After receiving a call reporting a burglary in progress on Thursday, April 11, several units from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office responded to Jack’s Camp in Douglas Park on Northeast 16th Avenue at approximately 5 a.m. While en route, dispatch advised that a male suspect was attempting to break in and had a gun. Later the caller reportedly said he had kicked in the door and she could no longer talk. Dispatch said they could hear the suspect yelling, and they were unable to obtain an apartment number.

Upon arrival, dispatch informed the deputies that the suspect had left the apartment, and as they approached the apartments, they could hear a male and female arguing. It was then, Deputy Ryane Ammons said, he noticed a black male standing in the road near the mailbox of the apartment. He was holding a blue can in his right hand. The male was given several orders to drop the can and show his hands but kept refusing and instead, he reportedly reached for his waistband multiple times. Then, the suspect allegedly removed his shirt and began reaching behind his back. At this point, one deputy deployed his taser, but he still continued to resist arrest, and Deputy Ammons realized the first taser probes must not have maintained contact, and he deployed his taser, which was successful in bringing the suspect to the ground. When the taser cycled off, they were still not able to apply wrist restraints because he reportedly tensed his arms and kept them under his body, so he was tased a third time before he was finally restrained. Deputy Ammons reported a strong odor of alcohol coming from him.

A female nearby identified herself as the woman who had been arguing with the suspect but denied making the 911 call. Deputy Ammons then began looking at all the apartment doors to see if any had been broken in, and he found one with a large shoe print on it. The same female reportedly told him she had been staying there, but she said no one kicked in her door and said she and the man were just arguing.

Witnesses stated the male and female argue all the time.

The male was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence. His bond was set at $1,500. He was medically assessed due to the use of force, and no injuries were found. No firearm was found on his person or in the area.

OKEECHOBEE – On Friday afternoon, April 19, a Pahokee man allegedly led law enforcement on a chase through downtown Okeechobee, almost causing multiple collisions before finally crashing into the bollards protecting the generator at the Okeechobee City Fire Department and then into the generator itself before finally stopping. According to the police report, Okeechobee Police Department Officer Raul Marrero responded to a call pertaining to a reckless driver traveling westbound on State Road 70 East heading into the city, followed by Deputy Bryan Holden of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office.

Officer Marrero was told the suspect vehicle was a teal pickup truck with front end damage, and he spotted the vehicle around the 1300 block of State Road 70 East, but when he activated his siren and lights, the driver did not stop and instead, took evasive action straddling the center lane of the highway from the 1200 block to the 900 block. As they approached the signal at Eighth Avenue, this slowed the driver down, and Officer Marrero attempted to block his exit by taking the turning lane, but the driver reportedly edged his car forward trying to make the other cars move, and the vehicle in front of him moved out of his way to avoid being hit. The driver continued toward the patrol car as if to hit it, but at the last minute, he went behind it and the chase began again.

At the 700 block, he reportedly drove against oncoming traffic in another attempt to elude capture, but by this time, Sgt. Skip Eddings had joined the chase. Officer Marrero attempted to slow the vehicle down by getting in front of him and slowing his own vehicle down. By the 400 block, they almost had him stopped when he once again turned into oncoming traffic causing the oncoming vehicles to stop suddenly to avoid collision.

Finally, the vehicle entered the City Hall parking lot, and Deputy Hayles, Sgt. Eddings and Officer Marrero followed him into the lot. Officer Marrero used his vehicle to block the exit to the lot, and the driver reportedly tried to make him move by driving toward him, but when he saw that he was not going to move, he jerked his vehicle to the left at the last minute and hit the bollards protecting the fire department’s generator and then hit the generator itself, which finally caused the vehicle to stop.

The driver was identified as Genaro Medrano, 41. There was reportedly a strong odor of alcohol coming from his body, and an open bottle of cold beer was spilled on the seat and floorboard of the truck. Medrano refused treatment by EMS and was taken to the Okeechobee County Jail. He was charged with DUI with property damage, fleeing and eluding at high speed with no regard, aggravated assault on law enforcement and driving without a license. Bond was set at $60,000.

