down passing cars for help. The sentence is to run concurrent to a case in Volusia County where she pleaded guilty to an identical charge in October and been placed on probation.
Charles Kidd, Facing Murder Charge in Woodlands Killing, Was Suffering from Dementia and May Not Stand Trial
Charles Kidd, the 86-year-old former resident of Blare Drive in Palm Coast who shot and killed 36-year-old Mark Ruschmeier in August, was suffering from dementia severe enough at the time that two psychologists have concluded he is not competent to stand trial.
School Board and Parents Grapple with County’s ‘Blindsiding’ Call To Defund Its Portion of School Deputies
Flagler County School Board members and parents spoke of surprise, concern and “blindsiding,” in the words of the board’s chair, in reaction to a Feb. 13 letter from County Administrator Heidi Petito to the superintendent saying the county had reached “an important decision” to “gradually transfer the financial responsibility” for $1.4 million in “these legacy expenditures to the school district,” including the county’s more than $1 million commitment to school resource deputies.
Sheriff Staly to County: ‘Defunding School Resources Deputies Is Fundamentally Wrong’
When the the County Commission first raised the possibility of ending its contribution to the Flagler County school district’s school resource deputy program a year ago, Sheriff Rick Staly wrote the commission chairman a four-page letter sharply criticizing the possibility and explaining why. Now that the County Commission is pushing that possibility further, Staly’s letter is relevant again, and presented here in full.
Flagler County Plans to End $1.4 Million Contribution for School Deputies, Administrator Tells Superintendent
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito last week wrote Superintendent LaShakia Moore that county government will no longer pay the $1.4 million a year in subsidies for the school district’s School Resource Officer, ending a 50-50 cost-sharing agreement that’s been in place for a decade. The county is not required by law to share the district’s security costs.
Jury Finds Andrew Sharp, 22, Guilty of Raping His 9-Year-Old Cousin and Faces Life in Prison
A jury found Donald Andrew Sharp, 22, a former Palm Coast resident, guilty of raping his cousin when she was 8 and 9, and of directing her brother to molest her, in case Sharp needed a scapegoat if he were ever accused of improprieties. He will be sentenced to life in prison.
Babysitter Accused of Turning Predator Against Children in His Care Confronts His Most Damning Witness: Himself
Donald Andrew Sharp took the stand in his own defense today in his trial on numerous capital sex charges of raping a child. But he was ineffective in countering his own recorded confessions, in a conversation with the child’s father and with detectives, that he had committed the very acts he is accused of.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest 31 in Year-Long Undercover Operations Targeting Illegal Drugs
Over $746,000 of illegal drugs and 31 drug dealers are now off the streets after a nearly year-long countywide undercover operation targeting drug dealers in Flagler County by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Austin Ross, 27-Year-Old Recruit Hopeful with Flagler Sheriff’s Office, Dies Following Physical Agilities Test
Austin Ross, a 27-year-old Palm Coast resident hoping to become a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy, fell to the ground during a physical agilities test Monday morning, the first step toward becoming a recruit, and later died of an apparently heart-related medical episode.
In Trial’s Opening, Prosecution Describes Andrew Sharp, 22, as Babysitter Turned Sexual Predator on His Own Young Cousins
Donald Andrew Sharp was 20 and 21 when he lived with his cousins in Palm Coast, as their babysitter. He is on trial on charges of raping his cousin when she was 8 and 9, and of forcing her brother to molest her, allegedly as a scapegoat for Sharp: if he were to be blamed, he would turn the accusation toward his young cousin. The two children testified today, after opening arguments by the prosecution. The defense reserved its opening argument for later in the week.
Flagler and St. Johns Award Paul Renner Emergency Preparedness Legislative Achievement Award
Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord and St. Johns County Emergency Management Deputy Director Kelly Wilson spent part of “Emergency Management Day at the Capitol” (February 7) presenting House Speaker Paul Renner with the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA) Legislative Achievement Award.
High-Profile Attorney Jose Baez Takes Over Defense of Migrant Virgilio Mendez Accused in Death of Sheriff’s Deputy After Arrest
Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, the 18-year-old migrant facing a manslaughter charge in the heart-attack death of a St. Johns County sheriff’s deputy following Mendez’s arrest on a minor charge, is now represented by Jose Baez, the Miami attorney and one of the most successful and high-profile trial lawyers in the country. Baez’s involvement and a petition that has gathered 600,000 signatures for Mendez’s release reflect the reach of the case far beyond St. Johns County, and shock over a charge that, according to the medical examiner’s conclusion, is disconnected from deputy Michael Kunovich’s heart attack.
Palm Coast Fire Department Announces Wave of Promotions
Chief Kyle Berryhill unveiled the latest promotions within the department’s ranks, demonstrating dedication to enhancing the organization. Among these notable advancements is the elevation of Driver Engineer Kalin Graham to the role of Lieutenant, succeeding Lieutenant Rich Cline, who retired this past September.
