OKEECHOBEE — A woman was arrested Aug. 17 and charged with defrauding a pawn broker after she allegedly rented items from a local business and drove straight to a pawn shop and pawned them, claiming she owned them. Her bond was set at $5,000.

A local business called the Okeechobee Police Department on Aug. 17 to report a customer had rented an item and gone straight to a pawn shop with it. Officer Jessica Francis was dispatched and went to the pawn shop hoping to catch the woman while she was still there, but when she arrived, she made contact with an employee who told her the woman she was looking for had just left. The employee told her Wanda O’Sheilds had pawned a laptop the day before for $150 and a tablet that day for $50.

The owner of the business where O’Sheilds allegedly rented the items met Officer Francis at the pawn shop and explained a second customer happened to be in her shop at the same time as O’Sheilds and then later walked into the pawn shop and witnessed her pawning the equipment she had just rented. That customer phoned the business owner to let her know what was happening. Both businesses presented Officer Francis with matching paperwork on the equipment.

Later that evening, 33-year-old O’Sheilds was arrested at her residence on Southeast 37th Avenue and transported to the Okeechobee County Jail.

OKEECHOBEE – On Aug. 25 at approximately 8:01 p.m., deputies responded to the Okeechobee County Jail in reference to an inmate suicide. It was learned that an inmate had reportedly hung himself. The victim has been identified as Charles Wayne Suarez Sr., 51.

The victim had been incarcerated in the Okeechobee County Jail since Aug. 21 on a bench warrant for failure to appear-sale/delivery of controlled substance and failure to appear-possession with intent to sell methamphetamine and failure to appear-possession of methamphetamine. Suarez was recently sentenced in absentia to nine years in prison for the original charges as listed.

According to the St. Lucie County Medical Examiner’s Office, the official cause of death has been determined to be asphyxiation by hanging. The victim’s family has been notified.

This case has been determined to be a suicide and is classified as closed.

OKEECHOBEE — A woman was arrested last week after reportedly attacking one man with a plunger and biting another on the thumb. She was charged with battery causing bodily harm and resisting arrest without violence. Her bond was set at $1,250.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Huffman responded to a call in reference to a battery complaint. The complainant told him he was in the shower when he was told his neighbor was at his house, and he went out to speak to him. The neighbor told him his roommate had begun attacking him with a plunger. Because they were concerned for the children at the neighbor’s home, the complainant and his girlfriend followed the neighbor back to his house. As they approached the house, the roommate reportedly came running out of the house, screaming at the neighbor. The complainant stepped between the roommate and the neighbor, and she backed away but continued yelling.

The complainant said he told the neighbor to return with him to his house to prevent any further escalation, and they began walking down the road away from the roommate when she reportedly approached the complainant from the rear and struck him in the back of the head, causing him to stumble. As he covered his head with his arms to protect himself, he felt her teeth bite onto his left thumb. He was able to snatch his hand away and push her from him. She retreated back towards her residence at that time, and he was able to call law enforcement.

The neighbor said his roommate was dropped off earlier by a deputy and immediately began yelling at him. He said he was lying on the couch, and she got a plunger and began swinging it at him. She refused to stop hitting him and accused him of sleeping with her significant other. He was able to escape the house and seek help at his neighbor’s home.

When Deputy Huffman attempted to arrest the woman, she reportedly became belligerent, raising her arms and yelling, but he was finally able to place the restraints on her wrists. He also noted he was the deputy who dropped her off earlier in reference to a suspicious person investigation but had been unable to gather much information due to her inebriated state.

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Patricia Coleman, 51, black, female, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 180 pounds, black hair, brown eyes and she has multiple tattoos.

Her last known address was on Northwest Ninth Avenue in South Bay.

Coleman is wanted on a warrant for failure to appear to answer for charges of burglary of a structure and petit theft.

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.