Okeechobee Police Officer Jessica Francis was surprised to find a woman sleeping behind the wheel of her sedan at the intersection of U.S. 441 and State Road 70 early Monday morning, April 15. Officer Francis had seen the car sitting at the intersection earlier when she was headed to another call, but when it was still there on her way back, she knew she needed to check on the occupants. When she approached the car, she stated, she could see through the window that there was only one person in the vehicle — the driver, and the driver was sound asleep.

She began knocking on the window to try to rouse the driver, and after several minutes, she finally rolled down the window. Officer Francis asked the driver if she was OK and asked for her license. While the woman looked for her license, she identified herself as Lajuana Smith-McNeil. As she looked for her license, she reportedly kept asking Officer Francis what it was she was looking for again, and she was very hard to understand because her words were slurred. On two separate occasions, she fell asleep while looking for her license, states the report.

Officer Francis asked her to call someone to come and get her car, and Ms. McNeil reportedly found her phone but could not remember how to operate it and fell asleep while trying. Officer Francis took the phone, asked who she wanted to call and made the call for her. The vehicle was turned over to the registered owner.

While in custody at the jail, Ms. McNeil submitted breath samples which registered 0.0, but when attempting a standard roadside sobriety test while in the safety of the jail, she was reportedly unsteady on her feet and unable to complete it for her own safety. She submitted a urine sample, was charged with DUI and given a court date.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Juan Carlos Cabanas alias Juan Carlos Aguillar, Porforio Parra, Carlos Perez, 36, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 150 pounds, black hair and brown eyes.

His last known address was on Glades Glen Drive in Belle Glade.

Cabanas is wanted on a warrant for burglary of a dwelling, grand theft from a dwelling and criminal mischief.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477), or remain anonymous by downloading the new app “Connect & Protect,” “See Something Say Something” for any Apple or Android smartphone.

INDIANTOWN — A Stuart man was killed Tuesday, April 30, in a fatal accident in Indiantown. His name has not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin.

According to Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Coulter’s report, the accident occurred at 10:32 a.m. when a Dodge Dakota truck was struck twice by two different semis, ejecting the driver and causing the vehicle to burst into flames.

According to the FHP report, Michael Lecrenier, 55, of Okeechobee, was driving a 2014 Kenworth semi northbound on Southwest Warfield Boulevard approaching the intersection with Southwest Tommy Clements Street behind a 2002 Dodge Dakota, also northbound, driven by the Stuart man whose name has not been released.

Jose Antonio Suarez Delga, 53, of Miami, was driving a 2005 Peterbilt semi southbound, also on Southwest Warfield Boulevard. The Dodge Dakota slowed as it approached the intersection. The driver of the Kenworth semi apparently failed to notice the truck in front had slowed. The Kenworth semi’s front bumper struck the rear of the Dodge truck, causing it to rotate to the left, into the path of the southbound Peterbilt semi. The southbound semi struck the right rear of the Dodge. The driver of the Dodge was ejected and the Dodge caught on fire.

The Kenworth semi came to rest near the impact site on Southwest Warfield Boulevard. The Dodge Dakota came to final rest in the southbound lane of Southwest Warfield Boulevard. The Peterbilt semi came to rest in the west ditch of Southwest Warfield Boulevard.

The driver of the Dodge died at the accident scene. The other two drivers were not injured.

According to the FHP report, the accident was still under investigation at press time.

When survivors of domestic violence start to think about how to escape from their abusive situations, they’re often faced with a difficult decision regarding their beloved pets. Staggering statistics say that 71 percent of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence). Most domestic violence shelters cannot accept animals, so many of these brave survivors are left to decide whether to leave their pets behind or continue to risk their lives by staying. Tragically, many victims choose to stay, for fear of what may happen to their animals if they leave.
Abuse Counseling and Treatment Inc. (ACT), whose mission is “to protect, support, educate and empower victims of domestic violence and their children, survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking in Lee, Hendry and Glades counties,” has recently created a partnership with the Caloosa Humane Society in order to provide free housing for pets of people who are trying to escape from their abusive situations.

Savannah Rounds of ACT says: “We have so much gratitude and respect for the Humane Society. They are really going out of their way for us and our clients. A service like this could be the difference between quite literally life or death, for either a human or an animal.”

