The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Community Engagement Unit hosted its 203rd Women’s Self-Defense Course and trained its 3,000th female participant on Thursday, January 26th. The class was hosted at the Palm Coast Community Center for City of Palm Coast employees.
Cops/Courts
Palm Coast Mayor Suggests Candidates Be Criminal-Background Checked. Council Isn’t Interested.
A proposal by Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin to criminally-background check all future candidates for council drew more cautions and concerns from other council members and zero support, prompting him to withdraw it “until or unless it’s discussed in the future,” he said.
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.
40 Years in Prison for Jevante Hamilton for Overdose Death of Tim Davidson and Other Offenses
Jevante Hamilton’s charge carried a maximum 15-year prison sentence, but his repeated offenses and prison stints led the prosecution to ask for 30 years, plus 10 he was already sentenced to in Volusia, for separate offenses.
Flagler Firefighters Aiding State Agencies in Containing 2-Month-Old Favoretta Fire
Flagler County Fire Rescue continues to provide mutual aid to the Florida Forest Service and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection – the lead response agencies – for an extremely dense mulch fire in Favoretta that has been burning for two months. The property owner has been dismantling the large pile to create smaller, less dense piles that will be easier to extinguish.
Renner Proposal Would Allow Floridians to Carry Guns Without a Permit or Safety Class
Calling the proposal an effort to “remove the government permission slip,” House Speaker Paul Renner on Monday announced legislation that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without licenses or currently-required gun-safety classes.
How the Trauma of Police Killings Ripples Across Communities
The effects of police killings ripple from the individual victim to their families and local communities as they cope with the permanence of injury, death and loss. People victimized by the police have demonstrated higher-than-usual rates of depression, psychological distress and even suicide risk.
Taking a Hard Look at Police Killings
In spite of the huge public attention to police violence since 2020, police are actually killing more people than before, with communities of color facing a much higher risk.
‘Disgusted’ Sheriff Rick Staly Denounces Tyre Nichols Killing as Video Exposes Brutality
Sheriff Rick Staly described himself as “disgusted” by the actions of Memphis police officers as the nation reacted with shock to a video showing the wanton brutality of the beating of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop on Jan. 7. Nichols, 29, died three days later from the injuries he suffered in the beating.
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.
12 Images of Child Sex Abuse Equal 18 Months in Prison for 79-Year-Old Palm Coast Man
Edgar Alloway Jr., 79, a 16-year resident of Banton Lane in Palm Coast, was sentenced to 18 months in state prison today for downloading 12 images of child sexual abuse. Alloway’s attorney, Josh Davis, called it a “death sentence” because of Alloway’s failing health.
Allyson Bennett, 41, Is Sentenced to 8 Years for Her Role in Overdose Death of Michael Burnett Jr.
Three days after her then-boyfriend and co-conspirator was sentenced to 15 years, Allyson Dawn Bennett was sentenced to eight years in prison today for selling Michael Burnett Jr. the drugs that killed him in 2018. The lower sentence reflects Bennett’s cooperation with authorities and, to a degree, her recovery works at the county jail.
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.
Kwentel Moultrie Is Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Rape Conviction, Still faces Murder Charge
Kwentel Moultrie, whom a jury last August found guilty of rape, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today. He had previously turned down a deal that would have drastically reduced the charge and spared him prison.
15 Years in Prison for Joseph Carroll in Fentanyl Overdose Death of Michael Burnett Jr.
Joseph Carroll, a 44-year-old former resident of Shady Lane in Palm Coast, was sentenced to 15 years in prison this morning for causing the death by fentanyl overdose of 31-year-old Michael Burnett Jr. in June 2018. Carroll and Allyson Bennett, 40, had sold the drug to Burnett shortly before his overdose.
After 18 Months of Silence on Allegation of Sex Assault, Ex-Palm Coast Doctor Will Answer Charges
The civil case against physician Gerard Abate, accused in a suit of deceiving and raping a woman at his Palm Coast condo in 2017, has been redirected to a more ordinary trial track after taking a bizarre turn for the 18 months Abate did not contest the charges against him.
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.
Judicial Nominating Commission Begins Process to Fill County and Circuit Judgeship
The Judicial Nominating Commission for the Seventh Judicial Circuit that includes Flagler County will map the process that will lead to the nomination of candidates to fill two judgeships that have come open in the circuit: a circuit judgeship in Volusia, after the retirement of Margaret Hudson, and a county judgeship in Putnam, after the elevation of Joe Boatman.
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.
Court Running Out of Patience With Sex-Offender Probationer Who Keeps Violating Rules
Bryan Lemus was spared prison three years ago after a plea deal that reduced charges of molesting a minor to child abuse. He was sentenced to probation, but has since violated his probation twice, the last time in December after violating a prohibition on using social media to exchange explicit images with a woman.
Florida Democrats Seek Prison Release for Non-Violent Offenders After 65% of Time Served Instead of 85%
Calling the state’s criminal justice system “outdated,” Tampa Democratic state Rep. Dianne Hart filed a proposal this week (HB 115) that would allow non-violent offenders to reduce their mandatory time served from 85 percent to 65 percent through their successful completion of academic and other learning courses while incarcerated.
Brenan Hill Now Faces Murder Charge as Savannah Gonzalez, Victim in Microtel Shooting, Dies
Brenan Hill now faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting of Savannah Gonzalez near the Microtel in Palm Coast in March 2021. The State Attorney’s Office today filed the new charge. Hill is scheduled for an August trial.
Ex-Palm Coast Doctor Facing Rape and Deceit Allegations Says He Was Never Served
A year and a half after a civil lawsuit was filed against him, claiming he deceived, drugged and raped a woman at a condo in Palm Coast, Dr. Gerard Abate says he was never served. A judge will decide whether Abate or a process server are telling the truth at a hearing next week.
Flagler Jail Eliminates All Hard-Copy Mail to Inmates as Scanning and Tablets Replace Paper
All hard-copy mail delivery to the Flagler County jail’s 225-some inmates has been replaced by scans of mail. It is part of a sweeping change in the handling of inmate mail across the state at least 14 other states as prisons and jails cut down on incoming materials. The switch has drawn sharp criticism from prisoner advocates and strong support by those implementing it, as in Flagler.
In Putnam, a 38-Year-Old Man Is Sentenced to Die, Again, and a 21 Year Old Will Serve Life in Prison
Timothy Wayne Fletcher, 38, was sentenced to die at the state’s hand for the murder of his stepgrandmother Helen Googe in 2009. Anthony Foxx will serve life in prison without parole with the stabbing death of his Ayana Belton, who was 16.
A Defendant Says he’s Going to Prison for Doing What His Domestic Violence Classes Told Him to Do
Leon Marcus Criswell was sentenced to 17 months in state prison in a domestic battery case, but he says his case was aggravated because he did just what his counselors in domestic violence classes taught him to do: he sped away from what he saw as trouble before it got physical.
Divided Appeals Court Rejects Protection for Transgender Bathroom Use in St. Johns School Case
After a five-year legal battle, and reversing a lower court ruling, a sharply divided federal appeals court upheld a St. Johns County School Board policy that prevented a transgender male student from using boys’ bathrooms at a high school.
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.
Smiles Nite Club’s David Ghiloni Gets Sheriff’s Lifesaving Award for Jumping Gunman
David Ghiloni along with other bar patrons intervened when a gunman was holding a gun to a woman’s head at Smiles Nite Club in November.
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.
Should There Be Armed Civilians in Schools? Flagler District Will Survey Employees and Residents
With numerous questions still unanswered–and some unanswerable questions–the Flagler County School Board is moving forward with gauging interest from school employees and residents in arming civilians in schools as a presumed addition to the security provided by the Sheriff’s Office’s school resource deputies.
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.
DeSantis Picks 4 Judges for Revamped 5th District Court of Appeal, Which Hears Flagler Cases
DeSantis named Florida Gaming Control Commission Chairman John MacIver, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Paige Kilbane, Duval County Circuit Judge Adrian Soud and Putnam County Judge Joseph Boatwright to serve on the appellate court, which will hear cases from a large swath of North Florida and Central Florida.
Two Inmates at Flagler Jail Who Attempted Suicide Within 24 Hours Each Had a Disturbing Backstory
On Dec. 8 and 9, in the span of 24 hours, detention deputies–and an inmate in the first case–intervened and halted the attempted suicides of two inmates, a man and a woman, in unrelated incidents. Each had a harrowing back-story, suggesting that the individuals’ attempts may not be their last.
Lawsuit Cites Splash Pad Contractors’ ‘Collective Negligence’ and Bond Company’s Refusal to Pick Up Pieces
The lawsuit Palm Coast government filed to recover damages from the broken splash pad at Holland Park names three contractor, accusing them of negligence, breach of contract and warranties, and violations of Florida’s building code. The lawsuit also names the bonding company, revealing that the company has allegedly refused to comply by the bond’s terms.
Jury Convicts Rene Laso In Smiles Bar Stabbing After Propositioning Woman; He Faces Up to 30 Years
A jury on Wednesday convicted Rene Laso, a 56-year-old resident of Zachary Place in Palm Coast, on two counts of aggravated assault in the stabbing of a man and a woman at Smiles night club a year and a half ago. The incident was triggered after Laso propositioned the woman for sexual favors in exchange for $5,000.