A young woman was shot late Saturday night at a residence on Cherry Street in the Mondex, also known as Daytona North, and was flown in critical but stable condition to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach.
The victim, Tiffany Norman, 26, has three young children, boys ages 2, 5 and 7. Circumstances of the shooting are murky: her husband or companion, Jonathan Canales, 27, a disabled Army veteran, has allegedly told police that Norman shot herself. But she told authorities at the scene that she did not shoot herself, and that she did not know what happened. She was shot in the neck with a small-caliber firearm.
Canales called 911, according to a police report, and told the dispatcher she tried to kill herself. “Tiffany could be heard in the background by the dispatcher say to stop lying,” the report states. And given at pad at the scene, Norman “wrote something to the effect of, she did not try to kill herself and she did not know what happened.”
Canales was taken into custody, but on unrelated charges: he faces three counts of child neglect, according to his jail booking, but he faces four counts of aggravated child abuse according to the court docket. The reason: two loaded firearms were allegedly found by the door to the children’s room (a Ruger 357 magnum and a Derringer .38, each with one round in the chamber). He was booked at close to 5 a.m. Sunday morning but bonded out. Bond was set at $1,500. He has been staying with his family in Ormond Beach.
“Both firearms were on the floor just outside of the unlocked bedroom door of the room that all three children were asleep in,” Canales’s arrest report states. “Also outside the bedroom door were several magazines and live ammunition. Any of the three children could have opened the door and had immediate access to those loaded firearms. Access to these firearms by the children could have resulted in serious bodily injury or death to any of the three children.”
The circumstances of the shooting are almost identical to a shooting on the same street, just two doors down, two years ago when Kathy MacDonald was shot–she says by her husband, Bobby MacDonald, then a police officer at the Flagler Beach Police Department. Bobby MacDonald, who has since retired to Tennessee, said Kathy–who now lives in a rehabilitation facility in Daytona Beach–shot herself. A Grand jury decline to indict MacDonald last April, but the case remains open. (The News-Journal’s Julie Murphy wrote an exhaustive account of the case in July.)
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Scene Investigation unit had come and gone, and crime-scene tape, which had surrounded the house overnight and into the morning, had been removed. There was no activity at the trailer. Its porch light was on. Children’s toys were strewn in the front yard. A white Toyota was parked in the driveway.
A Florida State pennant hung limp in the breezeless air from a makeshift twig by the railing at the entrance. “May your troubles be less, your blessings more and may nothing but happiness come through your door,” a sign hanging by the front door reads, just above an eagle and a trumpet. “Forget the dog. Beware of owner,” says another, lower down by the railing of the steps leading to the entrance. A smaller sign in the window says: “Believe in miracles.”
The victim was flown to Halifax aboard Air One, Volusia County’s emergency helicopter. Her three children were afterward cared for by her mother, according to neighbors. The sheriff’s office is investigating.
Asked for details, Bob Weber, the Sheriff’s Office’s chief spokesman, did not respond until after this story posted, almost three hours after the original inquiry about the incident. Weber only noted the place and time of the incident, and that the “why” of the incident is exempt from disclosure. He provided a heavily redacted arrest report citing the child neglect charges for Canales. Sheriff Jim Manfre did not answer his cell phone.
THE VOICE OF REASON says
Sounds like if she survives she needs to get rid of this guy before the storm gets any worse.
MaryJo says
What is with the secrecy in this county lately? Is it just with you or is it with all reporters looking for information?
I pray for her recovery and hope that the cops are able to get to the truth. One got away with it, let’s not let another. {{{HUGS}}} to her children and family.
Ghost Hunter says
Its the ” CURSE ” of Cherry Lane . Get out…get out now before the “CURSE” gets you.
Anonymous says
I worry about these children! I hope that they will be removed from this home while a thorough investigation into its safety (and drug/alcohol testing of both parents) is being completed.
Mr. Wipple says
Mondex ? I thought that was the “High Class” area of Flagler County. Well, there goes the neighborhood….AGAIN !!!
Brad says
Very sad to hear.
Anonymous says
This man had issues long before the Army, but a tour in Iraq was probably the last thing he needed. I am an ardent second amendment supporter, but in this case, don’t you dare give those guns back.
confidential says
Were the children taken away by the child custody protection agency..? If not why? I don’t see it in this report. These bullies here hurt their women in such a serious way and get away with it posting the 10% bond of 1,500? Were is justice?
robert says
If this were to happen in Clay co it would probably go unsolved unless they had a credible eye witness!We recently woke up Saturday morning to find our meth head son gone along with his mothers car, contacted clay co sheriffs office and filed a report.Since the officer that responded was off Monday and Tuesday then sick on Wednesday and slacked off from there on it didn’t hit the Da’s office for almost two weeks!The Da refused to investigate as they didn’t have an eye witness although the car was found abandoned in North Carolina and the pos is from that area.So you have a high probability of getting away with crimes when you commit them in clay co.The 2013 car was a total loss and that is how I feel about my property being protected by the clay co sheriffs office, A TOTAL LOSS!
Seminole Pride says
A Copycat shooting. Using the same defense.
NortonSmitty says
On the plus side, it has been voted one of the 10 best places to live in the whole country. By Meth Lab Monthly magazine.
Anonymous says
She’s walks my kids home she did not deserve that she is my neighbor
orphan says
Mr. Whipple. Many of us living out here are much more refined than how you present yourself. What was the purpose of your snide remark regarding the area legally known as Daytona North? I don’t understand how you can paint an entire community with a nasty brush!
The MONDEX is a word. That’s all. A word!
We who live out here are able to see what happens all around our county, Mr. Whipple, and I personally feel a sense of belonging here. We have some problematic people/families, but as a community we are MUCH healthier than many other local enclaves.
I don’t know where you live, Mr. Whipple, and I sure hope that you are comfortable in your neighborhood.
I KNOW my neighbors, and we all live in a peaceful setting.
Jon c says
What there’s a cures
Shure does feel like it ever since I moved hear
This was an accident I urge every one for forgiveness and I have nothing but love for my family
This unfortant accident really hurts pleas stop saying sucth terrible things this in bye no meens was intentional
Lisa says
The man that did it is a coward and he will have his day . She didn’t shoot herself that’s my niece and she doesn’t like guns or problems she’s quite and keeps to herself but what goes around comes around thank god it didn’t go further than that ty