CLEWISTON — A Hendry County Sheriff’s Office press release stated that in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Sept. 4, Hendry County deputies received a call about a vehicle fire in the area of 13th Street and Virginia Avenue, Harlem, in the Clewiston area.

Once on scene, investigators found a body in the vehicle that was burned beyond recognition. Investigators are not releasing the name of the victim at this time, however, they are asking for the community’s help.

Investigators have said that the body of the occupant has been burned beyond recognition.

Hendry County Investigators are continuing to follow up on information, regarding the unidentified body found in a burning vehicle.

Hendry County Sheriff, Steve Whidden said,  “if you saw anything suspicious we are asking that you contact us immediately”.

If you have any information about this incident or if you saw anything suspicious please contact the 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 up to a $3,000 cash reward.

OKEECHOBEE — In the last month, Okeechobee has experienced a rash of gun thefts, and according to Okeechobee Police Detective Bill Saum, the majority of those thefts have been from unlocked vehicles. There have been eight cases within the city limits since the end of July, said Detective Saum. Most of them have taken place in the northeast and southeast sections of town, all east of U.S. 441. It’s not uncommon to leave your vehicle unlocked, he said, but “if you’ve got a gun in your car, please lock it or take the gun out — one or the other. Certainly, what happens is, over time, people forget. They get lax. It happens. We all do it. How many times do we just run down to the corner store and leave our house unlocked? We don’t even think about it. We are just running down to the corner. It happens. That’s human nature to forget. However, the seriousness is obvious. These are guns.”

Maj. Donald Hagan said one of the biggest problems they are having is people don’t call the police first. Instead, they go out and confront the person in their car or shed themselves. This is extremely dangerous, he said, especially if they have just stolen your gun and especially if you are unarmed. “Call law enforcement before you do anything else,” he said. The worst thing is, these guns are now out on the streets and can be used in other crimes, he said.

The thefts happened between July 28 and Aug. 31, and there have been eight People are asked to call law enforcement if they see someone in the neighborhood they do not know. The majority of the incidents were at night. If you have any information, contact Detective Saum at 863-763-9784.

The sheriff’s office reported three gun thefts from vehicles in July and August.

Both the county and city agencies stress, please LOCK your vehicles!

The Okeechobee County Board of Commissioners approved an amended interlocal agreement with St. Lucie County to provide pretrial supervision of nonviolent inmates awaiting trial.

The ankle monitor program, which allows those accused of nonviolent crimes to stay in their homes and travel to approved places (such as their workplace) while awaiting trial, saved the county about $400,000 last year, compared with what it would have cost to keep these persons in jail.

At their Sept. 5 meeting, the commissioners authorized the extension of the interlocal agreement to a one-year term ending on Sept. 30, 2020, in the amount of $120,000 to be paid in quarterly installments at the rate of $30,000 per quarter.

Last year, there were approximately 7,426 jail “bed days” saved at the rate of $70 per day and a projected savings to the county of $519,820. This also resulted in a reduction to inmate medical supervision, which also reduced medical costs for the jail.

Commission Chairman Terry Burroughs said the savings might even be more. He said the $70 per day estimated cost of housing an inmate is based on the cost of housing a healthy inmate. The cost of housing a sick inmate averages around $125 per day, he said.

According to the staff report, the Pretrial Supervision Program was established in 2007 in St. Lucie County. The program has operated for the past 12 years, with approximately 7,000 cases ordered for supervision during that time. The program was initially started strictly for “pretrial supervision,” as an alternative to jail incarceration. The program provides the court with options for supervision of defendants pending disposition of criminal cases both in county and circuit court. While the jail overcrowding was one factor that was of main concern at the time, the cost of jail medical care and treatment was becoming a major concern. Allowing specific defendants to be released under restrictive conditions to continue medical treatment or surgery, provided for savings to both the county and the jail. When they are not housed in the jail, the defendants use their own insurance or resources for medical care. Furthermore, defendants on the program keep their jobs, provide for their families and, at times, receive treatment and care for substance abuse, medical and mental health issues.

In 2018, the program included 106 supervised individuals from Okeechobee. Of those, 81 were new defendants sentenced to the program, and 25 were carryovers from 2017.

During the past year, the program conducted 245 drug tests and 558 field/residence checks.

PAHOKEE — A Pahokee resident murdered on Sept. 4 became the 18th transgender woman to be murdered in the United States this year (and the 17th black trans woman slain in 2019), the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council said on its Facebook page Monday, Sept. 9.

The victim was Bee Love Slater.

The PBCHRC reposted a story, written by Trudy King of The Advocate (advocate.com) detailing the death, excerpted verbatim here:

Report from Advocate
“Florida transgender woman Bee Love Slater was found burned to death — beyond recognition — in a car last Wednesday.

“Friends say they believe she was targeted because of her identity.

“Slater, of Pahokee, was found in the town of Clewiston, about 30 miles away. It took investigators from the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office until Friday to publicly identify her. Her identity was first reported by NewNowNext.

“But a close friend of hers, Kenard Wade, said he was sure she was the victim as soon as he saw photos of her burned-out car.

“ ‘That’s her car,’ he told Fort Myers TV station WINK. ‘I know that. I know her car.’ “He said she knew someone wanted to harm her, and she wanted to get away.

“Another friend, Desmond Vereen, told TV station WBBH that he thinks Slater’s identity was a motive in the crime. ‘I feel like she was targeted because of her lifestyle,’ he said. Vereen, who organized a vigil held Friday in Slater’s memory, described her as ‘a people person.’

“ ‘She loved to be around people and meeting new people too because of her new lifestyle that she transitioned into,’ he said.

“Despite the assertions of Slater’s friends, investigators with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office say they have yet to determine a motive for the crime, but they did say it’s one of the most brutal murders they’ve ever seen.

“Anyone with information is asked to call the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office at 863-674-5600 or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 800-780-8477.

“Constant reports of violence against our community are difficult to read, especially as we continue to face historic rates. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can reach out to the Anti-Violence Project’s free bilingual (English/Spanish) national hotline at (212) 714-1141 or report online for support.”

Friend put together a vigil

Mr. Vereen organized a candlelight vigil that took place Friday, Sept. 6, issuing a news release regarding her death:

“Residents of Pahokee, Belle Glade, and South Bay are gathering at a candlelight vigil to honor the life of local trans woman ‘Bee Love.’

“Love was a local community member and Palm Beach County LGBTQ socialite who was brutally slain. Her body was found tied up in her burning Chrysler PT Cruiser suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

“The story and details surrounding Love’s death are still unknown. There were suggestive death threat posts link to Love’s death the week of her murder, as well as message she shared with her best friend feeling that she would be harmed. Love was a Pahokee native but had friends in West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Belle Glade, South Bay and Pahokee. She was known for her humor, giving, love and social media personality.”

His post noted that the event was at 7:30 p.m. Friday and lasted two to three hours, at 1474 Muck City Road in Pahokee.

OKEECHOBEE – A 17-year-old student at Okeechobee High School allegedly chose arrest over a trip to the office last week. According to the arrest report written by Okeechobee County Deputy Donnie Holmes on Sept. 5, the student skipped a class the prior school week, and when Dean Daryl Roehm requested that he go to the office after he finished a test during the first class of the day, he refused.

The report states, Mr. Roehm asked Deputy Holmes to accompany him to the classroom in case the young man refused to leave, and when they arrived, Mr. Roehm went inside while Deputy Holmes stayed at the door, but when the student refused to leave, Deputy Holmes went into the classroom and explained to him that if he did not get up and leave the class, it would stop being a school issue and become a law enforcement issue. The student again reportedly refused to get up, and Deputy Holmes asked him to call someone to come pick him up.

All the students in the classroom were asked to get up and walk outside with their teacher. The student was then arrested for disruption of an educational institution and transported to the Okeechobee County Jail where he was released to the custody of his mother.

Bradley James Chism, age 26, was arrested on Sept. 11 for animal cruelty-cause cruel death, pain and suffering. After receiving information about a possible animal abuse case, Okeechobee County Animal Control officers responded.

Upon arrival, officers found a young dog chained out in the yard and it was very skinny. There was no food or water available to the dog. The dog was very emaciated, with all of his ribs showing.

The dog was taken to animal control and seen by the veterinarian for an evaluation and treatment. It was determined that the little dog was dehydrated and extremely emaciated and heartworm positive.

“Frog,” who is approximately 2 years old, weighed only 33 pounds, and to say that he was happy to be rescued is an understatement. Frog is now in the custody and care of animal control.

Chism remains in custody. Bond has been set at $500.

OKEECHOBEE — A local teacher was injured Monday, Sept. 9, at TrueCore Youth Correctional Center after two youths allegedly punched him in the face. Jarahmeel King, 15, and Jerek Nico Orrand, 16, were arrested and charged with battery on a public or private education employee. Both were taken to the Okeechobee County Jail for processing and then transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Fort Pierce.

Okeechobee County Deputy Sheriff Nathaniel Mitchell responded to a call pertaining to an assault/battery on staff complaint on Monday morning. When he arrived, he spoke with the teacher who told him he had been in his office preparing for his class when the two boys entered his office and asked for a pencil and paper. The teacher handed each boy paper and pencil and told them to leave, but they both stood there smiling at him. The teacher again asked the boys to leave and received the same response. At that point, he said he went to the door to let them out, and King punched him in the left eye. He said, before he could respond, Orrand punched him on the left side of his face, and both boys approached him again but he was able to open the door and leave the office to call for assistance.

Deputy Mitchell noted he did see redness and swelling in the areas where the teacher said he was struck.

The fact that a teacher could be assaulted in broad daylight raises a lot of questions. When asked the following questions:

1. Is it normal for the youths to be able to enter a teacher’s office without any staff accompanying them?
2. If the youths do normally have staff with them, where were the staff?
3. How long were these youths unaccounted for? If this had been a female teacher, what if their intent had been to rape her? Do you have female teachers? Nurses?
4. Have there been any steps put in place to make sure this does not happen again?
5. The man who was assaulted is a teacher, not trained as a correctional officer. How safe is your facility for these untrained people?
6. Do you have actual corrections officers? How many youths per trained officer?
7. Will those youths be sent back to the teacher’s classroom?
8. What type of punishment do you get if you assault someone but you are already in a youth prison?

Jack Eich of TrueCore replied, “with regard to the youth on staff assault that occurred on Sept. 9, 2019 at the Okeechobee Youth Development Center, the two youths involved in the incident have been transferred to the sheriff’s detention facility. No serious injuries occurred as a result of the incident. TrueCore does not comment on personnel matters as it relates to our employees.”

PALM BEACH COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County needs your help in locating Gregorio Zamora, 36, black, male, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 160 pounds, black hair, and brown eyes. He is also known as Adrian Espinoza and Adrian Ortega.

His last known address was on North Main Street in Belle Glade.

Zamora is wanted on a warrant for felony violation of probation for the sale of cocaine and failure to appear in court for a traffic violation of driving under the influence.

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.

During the month of July, members of the Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force met with a confidential source (CS) for the purpose of purchasing hydromorphone from Tacara Lawton-Holmes, 36, Southeast 14th Avenue. The CS said he/she had purchased hydromorphone from Tacara in the past. While in the presence of the task force, the CS called Tacara and Tacara reportedly agreed to sell the pills to the CS. When the CS arrived at Tacara’s residence and requested the pill, Tacara called for Harvey, and her boyfriend, Harvey Barr Jr., 20, Northwest 11th Street, reportedly came into the room and handed the CS one Dilaudid (hydromorphone) pill.

The transaction occurred within 1,000 feet of the Okeechobee Presbyterian Church.

Both Lawton-Holmes and Barr were arrested on Sept. 16 and charged with the sale of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church and possession with intent to sell a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church. Lawton-Holmes’ bond was set at $50,000, and Barr’s bond was set at $50,000.

OKEECHOBEE — A 13-year-old boy was arrested and charged with grand theft auto after allegedly taking his grandmother’s Ford Focus without permission and driving it into a ditch in Oak Park very early on Saturday morning, Sept. 14. He was transferred to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Okeechobee Police Officer Jessica Francis responded to a call from the mother of 13-year-old Leonardo Ibarra-Medrano, who became worried when she returned home from work and discovered he was missing along with her mother’s car.

At that time, Leonardo and another 13-year-old boy were already in custody at the Okeechobee County Jail. They were being held on charges of loitering and prowling, because they had been found earlier walking around in Oak Park on someone’s property and reportedly refused to tell deputies why they were there. They had in their possession a black backpack filled with various unusual items such as multiple phone chargers and a glass jar with money in it. The second boy was released to his parents’ custody.

OKEECHOBEE — An unidentified white male reportedly walked out of Walmart on Sept. 1 with a Vortex Hunter compound hunting bow and a box of carbon express arrows and failed to pay for either item. Walmart’s asset protection associate Joyce Teich contacted Okeechobee Police Officer Savanna Smith, and she provided the police department with a video and a still photo of the suspect.

The still photo was uploaded to Facebook, and soon, an individual came forward to identify him. On Sept. 12, he was positively identified by two individuals, arrested and charged with shoplifting. His bond was set at $3,500.

More and more often, Facebook is becoming a useful tool to find and identify suspects. Michele Bell of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office estimates they use Facebook in an attempt to identify anywhere from three to six times a month in cases for the sheriff’s office and the city police department.

CLEWISTON — The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) reports that in conjunction with state authorities, deputies executed a search warrant Friday, Sept. 20, on a home at 501 S. W.C. Owen Ave. in Clewiston, where there was believed to be evidence from a recent brutal murder.​

The office’s Criminal Investigations Division, HCSO Special Response Team, road patrol units and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted the search as part of the investigation into the slaying of Bolman “Bee Love” Slater VI, 23, of Pahokee.​

The body of Miss Slater, a transsexual female, was found disfigured beyond recognition inside a burning vehicle that was discovered and reported by neighbors in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Sept. 4, in the area of 13th Street and Virginia Street, Harlem. Her body could not be identified for several days afterward.​

A news release from the HCSO issued Sept. 20 quoted Sheriff Steve Whidden: “This continues to be an ongoing criminal investigation. We are following up on every lead, every bit of information we get. This homicide has been one of the most gruesome homicides I’ve seen.”​

Anyone who may have any information about this incident, or who saw anything suspicious in that area Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, is urged to contact the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office at 863-674-5600; or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). Tipsters may be eligible for up to a $3,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction of the person or people responsible in this crime.​

Due to its circumstances, the killing has been reclassified from a first degree murder case to an enhanced life felony murder charge.​

Said HCSO spokeswoman Capt. Susan Harrelle: “At this time, there is no further information to release. It appears that evidence was collected and will be processed for any evidence. We are just urging people to report any information they may have, anything they’ve heard and/or seen.”

OKEECHOBEE — After multiple calls concerning starving horses, Sheriff Noel E. Stephens issued the following statement on Monday, Sept. 23: “In response to the allegations concerning abused horses in Okeechobee County, the sheriff’s office is conducting both a criminal investigation as well as an internal investigation into allegations of neglect. The sheriff’s office can offer no further information in regards to either at this time. We will do our best to keep everyone informed as we proceed forward. Rest assured that I will do whatever is necessary to make sure this investigation is completed correctly and in a timely matter. At the completion, all information will be released. This is an ongoing investigation. No further information to be released at this time.”

