LABELLE — A Hendry County Sheriff’s Office press release stated that on July 3, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting a shooting that had just occurred.

Deputies responded to Commodore Place, located at County Village in LaBelle. Upon their arrival, they discovered 19-year-old David Zavala unresponsive in the back seat of a truck.

Hendry County Investigators, along with deputies, then responded to Hummingbird Drive, at approximately 5:30 p.m., where they came in contact with 16-year-old Nicholas R. Guerrero.

Investigators also spoke with two other persons of interest who were later released to their parents/guardians. At this time, it is believed that the motive for the murder is drug related.

After interviewing Guerrero, police placed him under arrest on charges of first degree murder. He was then transported to Department of Juvenile Justice where he remains at this time.

Hendry County Investigators are still following up on all leads. If you have any information regarding this homicide, please contact Hendry County Sheriff’s Office at 863-674-5600 or you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477) where you may be eligible for a cash reward.

CLEWISTON — A Hendry County Sheriff’s Office press release stated that on June 22, at approximately 2:09 p.m., Hendry County deputies responded to a shooting in Montura Ranch Estates. When deputies arrived they were able to locate both injured men. Both men were flown to hospitals for medical attention.

At the time of the press release investigators were not releasing any information as to the motive of the shooting. Hendry County Investigators are attempting to locate Samuel Rueda for questioning; he has been identified as a person of interest and investigators would like to speak with him.

Samuel Rueda is 31-years-old, white, male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 240 pounds, black hair, and brown eyes.

If you have any information regarding this shooting, please contact Hendry County Investigator, Detective Sergeant Ty Marshall, at 863-674-5600 or you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477), where you may be eligible for a cash reward.

HENDRY COUNTY – Thirty-seven head of cattle were killed in a truck crash County Road 833, near the intersection of Zipper Grove Road, in Hendry County on Wednesday, July 10, at 11:51 a.m.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol report, Paul Waynevan Sickle, 59, of Wauchula, was driving a 2001 Kenworth Truck north on CR 833 (also known as Sam Jones Trail) approximately 200 feet north of Zipper Grove Road. The driver told the FHP investigator that as he entered a curve in the road, the cattle shifted left, forcing the driver to steer right in an unsuccessful attempt to maintain control of the vehicle. The truck traveled off the roadway, through a ditch and overturned. Thirty-seven cattle died in the crash.

The driver was not injured. The driver was wearing a seatbelt, according to the FHP report. The accident is under investigation by FHP.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Felicia Salinas also known as Felicia Kirby, 37, white, female, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 170 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes.

Her last known address was on U.S. 27 in South Bay.

Salinas is wanted on a warrant for violation of probation on charges of grand theft and burglary of a structure or conveyance.

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.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Quantavius Clark, 19, black, male, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds, black hair, brown eyes and he has multiple tattoos.

His last known address was on Palm Beach Road in South Bay.

Clark is wanted on a warrant for failure to appear to answer to charges of an attempt to commit burglary of a conveyance, violation of supervised on recognizance and burglary of an unoccupied conveyance attempt.

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 — Two teens were charged with armed robbery after allegedly holding guns to the heads of a man and woman on Monday night, July 15, and demanding they give them money. Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Devon Satallante responded to a call on U.S. 98 North at the Okeechobee Civic Center at approximately 8 p.m. pertaining to an armed robbery complaint.

The deputy made contact with the alleged victims, and the male complainant reported he had gone to a home on Northwest 47th Terrace earlier to give the person who lived there some money he owed her. The female complainant was in the vehicle with him at the time.

He said when he pulled up in the driveway, a maroon Ford Fusion pulled up behind him, and the passenger got out of the car and walked toward his vehicle. He identified the male passenger as Gerardo Baltazar, also known as ”Stinky,” 16, and said Stinky offered him pills which were in two separate containers and were possibly Xanax. He said he told Stinky, “no,” and it was then Stinky pulled out a black pistol and pointed it at his head. Stinky then allegedly told him to give him the $25 that was in his hand, so he did. The complainant then said he pushed Stinky away and went back to his car.

