Robert William Orr, the former president of the Las Brisas Condo Association arrested on numerous charges of secretly capturing video of residents and guests, was sentenced on Monday to two years in prison followed by three years on sex-offender probation.
Cops/Courts
Free Community Emergency Response Team Training Begins April 24
Learn basic disaster and emergency response skills – such as disaster preparedness, fire safety, and basic first aid – at the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program, which begins on April 24.
Head-On Crash at Flagler Beach Pier Narrowly Misses Mayor, Her Child, Former Mayor and Commissioner
A speeding car was in a head-on crash in front of the Flagler Beach pier this morning, just as a beach clean-up involving children and other volunteers was starting. The collision took place within a few feet of the city’s mayor, her child, a former mayor, a city commissioner and the city’s parks and recreation director.
Sheriff Launches Voluntary Surveillance Camera Registry Tapping Private Homes, Businesses and Agencies
The camera registry is an online portal for citizens to register their security cameras in order to help solve crimes in the community. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is hoping that citizens will register their cameras and help create a community-wide public safety ecosystem.
Walmart in Palm Coast Evacuated After It Was Target of a Bomb Threat
The Walmart store at 174 Cypress Point Parkway in Palm Coast was evacuated of customers and employees this afternoon after it was the target of a bomb threat called in around 4:40 p.m.
Appeal to Supreme Court for Stay of Gaskin Execution Cites FlaglerLive Article on Juror’s Reversal
Among other arguments, Gaskin’s lawyers cite a March 15 FlaglerLive article in which Janet Valentine, one of the 12 jurors at Gaskin’s 1990 trial, saying she regrets being part of the 8-4 votes recommending his death. Valentine would go on to be Flagler County’s school superintendent between 2010 and 2014.
Trials of Circle K Murder Suspects, Derrius Bauer and Marcus Chamblin, May Not Be Until Next Year
Layers for the defense and the prosecution told Circuit Judge Terence Perkins this morning that they may not be ready for the trial of Derrius Bauer, one of two suspects in the October 2019 killing of Deon O’Neal Jenkins, known as the Circle K murder, until next January.
Christina Marie Coe, 28, Missing Since March 22: Located
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating Christina Marie Coe, a 28-year-old resident of Bunnell who left her Bunnell home at noon on March 22 and hasn’t been heard of since.
Reclusive, 15-ft Beaked Whale, Likely Sick, Strands in Flagler Beach Near Water Tower
For the second time in only 10 weeks, a rarely seen whale beached on Flagler County’s sands and was put down hours later before it was to be removed from the surf and transported by truck to Orlando’s SeaWorld for a necropsy.
61-Year-Old Man Faces Animal Cruelty Charge in Killing of Family Cat
A 61-year-old resident of Lee Drive in Palm Coast was arrested Wednesday on a felony charge of cruelty toward animals, causing death, after he told sheriff’s deputies he choked and slashed the family cat. The cat died.
Senate Will Vote on Eliminating Need for Unanimous Juries in Death Recommendations
The Senate Rules Committee voted 15-4 to approve a bill (SB 450) that would allow death sentences to be imposed based on the recommendations of eight of 12 jurors — a standard that bill sponsor Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, described as being “the most aggressive of all 50 states.”
Drone, Gas and SWAT Closed In on Armed Man on Ricker Place, Leading to Arrest After Stand-Off
Luis Ramirez, the 56-year-old man who held Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies at bay for two days before his arrest late Monday night, was severely depressed, intoxicated and threatening self-harm, and had fired at least one round from a firearm Sunday night while family members were in the house, but not at anyone in particular, sheriff’s reports say.
15-Year Justice Polston Resigns, Giving DeSantis Seventh Pick for Florida Supreme Court
DeSantis has tended toward members of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy when selecting judges, which has made for a staunchly right-leaning court all too willing to reverse important precedents.
