The State Attorney is charging the girl with a count of written threats to kill, a felony, following a December incident in which the girl exchanged hateful and allegedly threatening messages about her teacher with another student.
Cops/Courts
Florida Considers Prison Guards as Immigration Enforcers; Counties May Be Next
The state request to launch the federal immigration enforcement program, known as 287(g), came as Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed local governments to implement the program at county jails.
A Memorial for Fallen Deputies Lifts Blue Lights In Shadow of Flagler Sheriff’s Catacomb
The doors to the Sherif’s Operations Center in Bunnell were kept locked Monday evening, and at times, as the crowd held its bluish candles aloft, it looked as if the building too was being memorialized.
Faith-Based Southern Correctional Medicine Will Be New Health Provider at Flagler Jail
Southern Correctional Medicine replaces Armor Correctional Health after a breakdown in relations between the sheriff and the company following the death of inmate Anthony Fennick in February.
Days After Release From Jail, Frequent Felon Robert Brandon Is Accused of Assaulting Same Man
Robert Brandon of Palm Coast spent four months in jail for assaulting Frank Rodriguez. Days after his release, he is accused of again landing Rodriguez in the hospital after an assault.
T-Bone Crash At CR302 and 305 Leaves 18-Year-Old Brandon Schwartz in Critical Condition
Brandon Taylor Schwartz, 18, of Ormond Beach, in critical condition after a t-bone crash at the intersection of County Road 302 and County Road 305 in west Flagler.
Community Paramedic: How Flagler Fire Rescue’s Caryn Prather Brought Back House Calls
Flaglere County Fire Rescue’s Prather’s made nearly 500 house calls last year, serving a client base started with people who were frequent users of the 9-1-1 system for non-emergency medical needs and transportation to the hospital. Since its inception, these calls have decreased by 80 percent.
Photographic Tour of Courthouse Illustrates Crunch and Tensions Between Sheriff and Clerk Staffs
Here’s the first detailed, photographic illustration of the space issues the sheriff, the clerk and county officials have been wrestling with over the past months at the county courthouse as the three sides try to reach an understanding on future space use.
Homeless Man Known as Marc Smith, 45, Found Dead Near Flagler Plaza Parking Lot
Marc Smith had been living in a lesser-known homeless camp off Old Kings Road and frequently sat beneath the State Road 100 I-95 overpass, where he was recently captured in an image.
Drug Raid in Palm Coast’s P-Section Leads to 2 Arrests and Children Briefly in DCF’s Custody
Cory P. Waring Jr., 23, and Mia E. Lindsay, 42, were arrested at 82 Pine Circle Drive in Palm Coast this morning following a drug raid executed by the Flagler County Sheriff’s SWAT team.
Federal Lawsuit Targets Florida Prisons Over ‘Deliberately Indifferent’ Use of Solitary Confinement
Florida’s prison system is “widely overusing” the practice of solitary confinement to manage inmates, sometimes locking them up in cells that are no bigger than a parking spaces over often-minor infractions, according to a federal lawsuit.
An Alleged Abuser Tracks His Victim Near Domestic Violence Shelter Before Arrest
Dominic Petrillo, 53, is accused of pulling a shotgun on the alleged victim, beating her, then call, text and repeatedly drive by the Family Life Center where she’d taken refuge, before his arrest Tuesday.
Joe Mullins Wants Cities and the County to Draft Homeless ‘Legislation,’ But He’s ‘Out on a Limb’
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins is pressing the county administrator to develop an ordinance regulating homeless panhandling and tent-pitching with city managers, but none of the local governments other than Bunnell have discussed such policies.
Faced With ‘Disgraceful’ Rent Increase at City Marketplace, Sheriff Will Move Palm Coast District Office to Old Sears Building
It’s only the latest example of the county’s largely self-inflicted and costly turmoil over land and building projects gone awry, going back to the Eden-gone-Hades of the old Memorial hospital and conversion into a sheriff’s operations center in 2013.
County Considers Nuclear Option: Forcing Clerk To Cede Space to Sheriff at Courthouse
With Clerk of Court Tom Bexley and Sheriff Rick Staly at an impasse over space needs at the courthouse, commissioners are raising the possibility that they will force Bexley to give ground.
Retired Cop Whose Car ‘Reeks of Booze’ Flashes Badge at Flagler Deputy, and Is Arrested for DUI and Drugs
Brenton M. Hodge was in a traffic crash at US1 and Seminole Woods when, asked about smelling of alcohol, he flashed his retired-cop badge, but Flagler Sheriff’s Sgt. Daniel Weaver would have none of it.
Grand Jury Indicts Marion Gavins Jr. on 1st Degree Murder in Killing of Curtis Gray, Will be Tried as Adult
A Flagler County grand jury on Friday indicted Marion Gavins Jr. on a first-degree murder with a firearm charge, a capital felony, in the death of 18-year-old Curtis Gray on April 13.