At that time, the complainant reported, the driver’s side door opened and Vada Robinson, 17, got out and came up to the vehicle pointing a gun at him and his female passenger. Then Stinky told them to give him the $100 he knew they had.

Before they could comply, the door to the house opened and the woman they had come to see emerged with a baseball bat and reportedly hit Stinky with it, and he and Vada left.

When a felony traffic stop was performed soon after, marijuana was reportedly found in plain sight on the lap of Baltazar, who was in the passenger seat, and both firearms were discovered in the vehicle — one under the driver’s seat and one on the side of the driver’s seat between the door and the seat. Two pill bottles with no labels, containing 46 grams of Buspirone, were found in Vada’s purse, and miscellaneous pills were found in the purse as well. It was also found that Vada does not have a driver’s license.

Both teens were charged with robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, unlawful possession of a firearm by a person under 18 and carrying a concealed firearm. Vada was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and was issued a citation for driving without a license. Baltazar was also charged with possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

They were both transferred to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

OKEECHOBEE — The woman who was arrested after calling 911 and asking them to make her brother stop looking at her last month is back in jail on charges of neglect of a disabled adult without great bodily harm and aggravated abuse of a disabled adult. Cheryl Starbuck, 70, Southeast 23rd Court, was arrested, along with her brother Robert Thompson, on July 11 by Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin White after Deputy White responded to a call from Raulerson Hospital.

According to the report, a woman told Deputy White she had signed herself out of Okeechobee Health Care Facility on July 2 because Starbuck and Thompson promised to care for her in their home. Due to health problems, she is unable to care for herself. She is unable to walk or use her hands and must wear a diaper. Starbuck and Thompson allegedly knew this in advance and agreed to care for the woman.

The woman reported being picked up and taken to their home on July 2 and staying there for five days. During that time, she claims she was verbally abused by Thompson, and that Starbuck left her on the floor for almost an hour telling her to get up and walk or just crawl. Her diapers were only changed twice a day, she noted, and when she urinated or defecated in the diaper, Starbuck and Thompson would become enraged, grabbing her violently by the arms and shaking her, leaving deep lacerations on her arms from their fingernails. She also said they carried her from her bed to a chair in the living room and dropped her several times on her neck and shoulders, cursing at her and telling her to do it herself.

The woman said several times law enforcement came to the home to handle domestic disputes, but when she tried to scream for help, no one ever heard her cries because she was so dehydrated. In the entire time she was there, she reports receiving only two bottles of water and two bottles of Pepsi to drink. She said she was given one pork chop for dinner while she was there. When she left the health care facility, she weighed 154.4 pounds, but five days later weighed 149. She said she was finally able to convince Starbuck to call 911 when her stomach began to swell on the fifth day.

No bond has been set for either Starbuck or Thompson.

An Okeechobee man was transported to Lawnwood Medical Center recently after he was allegedly struck three times in the back of the head with a hammer after an argument. Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Kenneth Hernandez responded to a call on Monday, July 8, around 5 p.m. in reference to a battery complaint. The deputy reportedly found the victim covered in blood, which was flowing from his head.

The victim told him that he and James Phillips, 47, Okeechobee, had an argument in the living room and that Phillips grabbed a hammer and struck him three times in the back of the head with it. He claimed he grabbed a bedrail to try to defend himself with it and was finally able to run outside.

Deputy Hernandez noted the victim was in and out of consciousness as he gave his report of the incident.

The hammer was located in Phillips’ bedroom. Phillips had no sign of any physical injury, according to the report, but did claim to be experiencing shortness of breath and was transported to Raulerson Hospital by EMS to be checked out before he was cleared. Afterward, he was arrested and charged with aggravated battery. No bond was set.

BELLE GLADE — A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office press release stated that on Friday, July 20, shortly after 8 p.m., deputies responded to a shooting in the 1300 block of S.W. MLK Blvd. in Belle Glade.

No one was struck by gunfire and the identity of the suspect was determined. After further investigation deputies arrested Johndy Delva, 20, of Belle Glade, for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

Street Team members drafted and obtained a search warrant for his residence. The following six firearms were recovered: Omni .233 caliber AR-15 pistol, Interordinance 7.62 caliber SKS rifle, Remington sawed-off barrel shotgun, Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, Glock 19/9mm handgun, and a Targa .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

OKEECHOBEE — After being evicted from the home they were renting, a couple was arrested on charges of causing cruel death, pain and suffering when the homeowner reportedly found 14 neglected and five dead cats buried under mountains of garbage inside the home. The dead cats were found in various stages of decay, ranging from bones to maggot infestation.

The homeowner reported the home was in such disarray she had to hire someone to haul the trash out, and the home was so full of garbage, she was only able to access the area near the front door. The entire home was covered with cat urine and feces, she reported. After one day of cleaning and disposing of garbage in a 30-yard dumpster, only the living room and kitchen had been cleaned but the dumpster was full.

The tenants, Heather Rose Perry, 40, and Craig Michael Martin, 33, who were both in the Okeechobee County Jail at the time of the report on unrelated charges, did not appear to have been living in the home due to the amount of garbage and feces, the report noted. The homeowner reported there were no bowls of water, food or litter boxes set out for the cats.

Both Perry and Martin were arrested July 16 by OCSO Sgt. Arlene Durbin and charged with causing cruel death, pain and suffering of animals. Bond was set at $1,500 each. The incident was reported on June 14 but the cleanup was still underway as of July 16, according to the report.

OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on the location of Cameron Denice Carter, 20, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 175 pounds, black hair and brown eyes.

Carter’s last know address was on N.E. 11th Court in Okeechobee.

Carter has multiple active warrants in Okeechobee County and several surrounding counties. He may be armed and dangerous.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of this subject, contact Lieutenant Randy Thomas at 863-763-3117, ext. 5158 or you may remain anonymous and contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-8477.

Carter’s last know address was on N.E. 11th Court in Okeechobee. Carter has multiple active warrants in Okeechobee County and several surrounding counties. He may be armed and dangerous.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of this subject, contact Lieutenant Randy Thomas at 863-763-3117, ext. 5158 or you may remain anonymous and contact Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-8477.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Aniceto Jaimes, 27, black male, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes and he has multiple tattoos.

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

Jaimes is wanted on a felony warrant for two counts of attempted first degree murder with a firearm, two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.

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 — Rolando Ryan Pena, 33, of Okeechobee is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, possession of a deadly weapon/ammunition by a convicted felon, two counts forgery and two counts uttering a forged bill.

He is being held on a total bond of $100,000.

According to Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryane Ammons, he responded to a call to a local bank in response to a threat complaint on Thursday, July 18. When Deputy Ammons arrived, he spoke to Okeechobee Police Sgt. Skip Eddings, who informed him that earlier in the day, Pena and his wife were at home when Pena allegedly fired a weapon in the residence.

According to the report, Pena’s wife told Deputy Ammons that when she arrived home from work around noon, Pena was there, and they began arguing. She said he demanded she take him to Dewberry Gardens to get his phone. After returning home, she said he demanded she take him to her bank to get money, but she refused.

She said at that point, he grabbed a shotgun and shot the washing machine near where she was standing. She said he was unable to reload the gun and left the house to go to his bank and said he told her he took his grandfather’s checkbook but the ATM would not take the check. She said each time he told her to do something and she refused, he would grab his pocket and shake it like there was something in it. Finally, he told her to go to another bank to borrow money from her aunt. She did and when they arrived, she ran inside and asked her aunt to call the police. She said she was afraid for her life.

When Deputy Ammons returned to the home with her, he found a Harrington and Richardson 410 shotgun lying where she said it would be. The firearm and the spent shell were collected and turned in to evidence.

On the same day, Pena was arrested on the forgery charges because he allegedly issued checks to someone without authorization on two different occasions. Each time, having her deposit them in her bank and give him cash. The victim is underage, and Pena is a friend of her father’s. She reported he asked her to cash the checks for him because he was going through a divorce and needed the cash. She said she found out on the 17th her account was in the negative, and she told her father who went looking for Pena. The victim also went to his house looking for him, and she left a note saying she was going to file a police report at 5 p.m. if she didn’t get her money back. The checks she was given were from Pena’s grandfather’s account, and he reportedly said he had never given permission for anyone to use his account or write any checks. Pena refused to give a statement about the checks.

OKEECHOBEE — Earlier this month, the Crisis Negotiation Team and an armored personnel carrier were called in response to gunfire near Northwest 33rd Avenue and 36th Street. On July 8, Sigifredo Estrada, 46, Okeechobee, was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, child neglect without great bodily harm and dealing in stolen property.

His bond was set at $25,000.

At approximately 7 p.m., Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Bogner was patrolling the area of Northwest 33rd Avenue when he was reportedly approached by a man who told him Sigifredo Estrada had just discharged a firearm in his bedroom while he and his wife and children were in the living room. He said he and his family left the residence in fear for their lives and entered their vehicle.

Deputy Bogner notified dispatch, and fellow deputies set up a perimeter around the residence while he attempted to call Estrada on his cellphone, but all his attempts went straight to voice mail, he noted. Several other units, including the narcotics task force, arrived and began informing neighbors of the possibility of more gunfire.

Lt. Shane Snyder interviewed the man who reported the incident, and he was able to determine there was no one else in the home. Sgt. Matt Hurst placed all arriving units in position and requested the crisis negotiation team be called in to make contact with Estrada. In addition, he had Deputy Quinton Speed bring the armored personnel carrier to the scene to be used for cover and communication. He notes Estrada spoke Spanish and broken English. Using the APC, they were able to get close enough to speak to Estrada using the public address system and order him to come out, but he would not. He did stand by the window, and Deputy Bogner asked him to turn on his cellphone so he could speak to a family member. She was able to convince him to come outside, and after several minutes, he came to the door with his hands up. When he was interviewed, he reportedly said the people he lived with were planting cameras in his bedroom and he thought they were spying on him.

Two firearms were recovered at the scene, and one was found to be stolen property.

OKEECHOBEE — A 55-year-old Okeechobee man was arrested Tuesday night after he reportedly caused a disturbance in the emergency room at Raulerson hospital twice in the same evening.

Robert Lewis Lineberry, Northeast Third Street, was charged with disorderly intoxication in a public place on July 23 and later released on a $500 bond.

Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Cpl. Bryan Lowe and Deputy Matthew Huffman were dispatched to the hospital emergency room at approximately 8 p.m. in response to a call about an intoxicated man causing a disturbance. Cpl. Lowe noted, when they arrived, he heard a male voice yelling and cursing at emergency room staff and found Robert Lewis Lineberry being combative with the staff who were trying to evaluate him. Cpl. Lowe also noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from Lineberry, which became stronger as he spoke. As Cpl. Lowe attempted to calm Lineberry, he reportedly became more and more verbally abusive with both the staff of the hospital and with law enforcement.

Lineberry was discharged and Deputy Huffman transported him to Douglas Park where he claimed to live. He agreed he would go inside and go to sleep.

At approximately 9:15 p.m., the sheriff’s office received a 911 call regarding a white male lying in the street, holding his chest, on Northeast 13th Avenue. When Okeechobee County Fire Rescue responded, the man was identified as Robert Lineberry, and he was transported back to Raulerson. Because he was reportedly abusive to the EMS personnel, they requested a deputy meet them at the hospital.

Cpl. Lowe noted Lineberry appeared to be even more intoxicated than before and continued to be verbally abusive, making idle threats to kill the nurses even while deputies were standing nearby. After his discharge, he was cuffed with his hands behind his back for safety, but during transport managed to move his hands to the front. Once at the jail, he had an encounter with jail staff and was subdued with chemical spray. He was held until a judge set his bond at his first appearance.

OKEECHOBEE — A local man was charged with theft of utilities and criminal mischief of utilities on Tuesday after illegal power wires bypassing the meter were reportedly found connected to his residence. During the search of the residence, over 40 pounds of marijuana was discovered.

His bond was set at $2,000.

Osvel T. Cancio Rodriguez was arrested Tuesday, July 23, after Glades Electric Company requested a member of law enforcement stand by as a power technician analyzed the power supply located at Rodriguez’s residence, located on Northwest 264th Street.

Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Detective Javier Gonzalez, Deputy Ryane Ammons and a member of the narcotics task force responded to the address and met with the Glades Electric technician, who reportedly determined the usage was inconsistent with normal usage.

When Special Agent Ronald Coddington of the Drug Enforcement Agency arrived at the home, he reported observing a female run from the residence and jump into a canal filled with water and then be picked up by a red Chevy SUV on the other side. A second member of the Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force stopped the vehicle and identified everyone inside. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Leidi M. Rodriguez Perez. The rear seat passenger was identified as Lilian Batista Thauriaux, 28, and she reportedly said she ran because she just came to Florida from Cuba and was scared. The driver was released and Thauriaux was escorted back to the residence.

While Glades Electric was conducting the test, a member of the narcotics task force reportedly observed a male walking north through the yard, away from the residence. Detective Gonzalez translated, due to the language barrier, as the member of the task force identified them as law enforcement. As they stood by with the electric company, they reported smelling a strong odor of marijuana and saw several moth balls in the planted flower bed, which are common attempts to cover the smell of marijuana, he noted. The officers were unable to see through the windows due to the covering on the inside.

Glades Electric was able to trace the illegal power wires into the northeast bedroom, and advised they wished to pursue criminal charges.

A search of the residence uncovered, among other things, 41.5 pounds of harvested marijuana and 26 marijuana plants with active root systems having a total weight of 8.65 pounds.

Perez reportedly said she knew her son was growing marijuana because she could smell it.

The case is still under investigation.

OKEECHOBEE — A local man was arrested and charged with grand theft Tuesday after allegedly walking away with a bag filled with cash accidentally left at a self checkout register by a manager.

His bond was set at $2,500.

According to the Okeechobee Police Department arrest report, one of the Walmart customer service managers was emptying the self checkout register vaults on Monday morning, July 29, and while normally she would have used what they call the “war wagon,” a roll around vault, because the cleaning crews had waxed the floors around the cash office, there was no access to the war wagon or to regular money bags. Instead, she used a shopping cart and double Walmart bags for each register.

When she completed her task, she counted all the bags and realized she was short one. After checking receipts, she was able to determine which register the missing bag belonged to, and she returned to that register to search for it, but it was nowhere to be found. She immediately reported the loss to asset protection who called the police.

Detective Bill Saum of the Okeechobee City Police Department met with Walmart’s Asset Protection Officer Carl Guerrette. They were able to view security video from the register and from other cameras in the store and parking lot and reportedly saw an unknown black male look at the cash in the bag and then use his debit card to pay for his purchases. He then walked out of the store with the bag of cash in his hand and got into a small silver two-door vehicle and left the property.

According to the report, the offender was tentatively identified as Carlton Alderman, 61, Northeast 12th Street the following day. Detective Saum met with Alderman at his place of employment, and Alderman reportedly unlocked his vehicle voluntarily, and showed Detective Saum the Walmart bag, still tied closed and sitting on the back seat of the car. When he opened the bag, Detective Saum found a package of Austin crackers sitting on top of the stolen cash.

Alderman was transported to the Okeechobee County jail.

OKEECHOBEE — Just about every week, a scam of some type is reported to the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office. The scams run the gamut from phony Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers claiming the victim owes money to the IRS, and if they do not pay immediately, some terrible penalty will occur to phony social security calls saying the victim’s social security number has been compromised in some way and asking the victim to give out their number in order to verify it.

Seniors are often targeted by scammers and con artists for several reasons: many times, they have money saved; they are more inclined to believe someone who appears to be in a position of authority and they are often alone and vulnerable.

According to the Seniors vs. Crime website, in 1989, a task force was created to report on crime and the elderly and found “seniors were being targeted for scams, were being subjected to high-pressure tactics by salespersons, and were being deceived by false advertising at an alarming frequency.” After the task force conducted a study with the help of a group of seniors, Vern Thornton, who served on the task force as a consultant with the AARP Criminal Justice Services, presented the attorney general’s office with the Seniors vs. Crime Project (SVC). This program would be run by volunteers and would focus on Florida’s ever-growing senior population, he said.

Initially, the project had two goals — “to provide crime prevention seminars to Florida’s elderly and to provide comprehensive training for law enforcement officers and other criminal justice practitioners in understanding how the aging population impacts upon the role of police and other criminal justice professionals.”

As time went on, volunteers took on more active roles becoming the eyes and ears of the attorney general’s office. These volunteers are called Senior Sleuths, and they report on scams and conduct surveys when called upon. There are over 2,000 Senior Sleuths now, and they perform such tasks as counting the number of pills in a prescription bottle or checking scanner prices at the grocery store.

Senior Sleuths are volunteers who come from many different backgrounds. Some may have been former police officers, while others may have been homemakers. Some may be athletes and some may be bedridden. There are different types of volunteers ranging from office staff to public speakers. There is no minimum number of hours a volunteer can work. Any volunteer is appreciated. Senior Sleuths also get to meet other seniors who have the same goals and mind set. They want to help others and enjoy seeing justice served.

Seniors who volunteer with the SVC Project must meet basic requirements:
• They should be age 50 or older; however, younger volunteers may be accepted.
• They must have a genuine desire to help others.
• They must have no criminal history.
• They MUST agree to hold the personal information of clients and fellow Sleuths information strictly confidential.

The following are examples of resolved cases on the Seniors vs. Crime website:

Contractor Too Busy
Wildwood Office / Lake County
Client hired a construction company to do work at his residence in April of this year. Work was not completed and the vendor kept making excuses why he couldn’t complete the work. Seniors vs. Crime intervened and the work was completed to the client’s satisfaction for a Realized Gain of $21,180.

Return of Items Ordered Through the Mail
Okeechobee/Okeechobee County
A couple requested help from the volunteers in a case where attempts to return items they had purchased were requiring unreasonable fees. The volunteers reviewed the return policy and found a discrepancy. When the manufacturer was contacted, they reviewed the issue and alerted the couple this was a misunderstanding and explained the return procedures and actual cost. All parties were in agreement, and this case was resolved to satisfaction.

The phone number for the Okeechobee office is 863-763-7924, and the toll-free number for the state of Florida is 800-203-3099. The service provided is completely free. The victim must be the one who makes the request. A third party cannot make the request on the victim’s behalf, but the victim can be assisted in filling out the form by a family member, friend or attorney, however the victim must sign the request for help himself.

OKEECHOBEE — “Finders keepers, losers weepers!” We’ve all said it at one time or another, but do we really mean it? Where do we draw the line? If someone finds my stuff, am I OK with him keeping it, or am I only OK with him keeping the other guy’s stuff? Is it only OK if the stuff belongs to a big corporation? Is it only OK if the person who lost it was negligent when he lost it? What does the law say?

Recently, a 61-year-old Okeechobee man with no criminal history in over 40 years was arrested and charged with grand theft after he allegedly walked out of Walmart with a Walmart grocery bag filled with money. He found this bag sitting beside a cash register after a manager accidentally left it there. Video evidence reportedly shows the man look inside the bag, so it would appear he knew the money was in there when he took it.

Comments on Facebook are overwhelmingly on the side of the man, with many coming forward to express astonishment that he would do such a thing because they have known him for many years and believe he is a wonderful man. Most blame the manager and feel she put a temptation in front of him he couldn’t resist. The term “finders keepers” was mentioned, and several expressed the belief that what he’d done was not a crime.