Judge Perkins Denies Further Hearings and Claim of ‘Manifest Injustice’ in Gaskin Death Penalty Case
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins this morning in Bunnell denied the defense’s motion for an evidentiary hearing on Tuesday, ending Gaskin’s last possible effort to prevent his killing. The state Supreme Court and a last-minute commutation by the governor are the only remaining possibilities, but they are beyond the remote.
Matanzas Aide Attacked by 17 Year Old Had Reported His Threats As Far Back as August
Joan Naydich, the 58-year-old Matanzas High School paraprofessional attacked by one of her students on Feb. 21 had alerted the classroom teacher as far back as late August of the student’s aggression and belligerence, according to a petition for an injunction she filed at the end of February.
A Series of Frantic Hearings at Bunnell Courthouse Are Preceding State’s Killing of Louis Gaskin
Nearly half a dozen hearings are taking place at the Flagler County courthouse between this week and next in the case of Louis Gaskin, who is scheduled to be executed by the state on April 12. The hearings are last-minutes attempt either to delay or to annul the execution, but the likelihood of success is beyond the realm of hail Marys.
20-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Charged With Robbery of a Door Dash Delivery Man
Jakeem Washington-Howell, a 20-year-old resident of Breeze Hill lane in Palm Coast, faces a second-degree felony robbery charge that carries a maximum of 15 years in prison on conviction following an alleged robbery of a Door Dash delivery man Tuesday night.
Janet Valentine, a Juror and Future Superintendent, Regrets Voting for Gaskin’s Death. Prosecutor Does Not.
Janet Valentine, who would become Flagler school superintendent 20 years later, was one of the jurors who recommended the death of Louis Gaskin in 1990, a vote she now regrets. Gaskin is to be put to death in April. John Tanner, the State Attorney at the time, has no regrets for seeking the death penalty.
Lawmakers Move Closer to Scrapping Unanimous Jury Requirement for Death Penalty Recommendations
The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee voted 8-6 today to approve a bill (HB 555) that would eliminate a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before death sentences can be imposed. Under the bill, judges would sentence people to death based on recommendations of eight of 12 jurors.
Louis Gaskin, Convicted for 2 Murders in R-Section in 1990, to Be 1st-Ever Execution of Flagler Resident
Louis Gaskin, a murderer known as the “Ninja Killer,” is set to be killed by lethal injection on April 12 for the 1989 murders of Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on Ripley Place in Palm Coast.
Road Rage Stabbing on I-95 Leads to Arrest of Felon Out on Bond for Another Stabbing
Michael Marsh Jr., who faces a felony charge stemming from the stabbing of a truck driver on I-95, is a felon many times over in the past dozen years and a former state prison inmate who was out on bond at the time of the road rage incident–on an aggravated battery charge involving a stabbing.
How Cupcake Café’s TikTok of Mr Keith’s Surgical Cake Order Went Viral in Whirls of Good Wishes
TikTok clips by Theresa Tazewell, owner of Cupcake Cafe in Palm Coast, went viral as she documented customer Keith’s wish to pay for his wife’s birthday cake in advance for fear that he might die during surgery. He survived, and was lavished with millions of good wishes from a round the globe through Tazewell’s TikToks.
A Motorcyclist Is Killed, Another Is Critically Injured in Separate Crashes in Flagler
As Bike Week was entering its closing weekend, a motorcyclist was killed and another was critically injured Friday in separate crashes in Flagler County, the first in Palm Coast, the second in Bunnell.
Two Suspects Fleeing From Cops on US1 Left 2 Dogs in Burning Vehicle. One Died.
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.
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.
‘Our Ambitious Agenda Is Well Underway,’ Renner tells Joint Legislative Session
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, made remarks to the House on the opening day of the 2023 legislative session. Sheriff Rick Staly and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard were Renner’s guests.
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.
Judge Orders Mental Evaluation for Matanzas Student Who Assaulted Aide
A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of 17-year-old Brendan Depa, the Matanzas High School student accused of attacking his paraprofessional. Court documents related to the order for the first time confirm that Depa has been treated for mental illness and is on various medication for psychological issues.
Matanzas Assault Case: A Miscarriage of Justice Hardens Before Our Eyes
The public reaction to 17-year-old Brendan Depa’s assault of Joan Naydich at Matanzas High School is mostly compassionate and balanced. The more strident reaction among elected officials–the State Attorney, school board members–is not not. Elected officials are not only exploiting the situation. They’re exploiting Depa. They want blood.
Daytona State and Bethune Cookman Sign Agreement Supporting Criminal Justice Students
The agreement, which is effective immediately, provides support for Daytona State students who have earned an Associate of Arts degree or an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice who intend to transfer to Bethune-Cookman University to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.
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.
Already Serving Life, Carlos DuPree Is Convicted on Charges of Assaulting Jail Deputy
A jury on Wednesday found Carlos DuPree, 37, guilty of assaulting Flagler jail corrections deputy deputy Edward Wallace over a search of DuPree’s Koran in 2021, resulting in a five-year prison sentence in addition to a life term for home invasion that DuPree is already serving.
School Board Chair Wants To Hear From Employees: Do You Want Armed Staffers on Campus?
As the Flagler County School Board nears a decision on arming some staffers on campus, School Board member Cheryl Massaro isn’t convinced that’s what employees want. She wants to hear from them before making a decision, and invited employees to use a district app or link to share their thoughts.
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.
Commissioners Blame ‘Bad Planning’ as Cost to Replace Jail Security System Triples in Months
The Flagler County jail’s surveillance system, including 149 cameras, is not yet seven years old. It’s failing. The Flagler County Commission–the jail’s landlord–is having to replace it for $1.6 million, just months after the county administration told commissioners that it would cost only $500,000.
‘Historic’ Fire Station 22 Will Move to Colbert Lane and Make Room for Community Center Parking
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve ending the life of its oldest fire house, Station 22, on Palm Coast Parkway and building a new station on Colbert Lane. The plan is part of a larger design both to improve firefighters’ response times and to improve the dismal parking situation at the Palm Coast Community center.
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.
FPC Fire Academy’s Kyle Gardner Finds a Career with the Palm Coast Fire Department
By joining the Flagler Palm Coast High School Fire Academy Leadership program as a freshman in 2017, Kyle Gardner was able to get a jumpstart on his fire school studies during the week while spending his weekends at Palm Coast Fire Stations 21 and 24.
Florida Justices Refuse to Block Killing of Donald Dillbeck, Convicted of Carjacking Murder
Justices refused to issue a stay of Dillbeck’s execution, whose death warrant was signed last month by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The killing, scheduled for Feb. 23, would be the first time a prisoner has been put to death in Florida since 2019. Dillbeck’s attorney say he is mentally disabled.
Judge Almost Doubles Bond on Gabriella Alo, Defendant in Brazen Flagler Beach Attack
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins this morning nearly doubled the bond on on 18-year-old Gabriella Alo, from $18,500 to $33,500, based on new information from the prosecution. Alo and her brother face charges in an attack on two people at Wickline Park in Flagler Beach in January. The judge also imposed a set of conditions should Alo manage to bond out.
In Brenan Hill’s Murder Trial Over Death of Savannah Gonzalez, Jury Will Hear Confession Defense Wanted Suppressed
Brenan Hill, 33, faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Savannah La-Rynn Gonzalez, 22 at the time, two years ago. He confessed to the shooting during an interview with detectives. The defense wanted the confession kept from the jury. A judge today disagreed.
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.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Announces Death of K-9 Keanu Just Shy of His 4th Birthday
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this morning announced the death of K-9 Keanu, a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday and a little over two years into his service with the Sheriff’s Office.
7 Years in Prison for Randy Alexandre, 23, Over Firing 27 Rounds at Occupied House on Kalamazoo Trail
Randy Alexandre, the 23-year-old man a jury found guilty of attempted manslaughter after he and two other men fired their guns at a house on Kalamazoo Trail in Palm Coast two years ago, was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by seven years on probation today.