He’d Burglarized Tourists’ Car at a Local Park and Bought Apple Watches with Their Cards. He Was Sentenced to Life in Prison.
Last November, Caisy Frank, a 40-year-old resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., was tried and found guilty of armed burglary, grand theft of a firearm, additional grand theft counts, and fraud, among 10 charges. On Tuesday, Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced Frank to life in prison. The severity of the sentence is a reflection of Frank’s status as a prison-release reoffender.
Palm Coast Firefighters Honored for Heroic Acts, Bringing Back to Life Three Palm Coast Residents
Lieutenant Richard Cline (retired), Lieutenant Joseph Paci, Driver Engineer Brandon Davis, Driver Engineer Dylan Mulligan, Driver Engineer Julie Rivera (retired), Firefighter Kyle Gardner, and Firefighter Tyler Major were awarded unit commendations in recognition of their decisive actions that effectively led to the successful resuscitation and life-saving rescue of Palm Coast residents Mike Rowlings, Mark Leinemann, and Vito Mattioli.
Brenan Hill Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Savannah Gonzalez, 22, as Her Cousin Tells Him: ‘I Loathe You’
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins this afternoon sentenced Brenan Hill to life in prison for the murder of Savannah Gonzalez in the Publix parking lot off Belle Terre Parkway the morning of March 26, 2021. Gonzalez was 22 when Hill shot her that morning. She lived, incapacitated, hospitalized and unaware, until Nov. 9, 2022, when she died. Hill’s initial explanations for the shooting were a confederacy of lies.
Carlos Rivera-Hernandez, 32, Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison Over Child Sexual Abuse Materials
Ten years ago Carlos Rafael Rivera-Hernandez of Palm Coast served prison and was declared a sex offender on a conviction on statutory rape of a child. On Monday, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years on probation, and was declared a sexual predator, over possession of child sexual abuse material.
DeSantis Lends Support to Proposal Banning Local Governments from Giving Refuge to Homeless on Public Property
Saying that while no city in Florida is contending with the issues of homelessness that are prevalent in places like San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday came out in support of a proposal moving through the Florida Legislature that would ban local governments from allowing people to sleep on public property without a permit.
Fight at Dollar General Escalates to a Shooting as 2 Men Chase Each Other Through North Palm Coast
Victor Smith, 46, is at the Flagler County jail on $96,000 bond after a physical fight that escalated to a shooting in Palm Coast’s Matanzas Woods neighborhood at midday Sunday. The alleged victim is living with the woman to whom Smith is still married to, but from whom he’s been separated or five months.
Federal Judge Rules Against Palestinian Students on Florida Campuses, Saying They’ve Not Been Silenced
Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida and Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of South Florida filed lawsuits in November alleging that efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis and state university leaders to disband the groups violated their First Amendment rights.
Suspected Gas Station Armed Robber Who Was Shot By a Store Clerk in 2nd Incident Returns to Flagler to Face Charge
Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan, the 32-year-old man suspected of armed robbery at the Shell convenience store on State Road 100 in Palm Coast last April, and of another robbery in Georgia hours later, where a store clerk shot at him eight times, was booked at the Flagler County jail Wednesday, on no bond, to face a first-degree felony charge of armed robbery.
Judge Dismisses Disney Lawsuit That Claimed DeSantis Had Retaliated Against the Company
In a win for Gov. Ron DeSantis, a federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the state unconstitutionally retaliated against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts because of the company’s opposition to a controversial education law.
Threatening Charges, Florida Forbids Trans’ Preferred Gender Identity on Driver’s Licenses
Transgender people can no longer obtain a driver’s license that reflects their gender identity under a new policy that treats “misrepresenting one’s gender, understood as sex, on a driver license” as fraud punishable by civil and criminal penalties plus cancellation, suspension, or revocation of the license.
Mother of 6-Week-Old Boy at Project Warm Is Charged with Aggravated Child Abuse After Discovery of Burns
Jessica Marie Jordan, a 35-year-old resident of Project Warm, the behavioral health program in Bunnell for pregnant women and young mothers who have battled addiction, is at the Flagler County jail, facing two grave child abuse charges after her 6-week-old child was found to have burn marks that were several days old. Jordan has been a client, or resident, at Project Warm since May 2.
Defense Files Motion to Dismiss Manslaughter Charge Against Migrant in Arrest Followed by Deputy’s Heart Attack
Two weeks after all but accusing the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office of fabricating parts of the account surrounding the arrest of 18-year-old Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, the migrant’s defense attorney has filed a motion to dismiss the manslaughter count against him, calling it “legally insufficient” and arguing that there’s no connection between Mendez and what led to the death of Sheriff’s deputy Michael Kunovich of a heart attack after the arrest.