ACT offers many important services, such as: an emergency protective shelter; a 24-hour crisis hotline; counseling, advocacy; support groups; a rape crisis center; outreach counseling; batterers intervention groups; a children’s program; as well as raising community and professional education and awareness.

Meanwhile, the Caloosa Humane Society now offers free care for ACT program participants for up to three weeks, giving them some time to make plans for the future. “During the three weeks we can help them come up with a more permanent solution, or see if someone is willing to temporarily foster while they get their life in order,” says Ms. Rounds.

Caloosa Humane Society strives to uphold its mission to shelter and protect pets. With their new expansion, they also offer wellness visits and preventative care, baths and nail trims, a low-cost spay and neuter program, dental care, emergency services and, now, a place for survivors of domestic violence to keep their pets safe while they navigate their way out of dangerous situations.

This partnership is such an important new development that is sure to save lives, as it helps to ease the stress in the minds of those struggling with the decision to leave. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out.

ACT’s 24 Hour Hotline: 239-939-3112
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233).

OKEECHOBEE — On Saturday, April 27, three employees of an Okeechobee restaurant were fired and then arrested after they were accused of and later seen on video spitting in the food of two uniformed, on-duty, deputies who had stopped in for dinner.

According to the police report, Okeechobee City Police Department was contacted by the owners of the restaurant immediately after they were informed of the incident and had confirmed it through video footage. The owners are reportedly very upset and have been cooperating fully with law enforcement. Detectives Bettye Taylor and Bill Saum are investigating, and Assistant State Attorney Ashley Albright is prosecuting the case.

The three employees, 16-year old Molly Spearow, 17-year-old Alex Armstrong and 17-year-old Logan Pope allegedly conspired together to spit in the deputies’ food.  Armstrong reportedly spit in the food. Pope reportedly knew he spit in the food and allowed it to be served to the deputies, and Spearow knew he spit in the food and served it to the deputies. All three were charged with violating Florida’s anti-tampering act-Food, a first degree felony and battery on a law enforcement officer, a first degree felony.

Sheriff Noel E. Stephen stated, “There is no excuse for actions such as this, and it will not be tolerated.”

All three teens were in court Wednesday morning, May 1 for detention hearings and all three asked for and were granted public defenders. Spearow, who is already on probation for a previous charge will be held in secure detention for 21 days. The defense attorney, Mr. Hooper, argued that there was no proof of ill will, but Mr. Albright told the court both officers had to be tested for infectious diseases, and this is not a laughing matter.

Pope’s parents were in the courtroom and spoke on his behalf. His mother said he had never been in trouble before and his stepfather said if the judge would allow him to come home, he would make sure he stayed home and got another job right away, but the Judge Michael Heisey said he was going to send him to the detention center too. He told Pope to be careful who he associated with because sometimes people give you stupid ideas. “Don’t act on them,” he said.

Armstrong had an additional charge of possession of marijuana resin, and there was a problem with his paperwork. He did not have a completed risk assessment before he arrived in court, and Judge Heisey said he could not hold his detention hearing until his paperwork was complete. He was sent to the detention center to have this done and will have his detention hearing on Thursday morning.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office press release stated that Operation Strike Heat took place in the north end of Palm Beach County on April 12 and 13, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The areas of concentration were Unincorporated West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Town of Mangonia Park and Town of Lake Park. Sixty arrests were affected for weapons related charges, narcotic related charges and driving charges. Firearms, large amounts of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, fentanyl, methamphetamine and synthetic narcotics were recovered. Majority of the arrestees were transported to the Palm Beach County Jail. Some individuals for minor offenses were released on a NTA (notice to appear) with a court date only.

The arrestees were from the following areas: West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay, Greenacres, Delray Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, and the town of Okeechobee (Okeechobee County), Fort Pierce (St. Lucie County), and Milton (Santa Rosa County).

INDIANTOWN — A fatal traffic accident on State Road 710 (aka the “Beeline Highway” or Warfield Boulevard) at the intersection of Southwest Tommy Clements Street has sparked a petition for a traffic signal and/or turning lane there. The April 30 crash, which involved a Dodge Dakota truck and two semis, claimed the life of a Stuart man.

