Maurice Godwin, 35, was allegedly burglarizing a house at 1 Bird Haven Place in Palm Coast when the homeowner surprised him and Godwin fled, eventually speeding away from cops until his car crashed in west Flagler.
Cops/Courts
Flagler’s Emergency Operations Center at 10 Years: A Few Fires, 5 Managers, Zero Hurricanes
The Emergency Operations Center was part of a $90 million public building spree at the height of the housing boom, just before it all crashed. The center has yet to know its first hurricane emergency, though it’s helped the county through several fire and major storm emergencies.
Attorney Representing Linda Bolante in Cases Against Sheriff Manfre Responds
The attorney for Linda Bolante, Sheriff Manfre’s former finance director and the source of the ethics claims against him, responds to allegations against her Manfre made on the radio last week.
As Trial Is Set In 65-Year-Old’s Alleged Sex Assaults of Girl, 13, Some Evidence in Limbo
Robert Zetrouer, 65, faces three 2nd-degree felony counts in the sex assaults of the 13-year-old daughter of his then girlfriend in Palm Coast, but lawyers agreed to possibly exclude some testimony involving the girl’s brother in the early portion of the trial, set for July 18.
In a Blow to Business, Supreme Court Bans Workers Comp Limits on Attorney’s Fees
The ruling stemmed from a case in which an attorney was awarded the equivalent of $1.53 an hour in successfully pursuing a claim for benefits for a worker injured in Miami.
Poison Flush: Drug Take-Back Day in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach on Saturday, No Questions Asked
Residents can stop at four locations in Palm Coast and one in Flagler Beach to privately return expired or unwanted prescription, over-the-counter meds, vitamin or herbal remedies as well as veterinary medications.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Slamming 4 Year Old to Ground Is Committed to State Hospital
A judge today determined Christopher Williams, 22, incompetent to stand trial just yet, but his commitment to a psychiatric hospital may be temporary. The judge will reevaluate his condition at an undetermined date.
Jonathan Canales, Accused of Shooting His Wife in Mondex, Will Not Face Trial Just Yet
Committed to a psychiatric hospital a year ago, Canales, a PTSD-suffering Iraq veteran, was judged still incompetent for trial in alleged shooting of Tiffany Norman, but today’s hearing suggested that such a trial is now a matter of time.
Deputy David Malta, Class of ’87, Is Latest Long-Timer to Retire from Sheriff’s Office
David Malta, the latest in a long string of veterans who have left, retired or been forced out of the agency, started his career under Sheriff Bob McCarthy. His retirement was foreordained, however, because of a Florida Retirement System program he joined five years ago.
2-Year-Old Girl Pulled Unresponsive From F-Section Pool Sunday Has Died
The 2-year-old daughter of Mandee and Douglas Seitz who was pulled unresponsive from her swimming pool on Palm Coast’s Ft. Caroline Court Sunday evening died late Monday night, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said today.
Waldemar Rivera Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison Over Step-Daughter’s Rape
Waldemar Rivera, 37, was sentenced last month in a rape of his 13-year-old step-daughter in their P-Section home in Palm Coast. Judge Matthew Foxman expressed surprise at the contrasting demeanor of Rivera in court with that of the man being sentenced for the crime.
In Florida, Court Rules, a 55-Year Prison Sentence For a Juvenile Is Not a Life Term
Anthony Julian Collins was two months shy of 17 when he was committed an attempted second-degree murder, carjacking with a firearm and attempted armed robbery.
Michael Stens, County Judge’s Ex-Husband, Is Arrested on DUI Charge After Crash in F-Section
Michael Stens, 44, a resident of Fenimore Lane in Palm Coast, divorced from County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens three years ago, crashed his Prius into a culvert within a few feet of his house after driving home and was arrested on a drunk driving charge Monday morning.
Rymfire Elementary Briefly on “Code Orange” as Sheriff Detains 3 Outside Campus in Car Theft
A police matter that took place outside the campus of Rymfire Elementary–but did not endanger anyone inside–required the school to declare a “Code Orange,” or a less strict variant of a lockdown, just after 1 p.m. today.
Right to an Attorney Often a Myth as Public Defenders Are Overworked and the Poor Bullied to Plea
There is a lack of funding for public defense in every state, and people charged with low-level misdemeanors, often poor minorities, suffer the most as public defender offices focus their few resources on felony cases.
Sheriff Manfre Calls Ethics Case Against Him “Terrorism,” Vows to Fight To Supreme Court
Calling the protracted ethics case against him “terrorism,” “nonsense” and politically motivated “slime” by two former colleagues, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre this morning delivered his most detailed—and impassioned—defense of himself since the case against him began in 2014.