Circle K Murder Trial of Marcus Chamblin Is Set for April 8, With Co-Conspirator’s Trial Soon to Follow
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins today set April 8 as the trial date for Marcus Chamblin, one of two defendants facing a first-degree murder charge in the October 12, 2019 murder of Deon O’Neal Jenkins and an attempted murder charge in the shooting of a second victim, whose name authorities have not released. The shooting took place in the parking lot of the Circle K gas station and convenience store on Palm Coast Parkway, off of Belle Terre Parkway.
Targeting Homeless, Lawmakers Want to Forbid Local Governments from Allowing Sleeping on Public Property
A Senate committee Monday backed a proposal that would prevent counties and cities from allowing people to sleep or camp on public property without permits. Bill sponsor Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, called his proposal (SB 1530) a way to address a mental-health crisis in the state and to assist the “chronically homeless.”
Brendan Depa’s Sentencing is Postponed as Lawyers Cite More Preparation Needed
Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the sentencing of Brendan Depa, the former Matanzas High School student who pleaded to a count of aggravated battery on a school employee, has ben postponed to an undetermined date, and may not be held until past mid-March.
Stabbing at Econolodge: Money Issues for Homeless Family Staying There Escalate Into Violence
A juvenile girl apparently defending herself from being choked stabbed her mother’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Tyland Chambers, at the Econolodge in Palm Coast Sunday morning, before Chambers allegedly attacked another man who was trying to protect the girl. Chambers ended up hospitalized for treatment, and facing four charges, including two felonies. The girl was not charged.
Palm Coast’s Eric Galdabini, 56, Randomly Attacks and Stabs a Man After Attempting to Pick-Up His Girlfriend
Eric Philip Galdabini, a 56-year-old resident of 126 Birchwood Drive in Palm Coast, had circled by a couple walking in the B-Section and asked a 21-year-old woman if she wanted a ride before he stopped the car and rushed her boyfriend. The two scuffled, Galdabini slashed at the man with a pocketknife, and was later arrested on an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon count.
Bill Lowers Florida State Guard Training Standards, Allows Use Outside the State, and Broadens In-State Mission
The Florida State Guard, revived by Gov. Ron DeSantis, could operate outside Florida and be called into service anytime he “deemed necessary,” under a bill approved Thursday by a House panel. The bill also removes a requirement that state guard standards and training be equivalent to the Florida National Guard.
On His Trial’s Eve, Marshall Thomas, 17, Is Arrested for the 3rd Time in 18 Months, This Time for Distributing Porn to Kids
Marshall Thomas, 17, has twice been released on bond since his original arrest in July 2022, and both times has re-offended, getting charged with serious felonies. Now, on the eve of his trial in Flagler County on charges of molesting a girl at Matanzas High School, and on two counts of stealing firearms, prosecutors in Flagler County are asking that Thomas’s bond be revoked following his latest arrest, in Wisconsin, on charges of distributing child pornography to other children.
Palm Coast’s Noah Michael Urban, 19, Faces 14 Counts of Cryptocurrency Fraud in Federal Indictment
A federal judge in Jacksonville on Monday signed an order to have former Palm Coast resident Noah Michael Urban held in prison pending trial, and finding him at risk of fleeing if he were released meanwhile. Urban is alleged to have stolen virtual currency from five victims’ accounts by fraudulently obtaining their personal identifying information, managing to take control of their cell phone numbers, and gaining access to their online accounts and cryptocurrency exchange accounts.
Clarifying Its Own Roles, School Board Finally Approves Carver Gym Agreement with Expanded PAL Presence
It took half a year, but the Flagler County School Board Tuesday evening approved the new agreement that will revamp and control the operation of the Carver Center, or Carver Gym, in Bunnell, in cooperation with Flagler County, the City of Bunnell, the Sheriff’s Office and its Police Athletic League. PAL will have a much larger role running activities at the center.
Parents Jailed on 6 Felony Counts of Child Neglect Over Abject House Conditions as DCF Takes 3 Children
Michelle Sofia, 35, and Willie Lee London, 41, are facing three felony child neglect charges each in connection with Bunnell police discovering their three children living in abject conditions at 811 Hymon Circle, with no food, running water or sanitation. The children are an 11-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy.
Defense Calls Out Sharp Inaccuracies in Arrest Account of Migrant Facing Manslaughter Charge in Death of Deputy
The defense lawyer for Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, the 18-year-old migrant held for over eight months on an aggravated manslaughter of an officer charge in the death of a St. Johns County deputy, is calling his arrest “legally insufficient,” describing his arrest report as a series of misrepresentations and misapplications of the law, and citing the medical examiner’s report to conclude that the death of the deputy was unrelated to the arrest.