On Wednesday, Rebecca Lantigua started a petition titled “Traffic Lights or Turn Lanes on Beeline Highway” on the Change.org website. By Thursday morning, the petition had more than 1,000 signatures.

“We, the undersigned Citizens of Indiantown, FL and its surrounding areas, petition to have a traffic light installed on Beeline Highway at the intersections of SW Tommy Clements St., SW Springhaven Ave. and also SW Amaryllis Ave.

“These intersections are extremely dangerous. Numerous accidents have occurred, causing destruction of property, bodily injuries, and have claimed the lives of multiple people.

“Our family, friends and neighbors leave their homes every day in hopes to return to their families. Unfortunately, due to the lack of safety precautions such as traffic lights or turning lanes, many have not been so lucky.

“No one leaves their home expecting never to return. Parents drop their kids off at a bus stop located at these intersections every morning only to hope that they will be able to tuck them in again that night.

“No person should leave their home thinking that might have been the last goodbye hug/kiss to my loved ones. No child should wonder if Mommy and Daddy will make it home for family dinner? No parent should have to fall asleep at night thinking, ‘That might have been the last time I tuck my kids into bed.’

“Why should something that can be easily prevented cause so many people daily stress and anxiety to an already hectic life that we live?”

The petition includes a photo of the April 30 crash, which the poster notes “claimed the life of one 29-year-old man and has caused lifetime emotional scarring to many others.

“To prevent having to explain to ANOTHER child why their Mommy/Daddy wont be home for dinner or explain to ANOTHER parent that they will NEVER be able to see their children grow up, PLEASE, we ask that a traffic light or turning lane be added to Beeline Highway at the intersections of SW Tommy Clements St., SW Springhaven Ave., and also SW Amaryllis Ave.”

The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a wanted sex offender Ernie Paul Higginbotham, 42, last known address was Okeechobee at large.
Higginbotham has an active warrant for failure to register. If you know the whereabouts of Ernie Higginbotham, contact the sheriff’s office or you may remain anonymous and contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 800-273-8477. If a tip leads to an arrest, you may be entitled to a reward.

OKEECHOBEE — An 18-year-old Okeechobee High School student was arrested April 29 and charged with extortion. He is accused of threatening to kidnap and murder a fellow student’s mother and sister.

School Resource Deputy Brant Harden was called to the administration office of the Okeechobee High School by Dean Daryl Roehm and Principal Dylan Teddars in reference to a student in possession of unknown pills. When Deputy Harden arrived, he was handed a bag full of pills, which he identified as dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride, a Schedule II controlled substance under federal law. The student allegedly in possession of the pills was identified as Eduardo Martinez, Northeast 11th Lane. According to webmd.com, the prescription drug is used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

A second student was found with the same pills in his backpack, but he had a prescription for the pills. When questioned, he reportedly admitted giving the pills to Martinez but said he did so because he owed Martinez money for an ounce of marijuana he purchased from him last summer. He said Martinez contacted him two weeks ago and began telling him every day he would shoot him if he did not give him the money he owed him. He also claimed Martinez threatened to kidnap his mother and sister if he did not get his money. He said he had heard Martinez has guns and had broken into people’s homes in the past, and he was in fear for the lives of his family. He said this was the reason he gave him the pills.

The student’s mother was contacted and said she did want to pursue charges. The student was not charged because it was determined he was acting out of fear for his family.

Martinez was charged with possession of a Schedule II substance and extortion. Bond was set at $10,000.

LABELLE — The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office released a news story stating that on Thursday, May 2, at approximately 10:30 p.m., 28-year-old Juan Jesus Madrid was arrested on charges of written threats to kill or do bodily injury.

Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden found the post on Facebook and instantly took action. Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Communication and Road Patrol along with investigators immediately began a search through records and were able to identify the poster along with an address – and him!

While attempting to locate Madrid they came up on him leaving a residence on Avalon Avenue. Deputies noted that the tag on the back of the vehicle being driven was expired and stopped him. After verifying that Madrid was in fact the driver he was detained until Investigators arrived on scene.

He was questioned and later booked into the Hendry County Jail on charges of written threats to kill or do bodily injury and is out on $25,000 bond.

