Jonathan Canales was sentenced to life in prison for the attempted murder of Tiffany Norman in the Mondex in 2014 as her three children slept. He will represent himself when he appears before Circuit Judge Terence Perkins next week, arguing defendants’ last hope: that his attorney had been ineffective.
Cops/Courts
Flagler Grand Jury Issues 4 Indictments for Murder, 2 More in Drug Deaths, 2 in Killing of Deon O’Neal Jenkins
The indictments of Allyson Dawn Bennett, 39, and Javian Neesmith, 21, are Flagler County’s second and third for murder stemming from the death of individuals from drug overdoses–a relatively new, rapidly expanding but also increasingly controversial trend in criminal prosecutions that began with the emergence of the fentanyl epidemic.
Jared W. Douglas, 19, Arrested in Stabbing at Holland Park After Week of Posturing Texts
Jared Wayne Douglas, a 19-year-old resident of 23 Blare Castle Drive, was arrested Sunday night and charged in the stabbing of a 15-year-old boy at Holland Park. The 15 year old was air-lifted to a hospital in Orlando. He is expected to survive.
FBI Arrests Army Veteran Allegedly Plotting Attack on Pro-Trump Demonstrators in Tallahassee
Federal authorities have arrested a self-described anarchist on charges related to his alleged attempt to recruit the “like-minded” to violently disrupt the expected gathering by supporters of President Trump at the Florida Capitol through Inauguration Day.
Law Enforcement on Alert in Tallahassee In Response to FBI Warning of “Armed Protests” Ahead of Biden Inaugural
State and local law enforcement agencies in Tallahassee are bracing for potential protests at the Florida Capitol this weekend and early next week, although officials say there are no specific threats right now.
Flagler Kiwanis Donate New Sleuth of Bears to Sheriff’s Deputies on Patrol
The Club’s signature project “Bears-on-Patrol” was initiated in October 2019 to equip every Flagler County Law Enforcement vehicle with a supply of stuffed bears for officers to use when responding to calls ranging from traffic accidents, fires, and crime scenes, to domestic issues where a child is in a distressful situation and needs comfort and security.
After Molesting Her Mother Years Ago, Palm Coast Man, 70, Accused of Molesting Her Daughter, 15
James Lee McIntire of Florida Park Drive in Palm Coast faces a second-degree felony charge of molestation of a girl who’d been in his charge and who stayed with him every summer for 10 years.
Flagler Detectives Shut Down Bunnell Business Allegedly Used as Drug House, and Owned by Trafficker
Rodney Levon Hill, a 43-year-old resident of 17 Renmont Court in Palm Coast, was running a detailing business from a storefront on Hibiscus Avenue in Bunnell which the sheriff’s office says he used to sell drugs.
A Woman Is Shot in Palm Coast’s B Section, Her Partner Is Arrested, But For Different Reasons
Nicholas Edward LeBlanc, 36, of 6 Buffalo Bill Drive in Palm Coast, told deputies the shooting of his partner was accidental, though he gave conflicting accounts. He was arrested on charges of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.
Three Floridians So Far Among 13 Arrested in Assault on U.S. Capitol
Three men identified as Floridians are among 13 individuals arrested for federal crimes involving the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that Matthew Council of Riverview, Michael Curzio of Summerfield and Douglas Sweet were charged as part of an on-going investigation into the destruction of the building.
2 Arrested in ‘Targeted’ Circle K Murder in 2019 Following Extensive Investigation of 15 Months
A 15-month-long murder investigation the Flagler County sheriff called “the most extensive” in county history ended Thursday with the arrest of two men charged in the hit-style shooting at the Circle K on Palm Coast Parkway in October 2019. The shooting left Deon O’Neal Jenkins, 25, dead, and a friend injured.
Flagler Commissioners Strongly Repudiate Mullins Letter On County Letterhead Disputing Biden Election
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins used commission letterhead, without other commissioners’ approval, to plagiarize a letter and send it to Florida’s congressional delegation, repeating baseless, false, misleading, conspiratorial and widely discredited claims that Biden’s election was fraudulent.
Witness and Deputy Pull Crash Victim Away from Flames on Palm Coast Parkway
Christina M. Atwell, 42, a witness who was first at the scene of the crash, was helping the victim and was soon joined by Flagler County Sheriff Austin Darlymple to pull 18-year-old Tyler C. Jacques away from flames that had engulfed his moped and the car that struck him.
