Christopher Munson, a frequent local jail inmate on violent-crime charges, said he’d set fires over 10,000 square feet of dunes to spot beer bottles and have a good place to paint the next day.
Cops/Courts
Court Backs New Death Penalty Law But Asks Florida Supremes to Rule on Constitutionality
The 5th District Court of Appeal today sided with the state in two death penalty cases, saying that blocking the executions “impermissibly invades” the discretion of the state to seek the sentence.
47-Year-Old Bunnell Man Arrested On 12 Counts of Child Porn Possession
Michael Giachetti, a 47-year-old resident of the Palm Terrace community in Bunnell (Lot 63), faces 12 third-degree felony counts. He is being held on $60,000 bond.
Sheriff Applauds New Law Regulating Police Authority to Seize Cash and Property
“Civil asset forfeiture” is a controversial practice that gives police authority to seize cash, cars, homes or pother property suspected of use in a crime even absent an arrest. Florida just reformed the law to make forfeiture more difficult and accountable.
In a Child-Rape Case, Fair Questions Are Weighed Against Inadmissible Evidence
Waldemar Rivera is accused of raping his 13-year-old step-daughter. A hearing today tested the boundaries between justified questions and blaming the victim as a judge ruled on witness statements and what sexual histories may be admitted when the trial resumes next week.
Palm Coast Floats New Rescue System in Name Of “Efficiency,” But County Sees Many Flaws
No one is complaining about ambulance service in Palm Coast, but the city council is favoring changing the system by adding two county ambulances and spreading manpower around. The county, which runs EMS, says the plan is costly and unnecessary.
One Arrested in Burger King Armed Robbery, 2 Arrested in U.S. 1 Carjacking
Dwight Lanfair, a 47-year-old resident at the Madison Green apartments in Palm Coast, was arrested in the robbery charge. Roy Wood and Frank Lawson were arrested on a carjacking charge involving a motorcyclist on the last day of Bike Week.
How the Florida Legislature Turned Police Radios Into $7 Million in Rotten Sausages
In a case with echoes in Flagler, experience pokes a hole in the Florida House speaker’s argument that first responders on the state system “need” radios, even though they didn’t ask for them.
Palm Coast Woman, 57, Dies after Being Jailed For Not Abiding By Drug-Treatment Order
Kathleen Feiler had an apparent seizure at the jail hours after her arrest. A potential contempt charge aside, she had not been booked on the suspicion of a crime but because she was suspected of not following through on substance abuse treatment.
Kathleen J. Boos of Palm Coast and Carl W. Boos Are Killed in A1A Crash, One Critical
One additional driver was injured critically and one was injured seriously as a result of a head-on crash involving four vehicles north of Painters Hill on Oceanshore Boulevard at 6:25 p.m. Another person was treated for minor injuries at the scene, and released.
In Stunning Turnaround, Sheriff Manfre Says He Will Fight Ethics Fine and Censure After All
After deciding last month to agree to a $6,200 fine and move on, Manfre now says he’s changed his mind, citing the disparity between his fine and that of his predecessor, Don Fleming, for what Manfre says were worse ethical lapses.
Deputy Rescues 21-Year-Old Woman Stuck in Ditch for 45 Minutes in Overturned Pick-Up
Brandy Demarco, 21, was driving her red Toyota Tacoma west on isolated County Road 80 around 1 a.m. Thursday when she swerved to avoid a deer and ended up overturning into a waterlogged ditch.
Flagler Deputies Bust Chop-Shop on Sawgrass Road, Hauling Off Commercial Vehicle Parts
The sheriff’s office said the chop-shop was located at 331 Sawgrass Road, in buildings owned by 4 C’s Trucking and Excavation but rented out to two Palm Coasts residents, Wilfredo Velasquez and Richard Espinoza. There were no arrests Thursday.
Palm Coast’s Paul Aiello, 52, Local Business Owner, Is Killed in Motorcycle Wreck Near Hammock Resort
Paul Aiello was traveling on Ocean Crest Drive on a 2014 Harley Davidson when he lost control, struck a tree and was ejected. He was the owner of RHS Mechanical.
For 1st Time in 9 Years, Bonding Out of Jail in Flagler Made More Expensive for Most Suspects
The new bond schedule in some cases doubles bonds or eliminates them for many offenses, but the schedule applies for only a brief period between arrest and first appearance before a judge, when any amount bond (or no bond) can be set.
Suspicion of Individual With Weapon Triggers Code Orange At Matanzas High School
Matanzas High School went on Code Orange security status shortly after 1 p.m. today, restricting students indoors and in their classrooms, after a school official suspected that a student may have been seen with a weapon.
Authorities Find Doreen Marie O’Connor, Feared Suicidal, After Search
A helicopter, sheriff’s deputies and corrections officers are searching for Doreen Marie O’Connor, 50, in Palm Coast. She is believed to be suicidal.
Weekend Blotter: Accusations of Child Abuse And of Assault on a Pregnant Woman
Gunnar Galambos, 22, is accused of strangulation battery and child abuse involving a 5-week-old. Anthony Vangordon, 20, is accused of assaulting the pregnant mother of his child.
Sandra Lee Ricard, 56, Killed in Putnam County Motorcycle Crash; Husband Lawrence Critical
Sandra Lee Ricard, a 56-year-old resident of Tampa, was killed Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle wreck on State Road 20 in Putnam County that left her husband Lawrence Albert Ricard, 64, in critical condition. The couple were riding a motorcycle.
SWAT Team Serves Search Warrant at House of Man at Center of Puppy-Shooting Controversy
Neighbors have accused Miles Smith, 31, whose house was being searched, of shooting a puppy and texting an image of it, dead in his bathtub, to the dog’s former owners. Smith denies he shot the dog.
Ex-Flagler Superintendent Delbrugge’s Son and Daughter Arrested For Stealing Girl Scout’s Cookie Money
Nicholas Delbrugge, 20, and his sister Ashley Winters, both former residents of Flagler County and the son and daughter of former Flagler School Superintendent Bill Delbrugge, were arrested this evening in Deltona and charged with snatching a a girl scout’s cookie money from her hands four days earlier.
District and Palm Coast Will Redesign Some Bus Stops in 1st Step To Counter Crashes Involving Children
Some of the county’s 600 bus stops will be redesigned to include a $1,200 “pad” where students should wait for buses, while an education campaign will target students in elementary and middle schools.
Sheriff’s Office Swears In 8 New Recruits, This Time With More Than Token Minorities
Three of the eight new recruits sworn in Wednesday are black. In late September, 13 young deputies were sworn in, though not all made it, and attrition has continued.
With Curt Emphasis on “NOW,” Palm Coast Mayor Wants Radio Answers from County
For Netts, usually a model of decorum and grace, it was an unusually demanding letter over an issue that has created simemring tensions between the county and city managers for months.
Supreme Court Halts Double Murderer James Asay’s Execution, 2nd Stay in 4 Weeks
Hours after hearing arguments in the case, the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely postponed the execution of Mark James Asay, a convicted double murderer scheduled to die on March 17.
A Dog Is Shot Dead in Palm Coast’s W-Section, Triggering Murky Investigation–and Fear
The Flagler County sheriff’s office is investigating the strange case of a three-and-a-half-month-old puppy killed apparently by gunshot sometime late Saturday or early Sunday as accusations fly between two neighboring households in Palm Coast’s W Section.
2015 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2015 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
Gary Smith, 53, of Palm Bay, Killed in 2-Vehicle Crash on I-95 in Brevard
Gary Smith, 53, of Palm Bay, was killed and Justin Looman, 29, of West Melbourne was seriously injured in a crash involving the men’s two Jeeps on I-95 in Brevard early the morning of March 1.
Firearm Flagler: 3 Separate Gun Incidents Land 1 in Hospital With Gunshot Wound and 2 in Jail
A Palm Coast man shot at his wife and son through their front door on Kathleen Trail, a man was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler with a gunshot wound to his leg after a Seminole Woods party, and an ex-boyfriend allegedly threatened to shoot his girlfriend as he held a 9 mm gun during an argument.
FPC Will Launch a Firefighter-EMT Academy, Filling a Recruiting Gap for Fire Departments
The Fire Leadership Academy is designed to appeal to students who may be losing interest in school while giving the county’s and cities’ fire departments a reliable recruiting ground of new firefighter-EMTs.
William Lavender, 92, Dies in Wreck as Car Crashes Into McDonald’s on Belle Terre
William Lavender, a 92-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s P-Section, died of a heart attack Sunday afternoon as his car crashed into a McDonald’s, slightly injuring three patrons.
Ex-Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Pielarz Was Fired for “Arrogance” Before Arrest on Strangulation Charge
Ex-deputy Patrick Pielarz had faced complaints from the public and counseling before he was fired for “arrogance” during his probation period. He was arrested after a violent confrontation with his girlfriend.
Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants: Flagler Sheriff Says Yes, But Local Opinion Is Divided
A dozen states have legalized issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, primarily as a safety measure, but Flagler officials reflect state opinion that has prevented such legalization from taking place in the Sunshine State.
For 2nd Time in 4 Days, Deputies Disarm Assailant at Gunpoint, This Time a 15 Year Old
A 15-year-old boy rushed a sheriff’s deputy with a knife in an R-Section confrontation Tuesday, before he dropped the knife at gunpoint. The incident had followed a confrontation between the boy and his grandparents.
Suicide By Gun Averted, Woman’s Face Burned With Cigarette, Good Samaritan Turns In $2,500
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Michael Breckwoldt, a 13-year veteran of the force, averted a suicide by a 68-year-old woman who was wielding a Smith and Wesson .380 handgun and had earlier fired two shots.
Court Ruling Favoring Counties in Juvenile Detention Costs Could Send Flagler $300,000
An appeals court ruling could mean the state owes more than $100 million to counties in a long-running dispute about who pays to detain juvenile offenders.
Upset By Cheesy Garlic Knots and “Disrespect,” Quartet Trashes Palm Coast Pizza
Four Palm Coast residents are accused of trashing Palm Coast Pizza after one of them was upset by cheese on her garlic knots, and the way she was refunded the money.
Jon Moscowitz Named Sons of the American Revolution’s Firefighter of the Year
Moscowitz, 28, has been a firefighter-paramedic in Flagler County for 9 years. Only a few weeks ago he’d also been named public safety EMS professional of the year by his peers.
Palm Coast Signals Going Its Own Way In Growing Rift With County Over Radio System
City Manager Jim Landon is pressuring the county to replace its emergency radio infrastructure–on which the city and sheriff depend– well before 2020. The county is resisting, citing costs.
Drone, Pellet Gun and Protected Bird Mix Into Novel Confrontation in Palm Coast’s C-Section
A man threatened to shoot down his neighbor’s drone on Palm Coast’s Collingwood Lane after claiming he was using the drone to harass purple martins, the federally protected birds.
Sheriff Issues Warning of IRS Scams as “Hundreds” of Palm Coast Residents Report Fraud
Tax season is intensifying scams from fraudsters posing as the IRS, who have been targeting Palm Coast residents and threatening them with arrest if they don’t immediately pay bogus tax bills.
Sheriff Manfre Ethics Case: In Eviscerating Language, Judge Recommends $6,200 Fine, Public Reprimand and Censure
An administrative law judge suggests the sheriff lied under oath as part of his defense in a case that has clouded his term since 2014 and that continues to damage his image in a re-election campaign featuring a slew of opponents.
Twitter Images and Gun Threats Cause Concern at Matanzas High School
Postings on a 10th grader’s Twitter page showed pistols and a semi-automatic rifle captioned by threats such as “ISIS Affiliated” and “High School Musical; Massacre edition.”
As Judge Calls Pot Laws “Harsh,” Sheriff and Public Defender Will Propose De-Criminalization Ordinance
Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre and Public Defender Jim Purdy will craft a proposal to de-criminalize pot and move to a civil citation program. The proposal will first be vetted by the Public Safety Coordinating Council before heading for the county commission.
Palm Coast Boy, 3, Is Safe as Fugitive and Girlfriend Are Arrested After 2 Weeks on the Run
Escaped prisoner Gary Bullock, his girlfriend Natasha Quigley and her 3-year-old son Xander Quigley were located today in Flemingsburg, Ky, a small town about half way between Lexington, Ky., and Huntington, W.Va.
Two Young Palm Coast Residents Killed in Construction Zone off Forest Grove Dr.
Kevin Walsh, 29, and Jessica Darby, 22, both of Palm Coast, were killed late Thursday night in the construction zone off Forest Grove Drive.
At Flagler’s Progressive Public Safety Council, a Farewell to Judge Walsh, and a Welcome to Foxman
The largely unheralded but powerfully representative Public Safety Coordinating Council was the scene of a passing of gavels of sorts Wednesday for Flagler County’s judiciary.
Family Livid After FDOT Uproots Roadside Memorial to Tyler Tracy 7 Months After Wreck
Tyler Tracy’s memorial was one of five an FDOT official decided had to be removed on US1, though others were left in place, angering Tracy’s widow and family and getting Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts involved in defense of the family.
Taser Brings Down Armed Burglar After Shots Are Fired and Cops Set Chase
The late-night pursuit in a Bunnell neighborhood, guns drawn, resulted in the arrest of Grant D. Gieger, a convicted felon with a long history of arrests and violence.
Dueling On, State Recommends $19,000 Fine and Public Reprimand Against Manfre, Who Maintains Innocence
The dueling recommendations in the long-standing ethics case against Sheriff Manfre are awaiting an administrative law judge’s decision, further dragging on an issue that has clouded the sheriff’s term into his re-election year.