Public Information Officer Michele Bell was asked if she would check on the well-being of the dog that was left behind at the home because there were reports he was starving, too, but was left behind, and the people of Okeechobee are not going to be happy if anything happens to that mastiff. Her reply was, “That should be addressed in the investigation also.”

The investigation seems to have begun because a woman who calls herself Lori called the animal control office on Aug. 23 at 1:58 p.m. to report starving horses. She was allegedly ignored, according to her posts on social media.

On Sept. 17, Commissioner Brad Goodbread posted on a Facebook group called “The Real Scoop” that he had spoken to the sheriff about the situation, and the sheriff was aware of the problem. On Sept. 20, the owner of the horses posted on the same Facebook page that he still had his horses because there was nothing wrong with them and he said a vet came out and said it was just old age.

According to Lori, she called repeatedly as she watched these animals get weaker and weaker, but no one would help them, and when they were finally taken in by Equine Rescue and Adoption Foundation, it was too late for one of them. One horse died Sunday night, Sept. 23, in Palm City.

Many area residents have expressed outrage after the death of this horse, asking “How did this happen?

Donna Robertson said, “The county officials that are responsible for investigating animal abuse and neglect need to be held accountable as well as the animal owners. This should have never happened.”

Mitzi Abney said, “This is absolutely horrific! I’ve seen all the other photos shared last week, and I’m shocked nothing has been done to save those poor animals. Shame on those county officials who did nothing.”

According to Lori, she has called about starving animals in Okeechobee in the past, and nothing ever seems to get done. She posted several pictures on Facebook captioned “RIP.” She said the pony next door to her starved to death, and she was threatened with arrest if she fed it. She stated she watched it starve to death and called to tell them it was lying under a tarp dead, and they told her to leave the nice people alone. She said she finally decided if these horses were going to have any chance at all, she was going to have to go viral so she took it to Facebook. She posted pictures of the starving horses and told others what was going on. Once that happened, she felt like there was a chance somebody might listen. “They just think I’m anal,” she said. But, she thought if a lot of people called, maybe somebody would save those horses. It was too late for one. “I’m fighting for them all and will not give up,” she said.

An arrest was made in regards to this case on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Click HERE for the full story.

OKEECHOBEE — On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Bobby C Travis of Okeechobee was arrested on one Felony count of animal cruelty: cruel death, pain and suffering, and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals in reference to the recent incident involving emaciated horses.

Bond is to be set by the honorable judge at first appearance. This case is shocking to the conscious and should have been resolved in a timely manner as per the written directives of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office. It is the policy of the Sheriff’s Office to investigate all suspected crimes to the fullest extent and in the timeliest manner possible.

An internal investigation has been initiated regarding this investigation. The front line supervisor responsible for this unit and this investigation has since resigned from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Stephen would like to assure the citizens of Okeechobee County of his commitment to quickly and properly investigate all crimes within his scope as Sheriff and will continue the internal investigation to ensure the checks in balances in place will safeguard against this in the future.

The Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank the many citizens who expressed their concerns regarding this heinous act and showed support while they completed the investigation. Your support and information are invaluable to the successful resolution to this case and many others.

HENDRY COUNTY — On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Hendry County Sheriff, Steve Whidden, announced that 29-year-old Jamson Richemond of Belle Glade, has been identified as a “Person of Interest” in the death of 24-year-old Bolman “Bee Love” Slater, on Sept. 4.

Richemond is also a person of interest in the death of Jamal “Jampack” Hubert, a 30-year-old man whose body was recovered in a canal in Palm Beach County.

Sheriff Whidden stated, “It is believed that Richemond may have had some involvement in Hubert’s death”.

If you have any information on either Slater or Hubert death please contact Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, 863-674-5600 or you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477), where you may be eligible for a $3,000 cash reward.