Sharp-Eyed Policing on Christmas Leads to Man Packing Gallon-Sized Pot Stash and Buffet of Drugs
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office halted two alleged criminals in their tracks over the Christmas weekend by proactively investigating suspicious circumstances.
In-Person Jury Trials Suspended in Flagler Until at Least Late January as Covid Trolls
There will be no in-person jury trials in Flagler County until at least January 19 due to the very high incidence of coronavirus cases in the county. The county in the week ending last Saturday broke yet another record in confirmed cases for the previous seven days, with a total of 270, and a cumulative total exceeding 3,500.
Sheriff’s Deputies and Fire Flight Searching for Man in Palm Coast’s R-Section Following Armed Disturbance
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this morning responded to a disturbance call on Rainbow Lane, involving a weapon. The firearm was located and not discharged, and there were no injuries. But the suspect fled on foot.
56-Year-Old Flagler Beach Man Surrenders Peacefully After Night of Threats and Barricading Himself For a Siege
Timothy Gibson, 56, who has a significant criminal history in the county, was arrested after a night of allegedly threatening to kill three women (his wife and daughter among them) and barricading himself with weapons against law enforcement in a siege of several hours.
Local Governments Seek Re-Hearing in Federal Case That Allowed ‘Conversion Therapy’ Targeting LGBTQ Youths
Local Florida ordinances that a federal court found unconstitutional had barred therapists from providing treatment or counseling that is designed to change minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics of such therapy say it harms minors who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Fired Analyst Rebekah Jones Sues FDLE Over Search of Her Home
Attorneys for fired Florida Department of Health analyst Rebekah Jones, who has drawn national attention for her battles with the DeSantis administration, argued in the lawsuit that a search warrant to enter her home Dec. 7 “was obtained in bad faith and with no legitimate object or purpose.”
Taser Twice Fails to Stop Alleged Assailant as Flagler Sheriff’s Deputies Faces Suicide-by-Cop Situation
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Benjamin Stamps and other deputies on Sunday morning had a perilous encounter with a seemingly suicidal individual who would have normally been Baker Acted, but ended up facing numerous charges for allegedly assaulting the officers as he sought to be shot by the deputies. Stamps’s Taser twice failed to stop the individual in the encounter.
Man, 61, Killed in Midnight Crash at US 1 and Royal Palms; ‘Alcohol and Cocaine All Over the Car’
A 61-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 1 and Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast shortly after midnight this morning. The cause of the crash is not known for now.
Man Arrested in Armed Road Rage Incident on Belle Terre Faces New Charge of Armed Burglary
The new charge against Robert Wilson, 21, of Palm Coast was related to a May 26 incident where Wilson is alleged to have threatened individuals with an ax after entering their home on Rolls Royce Court in Palm Coast, uninvited.
DeSantis Passes Over Rendzio and Names Kenny Janesk Judge in 7th Judicial Circuit, Which Includes Flagler
Janesk has been a prosecutor in the Seventh Circuit State Attorney’s Office since 2011, working as the managing attorney of the Putnam County office. The appointment fills the position vacated by Circuit Judge Patti A. Christensen, who stepped down at the end of September.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Partners With Local Group to Repair Bicycles for Local Youth
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) donated 13 bicycles on Thursday from the abandoned property section of the FCSO Evidence Unit. These bicycles are in need of repair but have the potential to become a beloved form of recreation for a child.
New Training Program Addresses Post-Traumatic Stress in Law Enforcement Officers Across Florida
Officers are frequently exposed to violence and suffering while on duty, and experiencing extremely stressful events not only causes emotional stress, but can impact the brain and body, resulting in post-traumatic stress. However, officers often don’t recognize or have the tools to handle their own needs related to witnessing these stressful events.
Nathaniel Shimmel, 25, Sentenced to 50 Years in Stabbing Death of His Mother, Michele, at Their Palm Coast Home
Shimmel had faced the possibility of life in prison. His 50-year sentence will be followed by lifetime probation. Between time served and early release, he may be eligible to leave prison in 2060, when he will be 64. The family of the victim agreed to the plea deal to bring closure to the homicide case of longest date on the court’s docket.