Florida Justices: Cops May Not Keep Lawyer From Client Even in Voluntary Interviews
While a murder suspect was being voluntarily interrogated before he confessed, his lawyer appeared at the sheriff’s office but cops wouldn’t let the lawyer see his client.
Despite Alarms, an Ex-Cop on Disability–and Supporter of the Sheriff–Is Hired As Deputy
An internal investigative report had recommended against hiring ex-NAACP Vice President Eric Josey, a veteran of the NYPD on disability who had difficulties fulfilling basic training exercises. The Sheriff’s Office defends the hiring, while Josey calls criticism of his performance “embellished” and a political “firestorm.”
300-Gallon Chemical Spill in Flagler Beach Closes A1A From South 5th to North 4th
A truck carrying diluted sulfuric acid spilled some 300 gallons of the liquid at the intersection of State Road 100 and State Road A1A in Flagler Beach earlier this morning.
Poll-Tax Redux: Millions Free From Jail Are Barred From Voting By Criminal Debt
Debt from fines starts at sentencing and can grow at interest rates of 12 percent or more while inmates serve their sentences. It continues to grow after they’re released and face the numerous barriers to finding work and housing.
R-Section Shooting Is Caught on Private Surveillance Video, But No Suspects or Known Injuries
Several shell casings were recovered from the 11 p.m. shooting in the area of 11 Riverview Place, and several people interviewed, but no suspects and no vehicle were recovered.
Step-Father Accused of Child Abuse After Boy Throws Burrito at Him
Peter Adelstein of Palm Coast was disciplining his step-son for not cleaning up after lunch when he allegedly grabbed the boy by the neck and dared him to “try me.”
Sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Neat Reprimanded Over Errors in Cocaine Seizure That Affected Case
Had Christopher Demon Lang’s lawyer not noticed that the cocaine amounts he was charged with possessing were higher than those found in his home, he could have faced a much stiffer prison sentence.
Deputy Responsible for False Arrest of Dakota Ward Is Suspended For 3 Days as Investigation Concludes
James Gore, a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy who two weeks ago was disciplined in an unrelated matter, was suspended for three days without pay and charged with “unsatisfactory or incompetent performance” as a result of his investigation that led to the false arrest of an 18-year-old Bunnell resident late last month.
Father Accused of Smacking and Suffocating 9-Year-Old Son For Talking Back During Chores
Joshua Stevens, 31, a resident of Prospect Lane in Palm Coast, allegedly struck his child five times and closed his nose and mouth when the child talked back while mopping the floor.
Ethics Commission Unanimously Approves $6,200 Fine Against Sheriff Manfre, and Public Censure
State ethics commissioners voted without discussion to impose the fine and censure. Manfre has vowed to keep fighting the charges dating back to the early part of his tenure in 2013.
Palm Coast Man, 23, Accused of Sexually Assaulting Two Teen Girls at Long Creek Preserve
Christopher Hollinger, 23, of 43 Forsythe Lane, is at the Flagler County Jail on $270,000 bond on accusations of statutory rape and other charges stemming from an alleged March 15 incident.
Pot-Possession Decriminalization Could Advance in Flagler As Part of Broader Civil Citation Program
Not just the possession of small amounts of pot, but such offenses as battery and criminal mischief could be de-criminalized and shifted to civil citations in an approach that will be studied by a newly formed committee.
Survey Puts Homeless Total in Flagler-Palm Coast at 104, But Undercount Likely
The 2016 census of the homeless population in Flagler-Palm Coast was a dramatic decline from 2015, but also very likely an under-count. The majority of homeless people who have no shelter at all are in Palm Coast.
For 2nd Time in 2 Months, County’s Emergency Communications Falter, and Agencies Chafe
A problem at a tower on John Anderson Highway hampered sheriff’s deputies’ ability to communicate for an hour Monday evening. The county is describing the issue as minor while Palm Coast and the sheriff’s office see it as more emblematic of a recurring problem.
Anna Pehota’s Defense Takes Fresh Turn Down Memory Lapse in Husband’s Killing
An unexpected statement by Pehota, 76, who faces a 2nd degree murder charge, that she doesn’t remember her interrogation opened the way for a defense on psychological grounds, and a request for a delay in her trial, initially scheduled for next week.
Car Rear-Ends Wadsworth-Bound School Bus With 19 Students on Board in P Section
A car rear-ended the Elk school bus at 8:15 this morning at Pine Grove Drive and Pittman Drive in Palm Coast. The driver of the car was injured, but none of the 19 students aboard the bus nor the driver were injured, a school district spokesperson said.