A K9 Chases Down an Armed Fugitive Making Suicidal Statements in Mondex Woods
Steven Janvrin, a 32-year-old resident of Rosewood Street in Bunnell wanted on drug charges, was arrested following a chase Friday in Daytona North, as a police dog found him hiding in woods.
Renner’s Criminal Justice Reform, Including Lesser Punishments and More Work Options, Gets Overwhelming, Bi-Partisan Vote
Florida lawmakers on Friday overwhelmingly approved a criminal-justice package that includes the first change in 35 years to the legal threshold for felony theft and reducing punishment for some non-violent offenders.
Ex-Bunnell Cop Mike Stavris Gets 15 Years in Prison and Sex Offender Designation for Repeat Offenses
The severity of the punishment signals a turn-around for a court that had previously been willing to give Michael Stavris the benefit of the doubt and a chance at rehabilitation.
As Bunnell and Flagler Fight Over Sheriff’s HQ, Nassau County’s Example May Point The Way
As Bunnell serves notice to Flagler County that it intends to go ahead with its challenge of the county’s decision to build a sheriff’s district office in Palm Coast, the county is opening its own possibility of extending the county seat to Palm Coast to get around any constitutional issues.
Mark Radcliff, 56, of Palm Coast, Killed, Daniel Castilloveiti, 34, Hurt in Separate Motorcycle Crashes
Mark Radcliff, 56, of Palm Coast’s F Section, was killed when his motorcycle ran into an vehicle driven by a 17-year-old Matanzas High School student pulling out of the school’s parking lot Wednesday afternoon.
Deemed Competent, Joseph Bova Will Be Tried For 2013 Mobil Mart Murder–and Medicated By Force If Necessary
Joseph Bova is pleading insanity in the February 2013 murder of Zuheily Roman Rosado, a single mother of six. To keep him competent for trial the sheriff’s jail personnel is authorized to use force to keep him on his medications.
Morning House Fire in Bunnell Leaves 3 Homeless, With Red Cross Helping
The small house at 506 East Lambert Street was 82 years old, and was substantially rebuilt 60 years ago. This morning, the 840 square-foot house was heavily damaged and made unlivable in a fire that broke out at 8:15 a.m.
10 Dogs, 8 Cats Seized at Waste-Infested House on Palm Coast’s Waywood Place
Two women face a civil suit filed by Palm Coast to determine whether they “neglected and cruelly treated” the animals and whether they are fit to care for them, according to an animal control report.
Prosecution Drops Further Charges Against Michael Bowling as He Appeals 20-Year Sentence
Michael Bowling was sentenced to 20 years in prison for molesting a 15-year-old, and faced even more serious charges involving his own step-daughter. The state opted to drop those charges.
Ex-Palm Coast Boys and Girls Club Counselor Accused of Molesting Girl There in 2011-12
Dante Mobley’s alleged victim in this case was 8-9 years old. A sex offender, he was released from prison last year after serving five years on a statutory rape charge involving a 14-year-old girl. The present case pre-dates his incarceration.
At Memorial For Curtis Gray, A March Against Violence, Appeals For Conflict Resolution, and ‘Dedication’
Palm Coast’s mayor, school administrators and coaches spoke to hundreds of students and others gathered Sunday in Central Park in memory of Curtis Gray, the Flagler Palm Coast High students shot dead on April 13.
Free Community Emergency Response Team Training Begins May 14
Learn basic disaster response skills – such as fire safety and light search and rescue – at the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program, which begins on May 14.
All FPC Students Directed to Stadium After School Officials Find Bomb Threat In Bathroom
All Flagler Palm Coast High School students–all 2,600 of them–were diverted to the school’s stadium this morning after a bomb threat was discovered in a school bathroom around 7 a.m.
A Courtroom for a Classroom, Built By Students, Gavels Matanzas High’s Law Flagship
Matanzas High School inaugurated its new courtroom, built by its own students for the school’s law and justice flagship, as the centerpiece of a program intended to develop future lawyers, paralegals and others interested in the law.
Joe Mullins Walks Back $2 Million Deal to Keep Sheriff’s Ops in Bunnell, But Calls for End to Bunnell Police Department
County Commissioner Joe Mullins says he still supports a sheriff’s district office for Bunnell–but also wants the Bunnell Police Department merged with the sheriff’s office, because the city has only a “ceremonial” department.
Agreeing to New Contract for Deputies in Schools, Board and Sheriff Discuss 128 Baker Acts in 2 Years
The school board’s share includes almost $100,000 for nine school crossing guards. It does not include about $110,000 that Palm Coast contributes for the school resource deputy program.