Austyn Rhett said, “Don’t seem like he stole it, just found the bag and figured it was his lucky day. Hope they give him a break. I woulda took it, too.”

Daniel Ciorrocco said, “More like ‘found’ bag of cash. Was it wrong to take it? Yes, not the moral thing to do. But illegal? No way. That’s not right to be arrested for finding money left by someone.”

Patrick C. Van Tassell said, “This falls under the Finders Keepers Law of America. A classic non-story.”

LaWanda McPeak Sanders said, “That’s found money, not stolen money. How was he supposed to know it belonged to Walmart? If I found a bag of cash laying around I’d take it, too. It wasn’t in a money bag; it was in a Walmart shopping bag!”

No matter what we may want to believe, the law is the law is the law, and that is what the police must follow.

According to Detective Bill Saum of the Okeechobee Police Department, although he understands what people are saying about “Finders keepers,” taking something that doesn’t belong to you is theft.

He said: “When you find a bag with money in it, obviously, that is somebody’s, and obviously, it’s not yours. In this case, obviously, it wasn’t his, and his responsibility would have been to go to Walmart, to any of their personnel, and say, ‘Hey, I found this money.’ If you found money alongside the road, you’re changing your tire and find a couple bucks lying there, or a gun or a baby doll, or somebody’s lunch, the reality is, any piece of property belongs to someone. Otherwise, we could just walk onto a piece of property and build a house. Somebody owns it. Even when things are found in the trash, you have to use common sense. Say I was a dumpster diver, and I am at a consignment store, and while I am looking in their dumpster, I find a bag of money. Now, realistically, shouldn’t my first thought be, ‘Oh shoot, they threw their money away by accident. They are going to miss this.’ Obviously, I know it’s not mine, and just because I found it in a dumpster, that doesn’t make it mine if not criminally, then at least morally. There are times you might find a $5 bill on the floor and get away with sticking it in your pocket, and I am going to say it that way because that’s what it is, but our responsibility is if we don’t know who it belongs to, then turn it in to an authority. If you are outside, turn it in to the police, and if you are inside, turn it in to the store personnel. Their responsibility is to keep it for a certain amount of time, and there are found property laws that say how long something has to be kept. The police department evidence room has laws on how long found property has to be kept in case the owner shows up. After a certain amount of time, the person who found it can put in a claim for it. So, really and truly, ‘finders keepers, losers weepers,’ is not real.”

Almost everyone who responded to the reports on social media seem to feel compassion for the man who was arrested. He is 61 years old with a clean record, and the temptation was just too great for him, but no matter how you look at it, it was a crime. If the money had been in a purse, a wallet or a bank bag, or maybe if the money belonged to an elderly woman instead of to a corporation, possibly everyone would have been more inclined to be harder on him, but the money was in a Walmart bag, and it belonged to Walmart.

OKEECHOBEE — A nurse’s assistant was arrested and charged with battery after an argument in a resident’s room at a local nursing home earlier this week.

The 18-year-old female certified nursing assistant (CNA) was later released on her own recognizance.

On Saturday morning, Aug. 3, Okeechobee Police Officer Jessica Francis responded to the health care facility in reference to a complaint of one CNA putting her hands on another. When she arrived, she made contact with the complainant who reported that as she was ending her shift, she noticed a call light on in one of the residents’ rooms, and she and another CNA went into the room to check on the resident. She said the resident needed to use the restroom, and needed assistance. While the two CNAs were helping the resident to stand, a third CNA walked into the room, and they reportedly asked her to help them, but she said, “No, I haven’t gotten rounds, and she isn’t my resident.” The complainant then told her she was still clocked in and could help, but she became upset and said she was going to their supervisor. The complainant said she would go to the supervisor as well, and that is when the other girl allegedly put her hands on her. After an argument, a fourth CNA got between the two CNAs and separated them.

The report makes no mention of whether the resident ever made it to the restroom or of how many CNAs it normally takes to help a resident to the restroom.