Gateway Drug Bunk: No, Smoking Pot Doesn’t Lead to Harder Drugs
Smoke pot and be merry. Cops’ and politicians’ claims that pot is a gateway drug is baseless fear-mongering intended to stop the legalization of marijuana. But it’s time to dispense with the lie once and for all.
Palm Coast Man Who Shot Wife With AK-47 Continues to Fight His 25-Year Sentence
William Carson Merrill shot and killed his wife as he played with the assault rifle in their home four years ago. He is battling in court for a new trial, arguing that he tendered an involuntary plea to the manslaughter charge.
Same Accusations, Different Day: Palm Coast Man and Woman Jailed Again on Violent Assaults
A couple have four battery or aggravated battery charges between them in the last three years, three of those charges in the last three weeks.
Upset Over Daughter’s Nude Pictures, Mother Is Charged With Aggravated Child Abuse
Virginia Jennelle of Palm Coast allegedly gashed her daughter’s forehead with a broomstick and poured food all over her to make her unpresentable and keep her from running away.
Raise the Driving Age to 18
Neurologically, kids aren’t ready, argues Catherine Durkin Robinson. Isn’t it time we did what’s best before more die or kill others? Simply focusing on experience ignores what we know about the teenage brain and its predilection for risky behaviors.
County Commission Retreats From Joint Meeting With Palm Coast Council on EMS
After appearing ready to meet with Palm Coast, county commissioners now say that between election turn-over and the absence of a crisis, there’s no need to meet over ambulance issues.
Has Business Biased Florida’s Workers Comp Law Too Far Against Labor? Court Will Decide
Plaintiffs argue that lawmakers have taken too many rights and benefits from people who get injured on the job, while business groups say a 2003 law kept costs from “spiraling.”
Palm Coast Man Accused of Drunk Driving Arrested After 2 Crashes on Belle Terre Pkwy.
Ian Yahnke, 45, of Palm Coast, crashed a car at the Kangaroo station then at White View Parkway before his arrest, breathing .271 and .289 in a blood-alcohol level test at Florida Hospital Flagler.
Criminal Immunity: Prosecutors Are Rarely Punished for Mistakes and Misconduct
The Innocence Project alleges that prosecutors across the country are almost never punished when they withhold evidence or commit other forms of misconduct that land innocent people in prison.
A Bunnell Man Is Falsely Arrested Over Name Error, and Case Proceeds Despite Corrections
In a nightmare of the persistence of bureaucratic errors, Dakota Ward, 19, who’s never been in trouble, was confused with another man and falsely arrested on a battery charge last week. His case is still proceeding.
Man Arrested Over Cocking AK-47 Outside Metro Diner After Words With Manager
Joseph Eberhardinger, 24, had gone to Metro Diner with his girlfriend so she could retrieve her last paycheck when the incident unfolded. The same evening, Anthony Catoggio, 19, was arrested on an identical charge in a separate incident.
Flagler’s 6 Public-Sector Unions Launch Unified Political Arm as Palm Coast Workers Bargain
The new organization, joining teachers, cops, firefighters, school employees and municipal workers, aims to rival Realtors, home builders and the chamber in political influence and regain some power in collective bargaining.
28 Year Old Man Charged With Drunk Driving Manslaughter Death of 2 Women on SR100
Jody Alan Hyde, then 26, was the only person not injured in a wreck he allegedly caused in 2014, where two women were killed and two people left with incapacitating injuries.
Hoax Call of Home Invasion and Shooting Draws Out SWAT and Anger on Ziegler Place
An unsuspecting resident on Ziegler Place was frightened by the sudden appearance of armed police, the house’s door was battered down and damaged, and nothing amiss was inside, though the residents were left angry.
Retreating from Confession in Husband’s Killing, Anna Pehota Vies for Trial: “I’d Rather Take My Chances”
Anna Pehota, 76, had previously confessed to killing her husband in the Hammock last fall, but has since withdrawn her confession and seeks a defense on a second-degree murder charge.
Palm Coast Man Who Avoided Prison in Child Porn Case Is Sentenced to 1 Year Over Gun
Paul Stout, formerly of Palm Coast, had avoided prison when he was placed on 10 years’ probation for possession of child porn last year, but his possession of a .380-caliber gun as a felon sent him to prison.
Sheriff’s Detectives Seeking Public Help in Identifying Two Alleged Bank Fraudsters
The Flagler Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying two men alleged to have fraudulently withdrawn money from two banks in several local transactions resulting in the combined alleged theft of nearly $8,000. The men are not working in concert.
Woman Passed Out in Car on A1A With Infant By Her Charged With DUI and Child Neglect
Tiffany Pond, 24, was passed out at the wheel of her car, the radio blaring, with an infant next to her near an open alcohol container when a Flagler Beach officer woke her up.