At Groundbreaking on $23 Million Sheriff’s Operations Center, County Hopes ‘Difficult’ Years of Errors Are Over
Sheriff’s, county, Bunnell and Flagler Beach officials broke ground today on a 51,000-square foot, $23 million Sheriff’s Operations Center on the future Commerce Parkway in Bunnell, possibly ending eight years of costly errors and misjudgments and what will be a four-year exile for the sheriff’s agency from a place of its own.
18 Years Later, Flagler Finally Recognizes Firefighter John Keppler Jr.’s Line-of-Duty Death With a Memorial
An 18-year effort to get Flagler County to recognize former county firefighter John R. Keppler Jr.’s line-of-duty death in 2002 finally ended Monday evening with the county commission’s decision to rename the fire rescue training facility on Justice Lane after Keppler. But he will still not get benefits owed those who fall in the line of duty.
County Approves $20 Million Loan to Build Sheriff’s Operations Center, With Groundbreaking Wednesday
The Flagler County Commission voted 5-0 this evening to approve a $20 million commercial loan with CenterState Bank to finance a 51,000-square-foot Sheriff’s Operations Center south of the Government Services Center in Bunnell.
Federal Felon and 2 Teens Arrested in Armed Home Invasion-Robbery on Palm Coast’s Prospect Lane
Carlos Dupree, 34, a felon on probation, Korey Jones, 16, and Darius Watts, 15, were arrested early Sunday following an alleged armed home-invasion robbery at a house on Prospect Lane in Palm Coast where seven victims sustained injuries and were robbed at gunpoint.
Grand Jury Rips Florida’s Mental Health System, Citing ‘Deficiencies in Funding, Leadership and Services’
The statewide grand jury studying school safety said in the report that it is “clear to us that inadequately addressed mental health issues have the peculiar potential to spiral out over time into criminal acts and violent behavior resulting in serious injury and loss of life.”
$21 Million Sheriff’s Building Would Be Financed With 15-Year CenterState Bank Loan at 1.83% Interest
Flagler County commissioners on Monday will consider approving a $20 million loan from a commercial bank to finance the proposed Sheriff’s Operations Center in Bunnell, significantly adding to the county’s current debt load of $142 million and annual debt servicing of more than $11 million.
Appeals Court Tosses GOP Challenge to Mask Mandate in Leon, But Doesn’t Address Constitutional Issues
Throughout the pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis has declined to issue a statewide mask mandate. He also issued an executive order in September that suspended collection of fines and penalties related to violations of mask requirements, but that did not prevent local governments from continuing to have the requirements.
State Police Raid Home of Rebekah Jones, Ex-Florida Health Department Whistleblower on Covid Stats
Rebekah Jones was fired earlier this year after complaining that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration was manipulating Covid-19 data to make the virus appear less prevalent as the governor pushed to reopen Florida’s economy.
He Stalked and Harassed a Judge. He’s Now in Jail Without Bond–on a Pair of Misdemeanors.
It is extremely unusual that a person facing misdemeanor charges be held without bond. But when Darrell E. McDonough was arrested on Friday on a misdemeanor charge of stalking and a misdemeanor charge of harassing phone calls, he got booked at the Flagler County jail and is being held there on no bond by order of Circuit Judge Terence Perkins. His alleged victim: County Judge Melissa Distler.
$21 Million Flagler Sheriff’s Operations Center Unveiled, But Questions About Financing Remain Unanswered
The Flagler County Commission approved a $21 million, 51,000 square-foot Sheriff’s Operations Center. But questions remain unanswered about the project’s financing, which was not presented to the commission today, and its ultimate cost, which would reach nearly $23 million when financing it over 15 years is included.
16-Year-Old Flagler Beach Boy Faces 11 Counts of Possession and Promotion of Child Sexual Abuse Images
A 16-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student and resident of North Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach faces 11 felony counts of possessing and promoting images of child sexual abuse following an investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Flagler Sheriff’s Detective Agustin Rodriguez, New Face of Progressive Policing, is 2020 Officer of the Year
Flagler County Sheriff’s Detective Agustin Rodriguez, Crime Stoppers’ 2020 Officer of the Year, was a Bunnell Police Officer for two years before joining the Sheriff’s Office in 2012, and joining the Major Cases Unit in 2019. This year he was responsible for closing three violent-crime cases with six arrests.
Covid Justice: Florida Court Rules Zoom Hearings Don’t Violate Defendants’ Constitutional Rights
In a legal test of remote court proceedings during the Covid-19 pandemic, an appeals court Wednesday rejected arguments that using Zoom technology in a probation-violation hearing would violate a defendant’s constitutional rights.
Felon Who Had AdventHealth Palm Coast On Lock-Down Over Threats to Kill Is Sentenced to Probation
Kelsey Joe Anderson, the 38-year-old Bunnell felon who had AdventHealth Palm Coast on lockdown 14 months ago after he threatened his wife, who worked there, that he was driving over there to kill her co-workers, was found guilty of a second-degree felony and will serve a year under house arrest and three years on probation, but no jail or prison time.
The Strange Case of Cornelius Baker’s Dangling Fate on Death Row, 13 Years After a Bunnell Murder
Conflicting Supreme Court cases gave convicted murdered Cornelius Baker hope that he could get a new sentencing trial and escape the death penalty, as have two previous Flagler death row inmates. But the conflicting cases, again reflecting the contradictions of Florida’s capital punishment laws, now leave his fate in an absurd twilight zone.
55-Year-Old Palm Coast Woman Is Killed as She Crossed U.S. 1 South of Royal Palms Parkway
A 55-year-old Palm Coast woman was struck and killed by a vehicle on U.S. 1 south of Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast late Saturday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Supreme Court Refuses to Reinstate Death Sentences in Decision That Could Affect 2 Flagler Inmates
The decisions could apply to about 100 inmates, possibly including David Snelgrove of Palm Coast, who was removed from death row in January after his lawyer successfully argued for life without parole, and Cornelius Baker, whose hope for a new penalty-phase trial is still pending.
Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of St. Johns’ James Terry Colley Jr. in Double-Murder
Justices unanimously rejected an appeal by James Terry Colley, Jr., who was convicted of killing his estranged wife, Amanda Cloaninger Colley, as she tried to hide from him in a bathroom of her home. He also was convicted of murdering Lindy Dobbins, who was hiding behind a chest in a closet when she was shot, according to the Supreme Court opinion.
Oral Arguments on Alachua’s Mask Mandate Evoke Hijabs, Nazis, KKK, Crime and, Finally, Public Health
Oral arguments about Alachua County’s mask mandate before a three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeal Monday was a spectacle of audacious leaps and strange analogies that nevertheless illustrated the sharp and far from resolved divide between mask proponents and anti-maskers, including on the judicial bench.
Charles Swindell, Felon Who Threatened to Burn His Mother and Did Burn a Child, Arrested for Raping Girl
Charles G. Swindell, a 50-year-old resident of Palm Coast, has a long and violent history, particularly with his own family–his mother and his children. But he’s served relatively little time in jail for his felony and misdemeanor convictions since 2013. That may change with his most serious charge yet: raping a child entrusted to him.
“That’s It?” Flagler Sheriff’s Detectives Arrest Five Women in Prostitution Sting After Placing Web Ads
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday arrested five women on misdemeanor prostitution charges in the second such local sting operation in three weeks. None of the women is a local resident.
After Brush With Flagler Deputies, 2 Brothers Brag of Murdering 21 Year Old, But Questions Remain
Angel and Jojo Lobato, the two brothers involved in the traffic stop last week in Flagler County, were arrested in Polk County on first degree murder, grand theft and other charges connected to the stabbing death of 21-year-old Danne Frazier of Winter Haven.
Sheriff Presents 2020 Quarter 1 and 2 Awards
Typically FCSO holds quarterly awards ceremonies where recipients can invite their families and friends to congratulate them, however, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, the regular awards ceremony was postponed. During the week of November 9th, FCSO held several small ceremonies in order to recognize the award recipients.
Bar Deems Her ‘Not Qualified,’ But Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Kathryn Mizelle to Florida Judgeship
At 33, Kathryn Kimball “Kat” Mizelle is President Trump’s youngest federal judge appointee. She will serve in the Middle District of Florida, which includes Flagler County. She has never tried a case, criminal or civil. She was a former clerk for Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas.