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.
Cops/Courts
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.
Palm Coast Man Jailed on $160,000 Bond Over Molestation Charges Involving 2 Children
Joel Aiello of Frontier Drive in Palm Coast was arrested on five felony counts of sexual improprieties involving children–a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.
One Fugitive Arrested After All-Night Hunt in B-Section, Other Man Still On the Run Following Wreck on I-95
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies aided by Flagler County Fire Flight had been hunting two men believed to be escaped convicts following a single-car crash on I-95 just north of Palm Coast Parkway this evening at 6:12 p.m.
As Flagler’s Emergency Communications Briefly Falter, Palm Coast and Sheriff Assail County Over Long-Term Plans
The county’s critical emergency radio system briefly failed when a tower lost its back-up power Thursday even as county, city and sheriff’s officials were meeting in the first high-level meeting since 2013 to deal with their differences over modernizing the emergency communications system.
Chief Justice Jorge Labarga Will Serve Second Successive Term, a First Since 1865
Chief justices preside over the Supreme Court and, more broadly, head the state’s judicial branch. In the broader role, Labarga has focused on taking steps to try to expand access to legal services for low-income people, creating a commission to work on the issue.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Van Buren Announces Retirement 7 Weeks After He’s Named Deputy of the Year
Sgt. Michael van Buren had just ended one of his most decorated years since joining the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office 28 years ago. He is leaving to take a job in Palm Coast’s public works department and have more time with family.
Plea Lessens Palm Coast Child Rapist’s Sentence to 10 Years in Prison, 20 on Probation
Andrew S. Wilson, 55, of 82 Brushwood Lane in Palm Coast, had been arrested on a count of raping a child younger than 12, based on incidents that took place two decades ago.
Measure Forbidding Local Governments From Using Red-Light Cameras Advances
Sen. Jeff Brandes’ measure would repeal a law known as the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act of 2010 and, as a result, prevent local governments from using the cameras for traffic enforcement.
Palm Coast Deputy Fire Chief Jerry Forte In Dramatic Rescue of Drowning Man
Palm Coast Deputy Fire Chief Jerry Forte was in the W-Section when the drowning of a 71-year-old resident on Whispering Pine Drive was called in. He rushed to the scene and pulled the man out of the pool.
Family of Corey Jones, Killed by Cop, Calls For Regulation of Police Body Cameras
A musician, Corey Jones was fatally shot by a plainclothes Palm Beach Gardens officer when his car broke down on Interstate 95 in the early morning after a gig. The officer, who was driving an unmarked van, has since been fired.
How 3-Month Investigation Led to Arrest of Palm Coast Man in Flagler Beach Publix Robbery
Crushing debt allegedly led Daniel J. Fountain, a Palm Coast resident on probation and facing foreclosure, to rob Publix of $2,668 last October–and immediately start making bill payments to Palm Coast utilities, Brighthouse and others.
Florida Supreme Court Halts Executions Indefinitely; 389 Death Row Inmates In Limbo
The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated Florida’s death-penalty sentencing scheme on Jan. 12, forcing the state to rewrite its law but also putting in question whether the new law must apply to all 489 death row inmates.
Celebrated Emergency Services Chief Kevin Guthrie Resigns, Jolting Commissioners
Kevin Guthrie headed the county’s emergency services division since late 2013 to mostly rave reviews, but frustrations with the county administration may have led to his decision to leave.
Carolyn Frisbie, Leader in Palm Coast’s Community Chorus, Is Killed in Car Crash
arolyn Frisbie, a long-time member of Palm Coast’s Trinity Presbyterian congregation and among the leaders of the Community Chorus of Palm Coast, was killed the evening of Jan. 29 in a two-vehicle collision on U.S. 1 in St. Johns County.
Flagler Beach’s Lt. Cox, Among 10 Winners, Is Countywide Public Safety Person of the Year
Aside from Cox’s top award, winners included the Sheriff’s Senior Cmdr. Mark Carman, Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Jon Moscowitz and Bob Pickering of Emergency Management.
In “Fair Sentencing” Push, an Attempt to Reconsider Florida’s Get-Tough-On-Crime Laws
Fair Sentencing seeks to change laws of the 1990s, such as 10-20-Life, mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses and habitual-offender laws, as other states have done.
Flagler’s Family Life Center Now a Certified Rape Crisis Center, Ensuring Critical Services
Until Family Life took over the service in an arrangement with the sheriff’s office in March 2014, Flagler County had been without a reliable crisis center because the Children’s Advocacy Center had quit providing that service.