House Would Toughen Driving and Texting Law But Opposes Hands-Free Only Use of Devices
Police could pull over motorists texting and driving, under a House measure, but the House opposes a Senate proposal that would allow only hands-free use of cell phones while driving.
Special Needs School Bus Headed to Belle Terre Elementary With 9 Aboard in Minor Collision
A special needs Flagler County school bus was involved in a minor collision at Rymfire Drive and Rickenbacker Drive in Palm Coast just after 9 this morning. No one was injured.
Bunnell Condemns County’s Decision to Move Sheriff’s Building to Palm Coast, Threatening Lawsuit and Kindling Feud
The Bunnell City Commission approved an angry resolution against the county, instigating a feud that county officials say is misconstruing the county’s and sheriff’s intentions and missing the bigger picture.
Video Shows Shooting Outside Bunnell Circle K as Detectives Still Seek ID of Gunman
A weapon was recovered that may be tied to the shooting outside a Circle K store in Bunnell Sunday night–a shooting and the fight that preceded it captured by the store’s surveillance video.
Moments Before Trial, Jerald Medders Pleads to 15 Years in Prison On Charges of Raping 16 Year Old
Jerald Medders, the 53-year-old Palm Coast resident, faced a minimum of 30 years in prison and up to life if convicted by a jury, which had already been seated for the week-long trial, when Medders changed his mind and pleaded.
In Jerald Medders Trial, Alleged Sex Crimes Are Triggers to Several Jurors’ Previous Traumas
Several potential jurors were excused Monday during jury selection in the trial of Jerald Medders, 53, who is accused of unlawful sex with a minor, as the jurors spoke of their own traumas.
18-Year-Old Man Shot at Bunnell’s Circle K During an Argument, Suspect Sought
An 18-year-old man was shot in the back outside the Bunnell Circle K on State Road 100 shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday. The man survived. Authorities are looking for a suspect seen in surveillance video.
Sheriff Provides State of Policing in Flagler in 2nd ‘Fighting Crime Together’ Meeting
Sheriff Rick Staly held a public meeting on “Addressing Crime Together” at the Hilton Garden Inn in Palm Coast on Thursday afternoon to discuss crime trends, past and future initiatives.
An Unusual Re-Arrest of ‘Person of Interest’ in Curtis Gray Shooting on an Unrelated Charge
Teresa Salgado, wanted as a person of interest in the shooting death of Curtis Gray last Saturday, was arrested on an LSD possession charge from a January incident in which she had already been arrested and bonded out.
Hands-Free Cell Use In Car May Become Requirement in Florida Under Senate Plan
The House measure matches the Senate proposal in shifting texting while driving from a “secondary” offense to a “primary” offense, but it doesn’t impose a hands-free requirement.
Rumored Threat of Retaliation For Curtis Gray Killing ‘Unfounded’ as Security Is Beefed Up at FPC
The unfounded rumor about possible retaliation related to the shooting death of 18-year-old FPC student Curtis Gray reflects continuing concern by law enforcement and the school district over further consequences from the shooting.
Flagler Commission Will Build New, $12-15 Million Sheriff’s Operations Center by Palm Coast Library, Condemning ‘Mold Ops’
The Flagler County Commission this evening voted unanimously to build a new Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center–in Palm Coast, next to the county library on Palm Coast Parkway.
For Marion Gavins Jr., 17, Accused of Murdering Curtis Gray, a Life of Crime Since He Was 13
Marion Gavins’s arrest on a murder charge Sunday was the culmination of four years of run-ins with school authorities, suspensions, expulsions, run-ins with sheriff’s deputies, arrests, stints in the criminal justice system’s juvenile division, probation and house arrest.
Marion Leo Gavins Jr. Turns Himself In, Ending 36-Hour Search After Killing of Curtis Gray
Marion Leo Gavins Jr., the 17-year-old Palm Coast suspect wanted in the shooting of Curtis Gray, 18, early Saturday morning, turned himself in to Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies this afternoon.
Curtis Gray Murder Investigation: Sheriff Seeking Suspect Marion Leo Gavins Jr., 17
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating Marion Leo Gavins Jr., 17, of Palm Coast. He’s been charged in the shooting death of Curtis Gray, 18, Saturday morning.
FPC’s Curtis Gray, 18, Is Shot and Killed Outside Coin Laundry in Palm Coast
Curtis Gray, 18, a Flagler Palm Coast High School senior, was shot and killed outside a smoke shop and coin laundry off Belle Terre Parkway at 12:36 this morning, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
Calling Judge, Jury and Prosecution a ‘Travesty,’ Michael Bowling Is Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Sleep-Over Molestation
Michael Craig Bowling was sentenced to two consecutive terms totaling 20 years plus 10 years’ sex-offender probation after a conviction for molesting a 15-year-old girl visiting his step-daughter for a sleep-over.