OKEECHOBEE — Items totaling over $2,000 were stolen from a locked sports utility vehicle Thursday while it was parked at the Lock 7 boat ramp.

The owner of the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe reportedly told Deputy Gerardo Vasquez, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle and his belongings were intact when he parked the SUV at 8 a.m.

Deputy Vasquez stated in his report the window in the vehicle’s tailgate was broken out and several items were stolen, including: a Dell laptop computer; a Brookstone roller traveler bag; an Under Armor black duffel bag; a red Bass Pro Shops 100-mle-an-hour fishing suit; two pair of gloves; size 11 boots; a hand bag; and two check books.

According to the deputy’s report those items had an estimated total value of $2,730.

The 50-year-old Tahoe owner apparently told the deputy he parked his vehicle next to a pickup truck. Then, when he returned to his vehicle around 3 p.m. the rear window was broken out, the truck was gone and his valuables were missing.

Deputy Vasquez went on to point out in his report that he was able to lift some partial latent fingerprints from the front and rear doors on the driver’s side of the SUV.

“The photos and latent fingerprints were placed into evidence. The latent fingerprints are to be processed,” stated the deputy’s report.

Deputy Vasquez went on to point out the owner of the vehicle was visiting here from Winter Haven, and will provide the deputy with the computer’s serial numbers.

OKEECHOBEE — A 19-year-old Okeechobee woman, trying to find ways to pay for a college education, learned a hard lesson last week when she fell prey to a con man and lost $400.

Deputy Nathaniel Mitchell, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), stated in his report that when the young woman received a call from “the government” she apparently thought she had found a way to get money for college.

“I am trying to pay for college and I thought it was about a student loan,” the woman reportedly told the deputy.

She went on to explain that a man named Frank Martin gave her directions on how to get some money. All she had to do was get an I-tunes card for $400 and wire it to him at 202-800-5635.

“I thought it was legit,” she reportedly told Deputy Mitchell, “but when I checked my bank no money was there and the account had been closed.”

She then called the phone number given her and was told to wire them another $400 because it was her fault the money was not deposited.

“I told them I was going to report it to the police and he said ‘I’m with the government, they can’t do anything to me’,” she said to the deputy.

She later received a phone call from a man using the name of Richard Johnson, who apparently told her she needed to send them more money.

But instead of sending them any more money, she contacted the sheriff’s office.

After hearing her story, Deputy Mitchell explained to her she had just learned a very valuable lesson.

“I told her if someone requests a payment amount to receive a larger amount, it is more than likely a fraud,” stated the deputy.

Deputy Mitchell went on to point out he also told her it was a good thing her bank account had been closed because the scammers would “… have drained all the money from it.”

OKEECHOBEE — Although it may seem small and inconsequential, the theft of tag decals has become a popular crime.

Lately, said Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) public information officer Michele Bell, there seems to be an inordinate amount of these thefts.

To be exact, 14 in the last week.

“I’ve been noticing it,” she said. “The only reason to steal a decal is to try and fool law enforcement when you have an expired tag.”

If a motorist is caught with a stolen decal on their tag they can face two misdemeanor charges. The first charge is having an unassigned tag, and the second is the actual theft of the decal. Each of those charges is a second degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine or 60 days in jail.

According to OCSO records, six of the recent thefts have occurred in the southeastern section of the county.

Elsewhere, four reported thefts have taken place in the northeastern part of the county; there have been three reported thefts in the northwestern part of the county; and, one reported theft in the southwestern part of Okeechobee County.

The tag decal in the upper right corner is being targeted by thieves.

For law enforcement it’s not difficult to determine if a decal is not on the correct license plate, because the black on yellow decal will also display the license tag number of the vehicle to which it was assigned.

“You should periodically look to make sure you still have your decal,” pointed out Mrs. Bell. “If it’s missing, contact law enforcement and make a report.”

Then, take that report to the collector’s office to get a new decal.

“If you bring in a report, the tag is free,” said Celeste Watford, tax collector for Okeechobee County. “If you don’t have a report, there is a fee of $34.10.”

She then pointed out that the sticky decals don’t come off that easily and can be very troublesome to remove.

“I don’t know how they’re taking them off without tearing them up,” she offered.

She reminded vehicle owners to wipe off all the dirt and clean the area properly before attaching the new decal.

If you simply lose the decal, it will cost you $34.10 to get a new one.

To make a report, go to the Okeechobee City Police Department if you live in the city or the sheriff’s office if you live in the county. The OCPD is located at 50 S.E. Second Ave., and the OCSO is located at 504 N.W. Fourth St.

OKEECHOBEE — Daring daylight thieves stuck again Friday, Nov. 18, when they broke into a couple of U.S. 441 S.E. homes and made off with cash, computers and jewelry totaling over $6,000.

Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) reports by Deputy Brant Harden stated that in both cases the front doors of the two homes were locked, but forced open. This is the same method of operation used by burglars in as many as over 100 burglary cases since June.

It’s not yet known if all of the burglaries have been committed by the same person or persons.

“There are many similarities,” said OCSO Detective Lieutenant Brad Stark on Monday, Nov. 21.

He went on to point out the latest break-ins were perpetrated on homes near the Okeechobee-Martin county line.

In Friday’s first burglary, Deputy Harden stated the homeowner left his home around 6 a.m. and when he returned at 4:10 p.m., he found his front door open. The victim did not go into the home, but immediately contacted the sheriff’s office.

The residence, noted the report, sits back away from U.S. 441 S.E. and is bordered along the back of the property by the Rim Canal. Although the property is fenced, the homeowner apparently leaves the gate at the back of the property open.

“The front door to the residence had an indention that seemed to be made by a narrow object about 1-inch wide and about 10-inches long,” stated Deputy Harden. “The force the tool put on the door was enough to push the bottom lock through the door frame.”

Once inside the home the intruder, or intruders, helped themselves to: about $400 in cash; two computers valued at a total of $1,000; a .25 caliber automatic handgun; a fabric holster; a watch; and, an estimated $1,200 in women’s jewelry.

In all, Deputy Harden stated the cash and items taken from this home totaled $6,250.

The deputy also pointed out the .25 caliber automatic was taken from the homeowner’s bedroom where there were also a number of rifles and a shotgun. However, none of those long guns were disturbed.

“The bedroom’s bathroom door was shut with the owner’s dog inside,” stated Deputy Harden. “The only point of entry was the front door. None of the neighbors were home at the time of the burglary.”

A second home — located only a few blocks from the first residence — was also targeted by thieves sometime Friday. And, like the first home, entry was made by forcing open the front door.

When the 64-year-old homeowner returned home from work around 4:49 p.m. he entered his home through the garage. Once inside he saw where someone had gone through his desk in the living room and scattered papers about the room.

Upon seeing the messy living room, the homeowner contacted the sheriff’s office and Deputy Brant handled the call.

The front door of the home swings out, noted the deputy, and was pried open “… at the door frame, over the locks.”

Deputy Brant noted that a $150 ring was stolen, along with a Kindle Fire tablet that was valued at $100. A $100 Invicta watch was taken from the victim’s bedroom.

“All the rooms in the residence were disturbed, but only the three items listed were taken,” stated Deputy Harden.

Both burglaries occurred between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

OCSO reports indicate in other similar burglaries the thieves have taken electronics (computers, televisions, etc.), jewelry, generators, guns and cash.

And, like the two most recent cases, all of the prior break-ins were perpetrated during daylight hours.

“It seems like we’re having these every day,” said Michele Bell, OCSO public information officer.

If you see a strange vehicle driving around in your neighborhood or pulling into a driveway, call the sheriff’s office.

“If you see something, call a deputy. We’d rather have a call that turns out to be nothing, than no call,” offered Mrs. Bell.

Besides having surveillance video around your home, documenting the serial numbers on electronics, guns and such can be a big help to investigators.

The Nov. 18 break-ins have been assigned to Detective Corporal Ted Van Deman.

If you see something suspicious, call the sheriff’s office at 863-763-3117.

OKEECHOBEE — Prosecutors have filed adult charges against a local teen allegedly involved in the shooting of an Okeechobee man in what police describe as a “dope deal gone bad.”

Roman Chase Bennett, 17, S.W. Eighth St., was arrested Wednesday, Nov. 23, on a warrant charging him with one felony count of robbery with a deadly weapon.

Roman Chase Bennett, 17

That charge stems from the Nov. 4 shooting of Brian Gorby, 19, in which he apparently agreed to sell marijuana to Bennett; Daivondre Allen Queener, 18, of Conyers, Ga.; and Noah Wayne Collins, 19, S.R. 78 W. However, when it came to pay for the pot, Gorby was shot multiple times with a 9mm handgun.

“It was a dope deal gone bad,” said Detective James Pickering, of the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD). “They didn’t want to pay (Gorby) for it. Basically, they robbed him. We just don’t know how much they took.”

He went on to say it was Queener who actually pulled the trigger and shot Gorby.

The detective went on to say Gorby “… had four wounds, but one was a through-and-through that re-entered his body. A bullet was recovered from his body.”

A small amount of suspected pot was found at the shooting scene on N.E. Fifth Street. More suspected pot was found in the car driven by Collins when OCPD detectives served a search warrant on the black two-door automobile.

Detective Pickering said he has not been able to speak with Gorby because the man is being kept in a medically-induced coma at a coastal hospital and is on a tracheal tube.

Records at the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) show Bennett was initially taken to the St. Lucie Regional Detention Center in Fort Pierce because he is a juvenile. However, when assistant state attorney Terry Tribble issued the adult arrest warrant Monday, Nov. 21, Bennett was returned to the Okeechobee County Jail at 9:56 a.m. Wednesday. He is now being held on $75,000 bond.

Queener and Collins are also being held on bond in the county jail. Queener’s bond has been set at $100,000, while Collins is being held on $70,000 bond.

Queener is charged with one count of armed robbery with a firearm with serious bodily injury, and Collins is charged with one felony count of accessory after the fact – armed robbery.

According to the OCPD investigator the shooting took place around 3:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, in the 1000 block of N.E. Fifth Street. When OCPD officers arrived at the scene they reportedly found Gorby sitting outside his home on the cul-de-sac as he waited for them.

“They shot him in the cul-de-sac and went off and left him in the street. He walked to his house, went inside and a family member called the police,” explained Detective Pickering.

The black 2006 two-door Mitsubishi occupied by the three teens and owned by Collins was stopped shortly after the shooting at the intersection of N.W. 10th Street and N.W. Fifth Avenue by OCSO Deputy Max Waldron.

A cell phone supposedly taken from Gorby was found in some shrubbery in front of the Walgreen Pharmacy, 100 N.W. Park St. Like the gun, Queener had apparently tossed it from the car, pointed out Detective Pickering.

When OCPD detectives later executed a search warrant on that car they reportedly found: four spent shell casings; a digital scale; one unspent round; and, an unspecified amount of marijuana.

OKEECHOBEE — A local man is being held in the Okeechobee County Jail without bond following his arrest for allegedly pulling his gun on his girlfriend Sunday during an argument.

Although an arrest report noted that Chris Wilson discharged a firearm during the Nov. 20 incident, it was not known if he actually shot at his girlfriend or anyone else.

An arrest report by Deputy Jonathon Gove, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), stated Wilson left the scene not long after the 8:37 a.m. incident and drove to Stuart. He was arrested there later by the Stuart Police Department, and they reportedly seized a firearm.

Wilson, 42, N.W. 338th St., is charged with one felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Chris Wilson, 42

The deputy’s report does not state what type of gun Wilson allegedly had. But, apparently, no one was injured.

According to the deputy’s report the argument started while the couple were sitting in Wilson’s vehicle outside their home. At some point Wilson reportedly told the victim “… she has 5 seconds to get out of the car,” noted the deputy’s report.

The woman got of the car and started walking back to the house, “… fearing for her life at this point,” continued the report.

As she neared the home she heard the firearm discharge.

“She did not look back to see if Chris was shooting at her. She quickly went into the house and locked the door behind her,” stated Deputy Gove.

Wilson tried to enter the home, but couldn’t. He reportedly told her it “… would be the biggest mistake you will make by not letting me in.”

The victim gave in and unlocked the door. Once inside, stated the deputy, Wilson continued to yell and curse his female paramour. He still had the firearm in his hand, added the report.

He left a few minutes later.

“I observed (the woman) to be extremely emotional (crying , shaking) while speaking to her. At one point, I had to ask her to sit down to keep her from collapsing,” stated the deputy.

After his arrest, Wilson was booked into the Martin County Jail then later returned to Okeechobee.

OKEECHOBEE — An Okeechobee man had a rough morning earlier this week when he found all four tires on one of his vehicles were flat, and one tire on a second vehicle was also flat.

All five tires had been punctured with some sort of object, stated a report by Deputy Gerardo Vasquez of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO).

But, stated the deputy’s report, those were not the only tires to be damaged.

The first incident was noticed shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, when the 25-year-old victim returned to his home on N.W. 43rd Avenue.

According to the deputy’s report the first thing the victim saw was the left rear tire on his 2004 Ford pickup truck was flat and the windshield was cracked.

“The left rear tire had a puncture in it that appeared to have been from an ice pick,” stated the deputy’s report, adding the damage also could have been done by some type of similar instrument. “It was unclear what initially broke the windshield, but it appeared to (have started) from a small object and then spider-webbed up the entire windshield.”

A small plastic baggie was found lying on the ground near the punctured tire that contained a substance that, when tested by Deputy Vasquez, indicated a positive result for the presence of cocaine. The victim reportedly told the deputy the cocaine was not his because he does not use drugs.

Deputy Vasquez noted he was able to lift some fingerprints from that plastic baggie.

The victim also pointed out to the deputy the four flat tires on his second pickup. Those tires, indicated the deputy, “… had puncture holes which appeared to be from a small-bladed knife.”

Deputy Vasquez went on to note the one damaged tire will cost $420 to replace, while the windshield will cost an estimated $300 to replace. As for the four Goodyear Wrangler tires on the other truck, the deputy estimated they will cost a total of $400 to replace.

All of the tires and the vehicles were in good condition when the victim left his home earlier.

The second incident was also investigated by Deputy Vasquez. Like the first incident of vandalism, the second case occurred on N.W. 43rd Avenue. The victim in this case is the nephew of the first victim.

In the second case, Deputy Vasquez found a 2001 Ford sports utility vehicle parked on a carport that had four flat tires. All of those tires had been punctured by a small-bladed object, pointed out the deputy’s report.

Also, a four-door 2000 Chevrolet parked directly in front of the Ford had all of its tires punctured.

“The puncture hole was the same diameter as the first vehicle mentioned,” stated the report.

Deputy Vasquez noted the value of the four tires on the Ford SUV was estimated to be $480. His report did not indicate a value for the tires on the Chevrolet.

OKEECHOBEE — Everyone has heard about the headless horseman, but what about the riderless horse?

Tuesday, Nov. 22, Deputy Joann Henderson, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), was sent to a home on N.E. 101st Avenue due to a suspicious incident.

When the deputy arrived she spoke with the caller — a 48-year-old man whose horse was found around 4:30 p.m. standing alone on N.E. 96th Street.

According to the deputy’s report a neighbor had called the man and told him about his horse. Thinking the horse had escaped, the man went to retrieve it.

When he arrived at the scene he found his horse — wearing its saddle. And, continued the deputy’s report, the horse had been ridden. The man could tell this due to the heat that remained under the saddle.

The last time the man had seen his horse it was in his back yard, “… along with thousands of dollars worth of horse equipment,” noted Deputy Henderson.

Although the man’s back yard is fenced there is no lock on the gate. However, he reportedly told the deputy that will now change.

The horse had obviously been taken for a joy ride, but the deputy stated there were no signs the animal had been abused.

Even though the man did not know who took the horse, he did have a warning for the unknown horseman: “If he finds out who took it, he advised they can shovel (the) poop in his yard,” Deputy Henderson pointed out.

The deputy’s report does not state if the saddle and other gear on the horse belong to the animal’s owner.

OKEECHOBEE — Evidence is being sought into the butchering of a 250-pound calf late last week while it was in a field just off of U.S. 98 North.

A report by Deputy Bryan Holden, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), indicated poachers scaled the landowner’s fence then walked about a quarter-mile where they encountered the calf and killed it. The owner of the calf found it around 3:48 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25.

“The hide of the calf was missing from the neck to the hind quarters, with the exception of a 4-inch strip along the backbone,” noted the deputy’s report.

“The 4-inch strip of hide remaining on the calf was cut in straight line which had to have been cut with a knife.”

Deputy Holden went on to point out there were no tire tracks leading onto the landowner’s property.

The 60-year-old owner of the calf reportedly told the deputy the animal would have been worth approximately $500 to his cattle operation.

According to the deputy’s report the calf owner believes the poachers killed the calf, butchered it then used the hide to carry the meat.

“(That) is a common method of butchering used by poachers in the woods,” stated Deputy Holden.

It is believed the calf was killed sometime during the afternoon hours on Thursday, Nov. 24.

If you have any information concerning this case, contact the sheriff’s office at 863-763-3117.

OKEECHOBEE — No one was injured Friday, Nov. 18, when a CSX train smashed into a stolen utility vehicle that was left abandoned on the tracks at N.W. 128th Avenue.

Deputy Gerard Vasquez, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), indicated in his report that the train slammed into the parked vehicle around 4 a.m. Friday, Nov. 25, at an estimated speed of 60 mph. The vehicle was in the middle of the tracks and was straddling the rails.

This is all that’s left of a 2005 Chevrolet utility vehicle that was stolen, then abandoned on the railroad track at N.W. 128th Avenue and then struck by a CSX freight train Friday, Nov. 25. No one was injured. Courtesy photo/OCSO.

According to the deputy the 2005 Chevrolet four-door utility vehicle was stolen from a local company, but it was not yet clear if the keys had been left in the ignition. No one was in the vehicle.

“It should be noted that other vehicles on the property had keys left in the ignition,” stated the deputy’s report, regarding the local company’s parking lot. “The (stolen) vehicle was struck between the front and rear passenger side doors. It remained lodged on the front push bumper of the locomotive until it was removed by CSX employees.”

Chet Futch, CSX senior general foreman, reportedly told Deputy Vasquez the estimated damage to the locomotive would be $2,200.

CSX engineers Brian McCoy and James Young apparently told the deputy the train was westbound when it struck the vehicle.

Kristin Seay, CSX corporate communications, said the train was carrying various types of freight from Palm Beach to Winston.

“Train operations were suspended while the area was being cleared. Normal train operations resumed by noon that day,” stated Ms. Seay in a prepared CSX release.

None of the train’s crew were injured.

Deputy Vasquez pointed out that OCSO crime scene technologists will try to lift latent prints from the car. And, because the incident occurred on CSX property, that company’s investigators will be conducting their own probe.

OCSO Detective Howard Pickering is investigating the theft of the utility vehicle. If you have any information about this case, contact Detective Pickering at 863-763-34117, ext. 5117, and refer to case #16S26846.

OKEECHOBEE — Yet another home along U.S. 441 S.E. has been burglarized, with the latest incident occurring sometime during the daylight hours of Tuesday, Nov. 29.

This is at least the third such burglary in this area in less than two weeks.

A report by Deputy Bart Potter, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), indicated the thief or thieves gained entrance into the home in the 10000 block of U.S. 441 S.E. by prying open the front door.

The 73-year-old homeowner reportedly told Deputy Potter she locked the door with a dead-bolt lock before she left for work at 6:30 a.m.

Deputy Potter and Deputy Matt Crawford entered the home to make sure it was safe then the homeowner was allowed to enter.

After inspecting her home, the victim told the deputies her Lenovo tablet and Kindle Fire E-book were missing, along with $8,200 in cash. Her total loss was set at $8,550.

“The house was in order except for the master bedroom. There were clothes scattered about the floor in the closet and beside the dressers,” stated Deputy Potter’s report.

In the other two bedrooms, the deputy noted that drawers had been opened but nothing was disturbed except for a gun case.

“The gun case door was left open and there were several rifles and shotguns in the case, (but) there were no pistols in the house,” he added.

Deputy Potter pointed out that no long guns were stolen.

OCSO crime scene technician Kathleen Watson was called to the home to take photos of the home and to process it for evidence.

Since June of this year there have been well over 100 of these daylight burglaries throughout the county. In all of those cases, burglars have gained entry into the home by either kicking in the front door, or prying it open.

OCSO investigators are urging neighbors to pay attention to the homes around them and to watch for strangers walking or driving slowly around their area. If you see something, say something.

If you see something suspicious, call the sheriff’s office at 863-763-3117.

Records indicate this latest break-in has been assigned to OCSO Detective Howard Pickering.

OKEECHOBEE — Law enforcement continues to search for a man who is apparently wanted in the state of Maine but ran from police Thursday morning and, at newspaper presstime, was still on the lam.

A woman with the man, however, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a $1,500 bond. Jail records show that woman, Crystal Ann Taylor, 26, of Davie, has been released on bond.

However, police continue to search for Michael Joseph Lewis, 29, of a S.W. 10th St. address in Okeechobee, who fled from a police officer after the officer had helped push Lewis’ vehicle to a gas station.

According to a report by Officer Michael Jordan, of the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD), Lewis’ 1995 Chevrolet pick-up truck was stopped around 9:30 a.m. on South Parrott Avenue at Walmart. When the officer couldn’t pass the vehicle, he got out of his car and helped Lewis push the vehicle to the Murphy gas station while Taylor steered the truck.

“After getting the vehicle to the gas pumps and while walking back to my car, dispatch advised me the registered owner had a warrant through Maine with a nationwide extradition (order),” stated Officer Jordan.

At that point the officer got into his patrol car and drove to the gas station. Taylor was pumping gas into the truck and the driver’s side door was open. It was then the officer noticed a syringe in a compartment on the door. That syringe, continued the officer’s report, contained a red liquid.

Officer Jordan stated he later tested that liquid and that test indicated a positive result for the presence of codeine.

As the officer was dealing with Taylor he noticed Lewis was not around. The gas attendant, when asked, told the officer the man ran along the west side of Walmart and was headed south.

As officers from the OCPD and deputies from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office gave chase, Lewis apparently ran into The Home Depot. He ran through the store then out of an exit. As of Friday afternoon, Dec. 2, he had not been found.

“I called Lewis from Taylor’s phone, with Taylor’s permission, and asked him to come back and he hung up,” noted Officer Jordan in his report.

During a search of the truck the officer stated he found a second syringe in the glove box. Both syringes were seized as evidence and will be sent to the Indian River Crime Lab in Fort Pierce for further analysis.

The officer’s report only describes Lewis as a white male with a scruffy beard.

The type and color of clothing being worn by Lewis was not mentioned in the report.

Dispatch notes state law enforcement searched The Home Depot and a nearby field but Lewis was nowhere to be found.

OKEECHOBEE — Detectives with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) are seeking clues to the suspected murder of a 25-year-old Okeechobee woman.

Information is sketchy, but the sheriff’s office said Amanda Suarez was found dead Wednesday, Dec. 7, in the area of the 2700 block of N.W. Third Street in DeBerry Gardens. She was reportedly found around 3:17 p.m.

Investigators, however, are not releasing her manner of death or who reported the incident.

If you have any information regarding this case, you are asked to contact OCSO Detective Javier Gonzalez at 863-763-3117, ext. 5106. Or, call the homicide tip line at 863-763-3117, ext. 5104.

OKEECHOBEE — A local woman was arrested Wednesday night after she reportedly tried to steal three frozen burritos from Walmart.

Officer Charles Green, of the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD), indicated in his arrest report the burritos were valued at $5.29.

The woman was arrested Dec. 7 on a misdemeanor charge of retail theft. She was then booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $2,500.

According to Officer Green’s report the 23-year-old woman and a female friend were seen walking around the department store around 10 p.m. The woman was apparently seen picking up the burritos and putting them in her shopping cart.

She and her friend then went to another aisle toward the center of the store, where she allegedly concealed the food items in her purse.

Both women then walked past the cash registers and out of the store. They didn’t get far, however, as Officer Green stopped them and escorted both women back into the store.

The woman’s friend, stated the officer, was not charged and was released.

Officer Green had arrested the woman recently on a felony grand theft charge after she tried to walk out of Walmart with over $300 worth of items.

The OCPD officer arrested the woman Wednesday and took her to the county jail without any further incident, and without her burritos.

OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office asks the public’s help in locating a 2002 Gray Dodge, 4-door extended cab pickup truck with light tinted windows and a  Miami Dolphins sticker on back window. The Florida license tag is 7790QP. The truck’s fender wells, above the tires, have mounted lights which change colors.

On Dec. 7, 2016, the truck had broken down and was parked on the side of the road in the area of 5500 SR 70 East (near Mosquito Creek).

Between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., the truck was stolen from that location.

If you have any information contact Detective Mark Shireman at 863-763-3117, ext. 5113, reference Case #16S27835.

Stolen truck

OKEECHOBEE — A local grand jury came back with a true bill Tuesday and indicted 47-year-old Mark Deschamps on a charge of premeditated first-degree murder.

Deschamps was arrested Oct. 24 for allegedly stabbing Flavia Leticia Escobar Munoz, 23, to death. At the time Deschamps was in a small bathroom in the home he shared with Munoz and Duane Ford Thomas, whom he had just stabbed in the face.

Mark Glen Deschamps, 47

Detectives with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) detailed how Deschamps plunged a 10- to 12-inch hunting knife into the right side of Thomas’ face. The blade broke the man’s orbital bone under his right eye and broke his nose. The blade came out the left side of the man’s face and left a laceration of nearly 3 inches in this cheek.

Deschamps was arrested a short time later.

To officially be charged with first-degree murder, the state has to take its case to a grand jury. It’s then up to that group of people to determine if the state has the proof to warrant that charge.

When the grand jury returned Dec. 13 with their true bill they also indicted Deschamps on one count of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Assistant state attorney Ashley Albright said Deschamps is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on the murder charge.

He will continue to be held in the Okeechobee County Jail without bond.

Mr. Albright explained according to Florida laws a grand jury is made up of 21 people, and 15 have to be present to have a quorum.

The alleged murder is being handled by Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office detectives Corporal Ted Van Deman and Howard Pickering.

Detective Pickering said that small bathroom in the Playland Park home was covered in blood.

“It looked like a slaughterhouse,” he said in an earlier interview.

The detective explained as Deschamps was trying to help clean up the wounds to Thomas’ face, Munoz was standing in the doorway. As she stood there Deschamps turned and plunged that hunting knife into the right-center area of her chest.

“You just killed me!” she shouted.

She then turned and walked out of the three-bedroom concrete block home. She made it as far as the driveway where she collapsed and died.

Detective Pickering said Deschamps awoke shortly after 3 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 24 after allegedly bingeing on drugs.

“He woke up in a delusional state of mind,” offered the OCSO investigator.

By 3:30 a.m. Munoz was lying in the driveway of the N.W. 45th Terrace home and Deschamps was calling 9-1-1. He reportedly told OCSO dispatchers the woman was dead, noted Cpl. Van Deman.

Cpl. Van Deman explained that when Deschamps awoke he accused Munoz and Thomas, 40, of stealing from him. He also claimed the two had struck up a relationship. He then took them into his bedroom, which he was renting from Thomas and often sharing with Munoz, and showed them what he claimed was a surveillance video of them stealing from him.

The computer screen, however, was blank.

“We believe the murder was done out of perceived jealousy,” said Cpl. Van Deman. “He (Deschamps) was seeing things and believing things that weren’t true. According to what we know, he was up for several days prior to this.

“We believe he was not in his right mind due to the drugs,” added the investigator.

When the detectives executed a search warrant on that bedroom, they found suspected methamphetamine, syringes and a 12-gauge shotgun. Because Deschamps is a convicted felon, he is prohibited from having a gun.

Records show Deschamps has 30 felony arrests with 15 convictions, along with 16 misdemeanor arrests and five convictions.

He was sent to prison March 17, 2013, after being found guilty on felony charges of driving while license suspended and driving under the influence – fourth conviction. He was released from the Department of Corrections (DOC) July 28, 2014.

OKEECHOBEE — Although sheriff’s office detectives are dealing with over 100 daytime burglaries, city police Detective Bill Saum is now tasked with solving the city’s first such case.

“This is the first daytime burglary we’ve had, of which I’m aware,” stated the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD) investigator.

He explained a home on S.W. Sixth Avenue was burglarized Tuesday, Dec. 13, between the hours of 7:30 and 11:30 a.m. And, like many similar break-ins throughout Okeechobee County, these burglars used some type of tool to pry open the front door.

“They pried open the dead bolt on the front door and went in,” he noted.

Once inside the home the intruders ransacked the master bedroom then took two flat screen televisions and 10 guns. Detective Saum said they took both handguns and long guns. One of the televisions was in the master bedroom while the other was in the living room.

The interlopers ignored another flat screen that was left on in another bedroom.

The total loss was estimated to be $6,100.

“They just took specific things, and left specific things,” added the detective
Adding to the detective’s chagrin is the fact no one in the neighborhood saw anything unusual.

“With all the people who live on that road, no one saw anything that seemed out of the ordinary,” he offered.

Detective Saum did indicate he was able to find some shoe prints and latent fingerprints.

When asked what advice he has for homeowners to protect themselves, Detective Saum said: “Do what you’re supposed to do: Lock your dead bolts.”
If anyone has information regarding this case, they are asked to contact Detective Saum at 863-763-9784.

OKEECHOBEE — An apparent ongoing criminal enterprise staged by a local brother and sister to fuel their drug habits has kept Detective James Pickering busy since early summer.

But with the arrest of Joshua David Roach, 32, on Wednesday, Dec. 14, the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD) investigator’s case is nearly closed.

Joshua Roach, 32

Roach, S.E. 27th Street, Okeechobee, was arrested on warrants obtained by Detective Pickering that charged him with nine felony counts of uttering a forged instrument and two felony counts of grand theft. He was booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $55,000.

However, because Roach was already on probation for grand theft and credit card fraud he was also arrested on a Department of Corrections (DOC) warrant that charged him with violation of probation on both of those charges. Because he is not offered a bond on the violation of probation charges, he cannot be released.

Roach’s sister, Rebecca Dicara Velasquez, was arrested in May in connection with this case. Detective Pickering charged the 39-year-old woman with 13 counts of uttering a forged instrument, six counts of grand theft and seven counts of petit theft.

Rebecca Dicara Velasquez

She was also arrested on one count of possession of a controlled substance (dilaudid) without a prescription. That arrest was made by a detective with the Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force.

On June 30 she was found guilty on all counts by Circuit Court Judge Dan Vaughn and was sentenced to 18 months in prison on the felony charges. Judge Vaughn ruled that all counts would run concurrently.

She was sentenced to time served in the county jail on the misdemeanor petit theft charges.

According to Detective Pickering while Velasquez was cleaning a local woman’s home she stole a number of that woman’s checks. Roach, continued the investigator, would then cash them and deposit the money into his sister’s bank account. Those checks totaled $3,035, stated the detective’s arrest report.

The thefts occurred from April 20 through May 12.

“She was arrested May 12. Then, while she was in jail, he (Roach) was still cashing checks,” explained the OCPD detective. “I based his arrest off of hers.”

While Velasquez was in jail, Roach then stole checks from a family member.

That family member’s loss totaled approximately $900, added Detective Pickering.

The detective’s probable cause affidavit stated Roach would steal a check, forge the family member’s name then deposit it in his sister’s bank account. Then, as soon as the check was deposited, he would go to the bank’s ATM and withdraw $200.

The detective’s affidavit details how, on two different occasions, Roach cashed checks totalling more than $300 each. Those incidents led to the grand theft charges.

In that case against Roach, the affidavit alleges he stole checks from the family member on May 27, May 28 and May 29. He then forged the victim’s name, deposited the check and immediately made a withdrawal.

“On June 10, 2016, still photos of the transactions were received by the Okeechobee City Police Department. Joshua David Roach is the person in the photos making the transactions,” stated Detective Pickering in his affidavit.

The reason for the thefts, said Detective Pickering, was simple.

“All of the money was used to buy narcotics. None of it went for food, clothing or shelter,” he added.

DOC records show Roach was sentenced on Feb. 18, 2016, to serve two years on community supervision after he was found guilty on the grand theft and credit card fraud charges. That supervision was slated to end Feb. 17, 2018.

OKEECHOBEE — A 21-year-old Okeechobee man has been arrested in connection with the Dec. 7 death of Amanda Gayle Suarez, 25.

Christopher William Shows

According to a Monday, Dec. 19, press release from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) Christopher William Shows, U.S. 441 N., was arrested on charges of first-degree premeditated murder, armed burglary of an occupied residence with a battery, desecration of a body, attempted sexual battery, grand theft and tampering with evidence.

Apparently, Shows went to the home of Mrs. Suarez and when he knocked on the door, she let him into her family’s N.W. Third Street home. After an unknown amount of time, Shows reportedly made sexual advances toward Mrs. Suarez, and when she rebuffed him, the man left the home.

After Mrs. Suarez had turned him away, Shows went to his truck, picked up a gun and went back inside the home, the report continues. He then chased the woman through her home and then shot her when she tried to run out the back door, the report states.

At the time of the  attack, she was in the hallway near the master bedroom and back door, according to the report.

Blood evidence allegedly indicated she was dragged down the hallway and into the kitchen.

When OCSO Deputy William Jolly found the woman, her pants and underwear had been removed and her shirt was pulled up to expose her bra.

“The body was lying in the center of the kitchen floor and was put in a crucifix position while surrounded by pooled blood,” stated the release.

Shows then reportedly stole the woman’s phone, worth more than $100, and fled. He then tried to cover up his crime by disposing of the victim’s phone and burning his clothes, according to the detectives.

Deputy Jolly handled the initial complaint when he responded to the Town Star convenience store on S.R. 70 West after a 9-1-1 call. When he arrived at the store he spoke with Jessica Seger, who reportedly told him she had gone to her sister’s home and found her lying in a pool of blood.

Deputy Jolly then went to the N.W. Third Street home where he encountered the victim’s dog which was being aggressive and protecting the home. After the deputy secured the dog, he entered the home and found Ms. Suarez lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen.

At that point he contacted OCSO detective bureau and detectives Javier Gonzalez and Corporal Ted Van Deman both responded, as well as agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

OKEECHOBEE — “He wanted to know what it was like to kill somebody.”

And that, said Sheriff-elect Noel Stephen, was the reason why Amanda Gayle Suarez, a mother of four, was murdered by Christopher William Shows.

“It was a horrendous, tragic death. Normal people don’t think like this,” added Major Stephen of the Dec. 12 slaying.

Shows, 21, U.S. 441 N., was arrested Dec. 16 by Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) Detective Javier Gonzalez on felony charges of first-degree premeditated murder, burglary with an assault or battery, tampering with evidence, abusing a dead human body, grand theft and attempt to commit a crime.

Christopher William Shows, 21

He is being held in the Okeechobee County Jail without bond.

According to information disseminated by the sheriff’s office Shows went to Amanda Suarez’s N.W. Third Street home while her husband, Mathew, was at work and three of her four children were in school.

When he knocked on the door, Mrs. Suarez let him. Shows was well known to her since he was dating her cousin, Sarah Seger.

After he was in the home, Shows apparently began making sexual advances toward the 25-year-old woman, but she turned him away.

At some point Shows left the home, went to his truck parked outside the home and grabbed a .22 caliber rifle. He then went back inside the home.

When Mrs. Suarez tried to run out the back door, Shows chased her and shot her in the back of her head, behind the ear.

Shows, continued the information, then dragged Mrs. Suarez down the hallway and into the kitchen. It was here that he left her lifeless body in a crucifix position and in a puddle of blood. It was also here where Shows allegedly raped the now dead woman’s body.

The alleged crime came to light when Jessica Seger, Amanda’s sister, went to the home and found the woman lying on the kitchen floor. It has also been learned that Mrs. Suarez’s youngest child, a 2-year-old boy, was in a bedroom throughout the entire incident.

Amanda Suarez on her wedding day.

So, Ms. Seger grabbed up the child and ran to the nearest convenience store — the Town Star store located at 2398 S.R. 70 W. Once at the store, she called 9-1-1.

OCSO Deputy William Jolly responded and when he was told about the grisly scene, he went to investigate.

When he arrived at the home the family’s pet bull dog became aggressive and wouldn’t let Deputy Jolly enter the home. However, the dog was finally secured and the deputy went inside where he found Mrs. Suarez.

That dog, said Maj. Stephen, played a large part in the following investigation.

“We knew it was someone the dog knew. He (Shows) was known to the family to get by the dog,” said the soon-to-be sheriff.

Another key factor in the subsequent probe was Mrs. Suarez’s cell phone. The major explained that for whatever reason Mrs. Suarez had taken a photo of Shows as he was lying on her couch just a scant few minutes before she was killed. Then, after allegedly killing the woman, Shows took her cell phone.

Detective Corporal Ted Van Deman and Detective Gonzalez pinged the phone and found it lying along side of the road in the 4400 block of U.S. 441 North.

Maj. Stephen said when the detectives found the phone there was still some blood on it.

The detectives went through the phone and reportedly found the photo of Shows. From that point on it took good old fashioned leg work to put the case together.

Maj. Stephen said he was very proud of the work and the cooperation of all the agency’s divisions. He was especially proud of the work done by Cpl. Van Deman and Detective Gonzalez.

“Ted and Javier did two weeks worth of work in a week. Ted and Javier are the reasons why this bad guy was apprehended,” said the major.

Assistant state attorney Don Richardson echoed the major’s sentiments.

“I can’t compliment the sheriff’s office enough. When other people would have given up. They didn’t. They were persistent,” said the prosecutor.

It’s not often a veteran cop of 29 years like Maj. Stephen is shocked by an incident, but it was apparent on his face when he talked about Show’s callousness.

“He (Shows) was a pall bearer at Amanda’s funeral.”

‘We will not let this monster win!’

Family of slain woman focuses on the children

By Eric Kopp, Okeechobee News

OKEECHOBEE — “She was fulfilling what she wanted to do, and being a mom.”

Leah Suarez said all her daughter-in-law, Amanda Gayle Suarez, wanted to do in life was get her high school diploma and have children.

When Christopher William Shows allegedly murdered Amanda on Dec. 7 sometime between noon and 12:30 p.m., he snuffed out all of the young mother’s dreams.

“She was a good mom and never had any ill will toward anyone. She never had a driver’s license. She was perfectly content being home and being a mom,” said Leah.

Now Leah, and her husband Joe, are trying to take care of their son, Mathew, along with his four children who are now without a mother.

“Our son is just filled with rage over this — we all are. We just can’t imagine this here, and to our family. It’s just unimaginable,” said Leah. “She was as sweet as the day is long. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

“It’s just breaking my heart to have to go through this for all the kids — to see the destruction this one selfish act caused,” he added.

Mathew, 29, and Amanda, 25, were married just a little over 4 years and they had four children: Chandler, 11; Charlie, 9; Hayden, 4; and, E.J., 2.

Amanda did not have an outside job. She chose to stay home and take care of the children while Mathew, a contractor for Century Link, went to work early and didn’t get home until late.

As Leah talked about the unthinkable tragedy, the emotion begins to take over when she mentions what Charlie and E.J. went through. While all four of the children are having to deal with devastation few people ever know, those two have the most with which to deal.

As Shows was attacking Amanda in the N.W. Third Street home where she lived with her family, E.J. was in one of the bedrooms.

“All the baby will say now is he’s scared. We know he saw. And what he didn’t directly see, he heard,” Leah said.

But even as horrendous as that is, it’s Charlie who will likely have the hardest time coping. He actually walked in the house after school and saw Amanda lying on that kitchen floor in a puddle of her own blood.

Leah explained that Amanda was actually found by her sister who, after finding the body, grabbed up E.J. and ran on foot to a nearby convenience store to call for help. While she was gone, Charlie’s school bus rolled up and let the 9-year-old out. Unsuspecting, he opened the door and walked into the home just like he has every other day of the school year.

But, this wasn’t like any other day.

“Charlie got off the school bus and went into the home, then he ran out screaming,” recalled his grandmother.

She doesn’t know exactly how he did it, but Charlie called his grandfather’s cell phone. Leah said he was screaming and crying.

A few minutes later, a cousin drove up after picking up Hayden at her school and found Charlie just walking around in the yard.

“Thank the Lord someone had the forethought to call the other school and get Chandler off the school bus. I ran over and got him and explained to him what happened,” said Leah, now struggling with her emotions. “The kids are fairly comatose from the whole thing.”

Fortunately, she continued, some friends helped out recently and took the two older children to Universal Studios in Orlando.

Leah said the children are seeing a therapist regularly, but their son has yet to reach out for help.

“Right now he’s just angry, angry, angry,” she said.

But as the family tries to sort through all of their emotions there’s still a major hurdle staring them all in the face — Christmas.

“It’s going to be a struggle, in terms of getting through the day,” Leah noted.

“I’m off the next two weeks, so I can control the environment and put them in a safe place.”

Through it all, she said, there has been a ray of shining light — friends.

“We’ve just been overwhelmed with offers of help. The funeral is almost paid off — we owe just a little over $2,000. Now, we have to figure out if we’re going to purchase a home nearby or add on to our current home. We’re hanging from the rafters,” said the fourth-grade teacher with nine people now living in a five-bedroom home. “The kids lost their mom and house the same day.”

Mathew and Amanda were renting their home.

Leah went on to explain that first their home was damaged in a hurricane.

Then, two years ago, she nearly died having back surgery. And, she’s had to have four more surgeries since then. Now she and her husband are trying to take care of a houseful of people and, Mathew’s two pet snakes.

When asked what kind of snakes they were, she replied she didn’t know. But, she was quite adamant when she said they weren’t staying in the house. She said they are keeping the reptiles on the porch.

With all that’s happened, Leah has gone back to teaching fourth grade in a local elementary school while Joe works in the probation division of the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach.

“We just don’t have the means we would normally have,” offered Leah.

Because of that if people want to donate, the family asks that those donations be monetary. Those donations can be left at Elite Office Services, 1210 S.W. Second Ave. They are located directly behind the Dairy Queen restaurant. The family has also set up a Go Fund Me account to help.

As Leah, Joe, Mathew and the kids all try to deal with this sudden upheaval in their lives it only serves to remind them of what has happened. And, what Shows has done to the entire family.

“I’ve been trying to find words to describe this monster,” she said.

And they’ve all been trying to come up with one answer that continues to elude them — why?

“Why us? Why her? Why here? Why our family? These are things we just don’t understand,” said Leah. “Amanda didn’t have an enemy — everybody loved her.

“But, we’re focused on taking care of her children. We will not let this monster win!”