Two motorcyclists were killed in a head-on collision on State Road A1A in the Hammock this evening, just south of Varn Park.
Cops/Courts
Felon Several Times Over Accused of Brutalizing and Seizing Woman at Bunnell’s Country Store
Henry Brock, 29, of Bunnell, is seen in surveillance video brutalizing a woman in the parking lot of the Country Store in west Flagler, then placing her in the car. He was caught later by deputies and a civilian.
Group Files Federal Suit Challenging Florida Restrictions on Felons’ Voting Rights Moments After DeSantis Signs New Law
A partisan firestorm erupted in the waning days of this year’s legislative session after Republicans tacked onto the elections package provisions aimed at implementing the voter-approved constitutional amendment that restores the voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences.
Seminole Woods Teen, 15, Arrested After Grandfather Finds Stash of Stolen Weapons and Ammo In His Room
A 15-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s Seminole Woods faces a half dozen charges, among them illegal possession of firearms by a delinquent and grand theft of a firearm, after his grandfather found what amounted to a small arsenal in the teen’s bedroom, ans deputies found more weaponry in the car he was driving around Palm Coast Wednesday.
Toddler in ICU For Overdose Just Months Ago Has Thumb Severed By Mother’s Anger Monday
Megan Nicole Moss, 27, of Palm Coast, in September had left her 18-month-old son unsupervised long enough that he reached for a narcotic and overdosed. On Monday, she slammed a sliding glass door on his thumb, severing its tip.
Out of Patience, Sheriff Demands County Action on Space Needs: ‘This Situation Cannot Continue’
The sheriff’s letter to the county commission chairman echoes the same urgency and call for action that the sheriff used just over a year ago to compel the county to provide a healthier space for employees than the troubled Operations Center.
5 Palm Coast Residents, 4 of them Felons, Arrested on Drug Charges in R-Section House
Friday morning, several Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives and deputies, including a SWAT Team detachment and members of the federal secret service, served a warrant at 11 Raemoor Drive. Five individuals were in the house and arrested.
Flagler County Crime Falls 20%, Steepest Drop in Decades and Almost 3 Times Larger Than Florida Average
Flagler County’s crime index in 2018 fell by 20.2 percent, by far the largest year-over-year drop in at least 18 years, and a decline almost three times the 7.4 percent drop in crime across Florida over the same period.
Michael Wilson Acquitted of Attempted Murder of His Pregnant Wife, Jury Convicts on Lesser Charges
Michael Wilson was acquitted of the most serious charge against him–attempting to electrocute his wife–but convicted on a grand theft charge and a battery charge, exposing him to up top five years in prison.
‘I Do Hear Voices,’ Man Accused of Plotting Wife’s Electrocution Says, But He’s Not Allowed to Tell the Jury
Wilson faces an attempted first-degree murder charge, for rigging his own home’s entry door in Palm Coast with a contraption intended to electrocute his wife around Christmas 2017. But he’s barred from speaking of his mental health or issues in front of the jury.
40-ft. Trawler Is Gutted in 2-Hour Fire By Moody Ramp Under Flagler Beach Bridge
A 40-ft. trawler that had begun its journey on the St. Johns River and was making its way south was gutted by fire this afternoon, burning for some two hours as firefighters fought the blaze under the Flagler Beach bridge at Moody Boat Launch. No one was injured.
Man Accused of Attempting to Kill His Wife By Electrocution Says Using a Gun Would’ve Been Easier, If That’s What He Intended
Michael Scott Wilson, 33, is accused of rigging up the entry door to his Palm Coast home in the W Section with electric current to shock his wife to death around Christmas 2017 as the couple was having serious marital difficulties.
To Sue or Not to Sue: County Wrestles With Sheriff’s Space Needs at Courthouse
Despite a county commission vote ordering its administration to find more space for the sheriff at the county courthouse, the county administrator and the county attorney have demurred.
Roy Carlisi, Facing Domestic Violence Charges and No-Contact Order, Is Arrested for 3rd Time in 9 Days
Roy Carlisi was booked at the Flagler County jail for the third time in nine days after allegedly tampering and breaking his GPS angle monitor, claiming it had become too tight.
Combative Exchanges Punctuate Hearing on Broward Sheriff Scott Israel’s Fate
Israel and his lawyers maintain that the suspension, something DeSantis pledged to do while running for office last year, was a political ploy aimed at winning favor with voters in Democrat-rich Broward County and supporters of the National Rifle Association.
Palm Coast Woman On Probation Threatens Suicide-By-Cop, is Tased, Then Arrested
Melanie Botts, 36, of 20 Beth Lane in Palm Coast, had violated her probation and was allegedly holding a butcher knife to her neck, daring sheriff’s deputies to shoot her before one of them Tased her.
Palm Coast’s George J. Serafino, 76, Dies In SR100 Crash Triggered by Medical Issue
George J. Serafino, a 76-year-old resident of Lakewalk Drive in Palm Coast, died Saturday (June 15), following a crash on State Road 100. The Florida Highway Patrol determined that the crash was caused by a medical episode.
County Calms Bunnell’s Anger Over Sheriff’s Move to Palm Coast, Disarming Threats of Lawsuit
Sheriff Rick Staly’s and County Manager Jerry Cameron’s joint appearance before the Bunnell City Commission on Monday went a significant distance to disarm the city’s threats of a lawsuit and calm its anger over the sheriff’s move to Palm Coast.
Facing Rape Charge, Larry Cavallaro Is Briefly Booked at Flagler Jail and Released on $100,000 Bond
Larry A. Cavallaro, the 72-year-old man facing a charge of drugging and raping a woman in Flagler Beach, was briefly extradited to Flagler before posting bail, on $100,000 bond end being released today.
Does Flagler Beach Have a Panhandling Problem? Not Exactly, But City Will Consider New Rules.
The Flagler Beach City Commission this evening will discuss adopting an ordinance against “aggressive” panhandling at the urging of City Commissioner Eric Cooley, a business owner in town.
DeSantis Signs Death Warrant of Homophobic Serial Killer Gary Bowles
Gary Bowles murdered six people in 1994. He is serving life sentences in the murders of John Roberts in Daytona Beach and Albert Morris in Nassau County, and is being killed for the murder of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville.
Marion Gavins Jr. Pleads Not Guilty in Killing of Curtis Gray, Raising Prospect of Stand Your Ground
Marion Gavins Jr. has not denied shooting Curtis Gray in front of several witnesses the night of April 13, but has intimated it was self-defense as he feared Gray was reaching for a gun. Gray was unarmed.
Captain’s BBQ Sues Flagler County, Alleging ‘Politically Motivated’ Breach of Contract
The owners of Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing filed a four-count lawsuit against Flagler County government, alleging breach of contract and seeking damages in excess of $15,000.
Carjacking Suspect Attempts to Mow Down 2 Flagler Deputies on I-95 in Eerie Near-Replay of 2003 Cop Fatality
Jesse Estep, 29, of Bunnell, is accused of attempting to strike two deputies with a stolen truck as they deployed stop sticks in the same area of I-95 where a Flagler deputy was killed doing the same thing against a car thief in 2003.
Four Arrested After Fleeing in Stolen Vehicle and Hiding in B-Section Woods
Three young men were arrested and sent to the Flagler County jail Friday, and a juvenile was also arrested, after the quartet allegedly fled in a stolen vehicle and hid in the woods before being caught.
Former Flagler Beach Gallery Owner Arrested on Charge of Drugging and Raping a Woman
Larry Cavallaro, 72, a Beverly Beach property owner and former owner of Castle Designs Gallery in Flagler Beach, was arrested on a charge of raping an incapacitated woman he is alleged to have drugged at his home.
Richard S. Hartung, 76, Dies in Apparent Suicide, County’s 3rd Self-Inflicted Death in 8 Days
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death by apparent suicide of Richard S. Hartung, 76, in his condominium at 7 Avenue de la Mer in Palm Coast on May 30.
Talk of Divorce Preceded Shooting that Resulted in Apparent Man’s Suicide and Woman’s Injury
Maureen Lockwood said she’d told her husband Ralph that she wanted a divorce before he shot her then turned the gun on himself. He died. She survived. The investigation is continuing.
Ex-School Deputy Scot Peterson Arrested On Child Neglect Charge in School Shooting
Peterson, the longtime resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, refused to investigate when he heard gunshots on campus and retreated while students and faculty members were shot and killed.
Pit Bull Attacks and Injures Woman, 45, Then Bites Sheriff’s Deputy in Palm Coast’s P Section
A 45-year-old resident of Patric Drive in Palm Coast was attacked and seriously injured on her lip and belly by a pit bull, which then attacked and injured Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Schmidt as Schmidt was investigating the incident the following day.
Flagler Braces for Hurricane Season as Florida Reels From 3-Year Streak of Landfalls
Flagler County is still paying the millions in bills from Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, and the state is recovering from a direct hit from a Cat 5 last year, costing $26 billion, as the 2019 hurricane season begins.
2 Shots, 2 Victims, 1 Dead in Palm Coast’s B Section in Feared Attempted Murder Suicide
A man and a woman, both shot in the head, were flown out of Palm Coast’s B Section this morning after a double-shooting on Beechwood Lane. The shooting is feared to be an attempted murder-suicide.
Police Train to Be ‘Social Workers of Last Resort’ as Mental Health Calls Multiply
Lacking proper mental health resources, families and community members across the country all too often call police to respond to someone having a mental health crisis.
2019 Flagler Jail Bookings, Sheriff’s, Bunnell and Flagler Beach Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2019 Flagler County jail bookings, commanders’ crime and incident reports, Flagler Beach and Bunnell police shift reports and archive.
Inmate at Flagler Jail Manages to Facebook Live, Breaching Security and Angering Sheriff Over County’s IT Protocols
A inmate Facebooked live during a GED class at the jail, the second such breach in two months after sheriff’s officials warned the county, which handles the sheriff’s IT, to address the issue. A county employee has been suspended.
Judge Perkins on Flagler County’s Drug Court: Celebrating Lives Reclaimed and Empowered
More than 88 percent of Flagler County Drug Court graduates do not reoffend. Since drug court began locally, 175 participants have made it through its rigorous demands, writes Judge Perkins.
In Bing’s Twist, County and Captain’s BBQ Are Co-Defendants in Negligence Lawsuit
Notable elements in the case are its concurrence with Captain’s other challenges, its alignment of two antagonists on the same side, and the way the case illustrates the county’s responsibilities for the building.
26 Year Old Palm Coast Man Accused of Illegal Sex and Battery of a Pregnant 16 Year Old Girl
The 16 year old told Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy she was seven months pregnant and had recently broken up with Jazzpen Leonard because of the “mental and physical abuse from him,” according to the sheriff’s report.
Alexis Somerford, 27, Mother of 4, Dies in Alleged Suicide by Gunshot in Palm Coast’s F-Section
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death in an alleged suicide of Alexis Marie Somerford, 27, Saturday night (May 25) at her home at 85 Farragut Drive in Palm Coast.
Prosecution Questions If Accused Murderer Joey Bova Is Insane Or Just Playing The System
Joseph Bova is accused of murdering Mobilmart store clerk Zuheily Rosado in 2013, but has been seesawing between competence and incompetence since, delaying trial. He appears to be sliding back into incompetence for the third time.
Baseless Claims of a “Shoot Up” at Indian Trails Middle School Spread Through Snapchat
Indian Trails students received a Snapchat message warning them not to go to school today for fear of a shooting, a claim that grew out of a misunderstanding tied to a student who’d made threats before.
Bruce Haughton Is Found Guilty of Assisted Suicide in Death of Katherine Goddard in R-Section
Bruce Haughton, 54, and Katherine Goddard, 52, his girlfriend of 16 years, attempted to jointly kill themselves in their Palm Coast home’s garage in 2017. She died. He lived. Then he was criminally charged.
It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again: Sheriff’s Palm Coast Precinct Will Return to Former Space On Old Kings Road
The space at 17 Old Kings Road is 2,000 square feet, or 1,000 square feet less than the space at City Marketplace. But it’s $3,500 a month.
Smoke In Cabin and Rear-End Crash Sideline Full Greyhound Bus at SR100 in Palm Coast
A woman was hospitalized and several people aboard a Greyhound bus complained of injuries and smoke discomfort after the bus began to fill with smoke on I-95 in Palm Coast, then was rear-ended by another car
For Bruce Haughton, the Price of Failing to Die in a Double-Suicide Is a Criminal Charge
Prosecutors are not disputing that Bruce Haughton, 54, wanted to die, only that when he failed in his suicide attempt, he became an accessory in the death by suicide of Kathryn Goddard, a claim he disputes.
County Orders Space Reallocation For Sheriff at Courthouse; ‘We’re Going to Stand Our Ground,’ Bexley Says
The County Commission acting as landlord is directing its administrator to come up with the necessary additional space for the sheriff at the courthouse, where Clerk Tom Bexley says it’s useless to try.
Sheriff’s Beachside Substation Is Renamed in Honor of Grady Prather Jr., Who Started Marine Unit
The late Capt. Grady Prather Jr. had launched the Flagler sheriff’s marine unit, which was disbanded after his retirement in 2008, but was revived last year. Prather died in 2009.
In Rare Assisted Suicide Trial in Flagler, Jurors Weigh Sympathy For Desperation Against an Unforgiving Law
Bruce Horton, 54, became an accused criminal when he failed to die along with Katherine Goddard in Palm Coast’s R-Section two years ago as the two had made a pact to die together. He’s on trial this week.
With Conservatives In Control of Supreme Court, A 2016 Decision Reducing Death Sentences Is In Jeopardy
The court has begun the process of reconsidering whether changes to Florida’s death penalty-sentencing system should continue being applied retroactively to cases dating to 2002.
Sheriff’s Precinct on Utility Drive? Palm Coast Explores Bailing Out County’s Search for Space
City, county and sheriff’s officials spent Thursday exploring various buildings, among them Palm Coast’s Utility Department building off Old Kings Road, as potential sites for the sheriff’s Palm Coast precinct.