The public was not notified because of expeditious manner in which it was handled.

A man was arrested Thursday, May 2, after allegedly stealing a Florida Highway Patrol car in Okeechobee County near Mile Marker 181 at approximately 4 p.m. An FHP trooper reported he stopped to help what appeared to be an injured pedestrian. The man was extremely sunburned, he said, and had a busted lip and multiple scratches. When asked his name, he said he was Chaz Michael Bonos. The trooper said Mr. Bonos seemed confused and disoriented, and he gave him water because he seemed dehydrated. Mr. Bonos’ condition seemed to deteriorate more and more, and the trooper called for a Road Ranger and had Mr. Bonos sit on the ground near the right front of his patrol car for his safety.

When the Road Ranger arrived, he said he had encountered Mr. Bonos the day before but, when he called for a trooper, Mr. Bonos disappeared. While the trooper stood at the rear of his patrol car talking to the road ranger, Mr. Bonos allegedly jumped up and got into the patrol car and drove off northbound at high rate of speed.

The trooper notified dispatch and several units gave chase. When Bonos entered Osceola County, troopers put down stop sticks at Mile Marker 192. Bonos was able to avoid them, went onto a grass median and came to a stop against a guardrail. He fled into the woods but was apprehended and was transported to Raulerson Hospital, where he was identified as Shane Jensen, 22, of Largo. It was discovered he had two active warrants out of Pinellas County.

He was charged with grand theft auto, five counts of fleeing or eluding law enforcement, seven counts of aggravated battery and two counts of resisting an officer. Bond was set at $140,000.

Three men, two of whom were armed with knives, reportedly broke into an apartment on Friday, May 3, while a man, woman and two children were home. One of the intruders is reported to have said something like, “I can’t do this,” almost immediately after entering the apartment and then turned and walked out. The other two suspects reportedly took the male victim’s wallet, containing $1,500 in cash.

While Okeechobee Police Department Officer Todd Burk was taking statements from the victims, they were approached by 21-year-old Aaron Hill, U.S. 98 North, who gave a statement. In his possession was $990. He was taken to the police department for a recorded interview and afterward, he was arrested by Detective James Pickering and charged with home invasion robbery. His bond was set at $30,000.

This is not Hill’s first brush with the law, as he had several juvenile charges and then at the age of 17 was charged as an adult after he pulled a knife on a man and threatened to cut him during a confrontation at a local fast food restaurant. In that case he was charged with the felony of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of alcohol by a person under the age of 21, which are both misdemeanors. On Aug. 14 he was placed on probation for a period of five years by Judge Bauer and his adjudication was withheld.

Still, he couldn’t stay out of trouble.

Hill violated that probation when, on Oct. 4, he was arrested on a felony charge of grand theft by Officer Charles Green of the Okeechobee Police Department.

Hill was initially taken to the St. Lucie Regional Detention Center in Fort Pierce, but was returned to the Okeechobee County Jail because he had been charged as an adult in the earlier case. Because of that, he was also charged as an adult in the theft case.

The identity of the other two suspects is known, but they are at large. The investigation is ongoing.

Eric Kopp contributed to this story.

An Okeechobee teen was arrested after a homeowner allegedly caught him and an accomplice in his garage and detained them until Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived. Sgt. Donald Ellis responded to the homeowner’s 911 call and found the homeowner standing in front of the garage while two other males sat on the ground in front of him. The homeowner said when he returned home after being gone for a short time, he noticed someone inside his garage. The door of the garage appeared to be damaged, he said, and was only opened about halfway. He explained the lights from his car illuminated someone walking around inside the garage. He got out of his jeep and confronted the suspect, and that was when he realized there was a second person in there as well, he said. He called 911 and had the two suspects wait until help arrived.

The two suspects were identified as 20-year-old Kevin Lee Schick, Northwest 87th Court, and 16-year-old Jacob Curtis Lawrence, Northeast Fourth Lane. Lawrence was dressed all in black and carried a hat and a small flashlight, according to Sgt. Ellis’ report.

Both Lawrence and Schick were arrested and charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure. Bond was set at $5,000 for Schick, but because Lawrence is a juvenile, he was transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Fort Pierce.

This is not Lawrence’s first brush with the law. He was arrested last May when he was 15 years old and charged with grand theft auto. In August 2018, he was arrested again and charged with unarmed burglary of a conveyance and, in September 2018, he was arrested and charged with burglary of a structure, grand theft of a motor vehicle and criminal mischief.

Schick has no felony arrests on his record.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Jesus Alpizar, 39, white, male, five feet six inches tall, 130 pounds, black hair and brown eyes.

His last known address was on Southeast Avenue G in Belle Glade.

Alpizar is wanted on a warrant for aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon which has consequentially violated his probation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477), or remain anonymous by downloading the new app “Connect & Protect,” “See Something Say Something” for any Apple or Android smartphone.

OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee Police Department is actively searching for the following suspects, Michael Wayne Cheney (21) and David Joseph Gardner (21), in regard to a Home Invasion robbery that occurred on Friday, May 3, in the 800 block of N.W. Ninth Avenue, Okeechobee, reference case #190503009.

These individuals have active warrants for Home Invasion. If you have any information on the whereabouts of these suspects, please contact the Okeechobee City Police at 863-763-5521 or Detective James Pickering, at 863-763-9785 or you may contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-8477 and remain anonymous (if a tip leads to an arrest, you may be entitled to a reward).

LABELLE — On Thursday, May 9, at approximately 5:50 p.m, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office received a call from American Advanced, located at 51 S. Lee St. #6, a check cashing and payday loan center, reporting they had just been robbed. The caller went on to say a person entered the store and demanded all the cash and then left. No one was injured.

When Deputies arrived on scene they found both employees safe. When investigators began looking into the crime, they were aware that two other American Advanced centers had been robbed in Lee County. Investigators had received through information shared by Lee County, that this was possibly the same individual and there were a great deal of similarities between this robbery and the others in Lee County.

On May 11, Hendry County investigators were notified by Lee County Sheriff’s Office that a search warrant had been conducted in Lehigh Acres and that they had taken the suspect, John Wayne Ballester (52), into custody. They did locate and remove the clothing Ballester had worn during the Robbery in LaBelle.

Ballester was arrested on several charges resulting from crimes committed in Lee County. Ballester was taken into custody and is currently being held in Lee County Jail. Hendry County investigators have also filed charges of robbery, aggravated assault, and grand theft.

Ballester is currently being held on $150,000 bond.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Juan Alcala alias Juan Cecilio Garcia Alcala, 25, 5 feet 10 inches tall, white, male, black hair and brown eyes.

His last known address was on S.E. Second Ave. in South Bay.

Alcala is wanted on a warrant for violation of supervised own recognizance for a charge of resisting officer with violence

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477), or remain anonymous by downloading the new app “Connect & Protect,” “See Something Say Something” for any Apple or Android smartphone.

SOUTH BAY — On Saturday, May 4, deputies responded to a vehicle fire in the 43000 block of Old U.S. 27 in South Bay. Upon arrival deputies discovered a vehicle that was fully engulfed in flames. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded and extinguished the fire. Once the fire was extinguished, a human body was discovered in the trunk of the vehicle. The body was burned beyond recognition. An autopsy was performed the following day. The medical examiner findings confirmed the badly decomposed body was a victim of a homicide. The victim was positively identified as James Michael Payne, 25, of Orlando.

PBSO Violent Crimes detectives began an immediate and extensive investigation. The investigation led PBSO detectives to Leigh Acres where the suspects; Neville Bethune and Andrew Maldonado reside. With the assistance of Lee County Sheriff’s Office a search warrant was executed.

Detectives located evidence to support both Maldonado and Bethune’s involvement in the homicide of James Payne.

On Wednesday, May 8, Neville Bethune was interviewed and arrested by PBSO detectives. He is currently being held in Lee County on Palm Beach County charges for first degree murder and first degree arson.

On Thursday, May 16, Andrew Maldonado was arrested for his involvement in the homicide death of James Payne. He is currently being held in Buffalo, NY on charges of first degree murder and first degree arson.

Also on May 16, Donovan Baker from Leigh Acres was arrested for first degree arson for his involvement in this investigation.

PBSO Violent Crimes detectives would like to thank the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Unit, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit.