OKEECHOBEE — A couple was arrested on felony charges Friday night as they entered a DUI checkpoint on S.R. 70 East and were spotted by a deputy who was reportedly looking for them.

James Allen Trammel

Arrested were James Allen Trammel, 40, N.E. 103rd Ave., Okeechobee, and , 41, of the same address.

They were each charged with dealing in stolen property, giving false ownership information to a pawnbroker and failure to return leased property.

Both Trammel and Bain are being held in the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $22,500 each.

Arrest reports by Deputy Bart Potter, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), stated items were being rented from the Rent-a-Center (RAC), 408 E. N. Park St., then pawned for cash.

Among the merchandise rented by the couple was: a 55-inch Phillips television valued at $1,619.19; a Dell 11.6-inch laptop computer valued at $1,218.47; a 55-inch LG Smart TV valued at $2,242; a 65-inch Smart TV valued at $3,039.24; a Sharp 60-inch Smart TV valued at $2,729.22; and, a Dell laptop computer valued at $1,218.47.

According to the deputy’s report, Bain took Trammel and others into the store to rent items and take advantage of a special promotion being offered by the center. By using the store’s promotion, Bain would reportedly receive credit toward her rental purchases by bringing in a new customer.

Carlena Denise Bain

In some instances, the person renting the equipment did make an initial rental payment.

In his report, Deputy Potter indicated Bain and Trammel pawned their merchandise and received: $250 for the Phillips TV; $100 for the Dell 11.6-inch laptop; $250 for the 55-inch LG Smart TV; $250 for the 65-inch LG Smart TV; $225 for the Sharp 60-inch Smart TV; and, $80 for the other 11.6-inch Dell laptop computer.

“Although Carlena Bain pawned the items that James Trammel leased, he was present with Carlena during both the lease and the pawn,” noted Deputy Potter.

The deputy’s report goes on to indicate that after the initial payment was made, no payments were made on the rental items. Also, no payments were made to the pawn shop for the pawned merchandise.

A RAC representative reportedly told Deputy Potter the center had called twice a day and gone by the Trammel/Bain residence because they were behind in their rental payments, but no one would answer the phone or come to the door when they knocked.
Deputy Potter indicated his investigation into this matter is continuing.

OKEECHOBEE — “We’ve been warning and warning, but no one would listen,” said Deputy Lieutenant Randy Thomas earlier this week. ”We try not to write tickets. But if they’re going to press the issue then, yes, we’re going to write citations.”

The “issue” the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) deputy was speaking of was the riding of all terrain vehicles (ATVs) on county roadways — specifically, in the 5-square-acres of an area known as The Prairie. The situation came to a head recently when a Prairie resident ended up before County Judge Jerald Bryant.

That resident was issued a citation Jan. 2 by OCSO Deputy James Hartsfield. The resident chose to fight the ticket and hired Lake Placid attorney Charles Ervin. After Mr. Ervin presented his case, and Okeechobee county attorney John Cassels argued the county’s stance on the issue at the one-day trial held Friday, June 23, Judge Bryant issued his ruling on case number 2017TR018.

In his written order, Judge Bryant stated: “The court has considered the defendant’s driving history, the facts of this case and the fact that the question of law and jurisdiction in this case require clarification for the benefit of the public, especially owners and those who use lands within the Coquina Water Management District (CWMD) and the sheriff of Okeechobee County.

“Accordingly, the court withholds adjudication of guilt, thus no points will be assessed against defendant’s driving record. The court imposes the standard fine of $78, which must be paid within 30 days of June 23, 2017,” concluded the order.

“It’s been ongoing practically my whole career,” said Sheriff Noel Stephen, who has worn a badge for nearly 40 years. “Our shifts are being tied up due to reckless driver complaints. It got to the point we couldn’t keep up with what was going on.”

Just how big a problem are ATV riders on The Prairie? When one looks at the numbers, they back up Sheriff Stephen’s aforementioned statement.

According to those numbers released by the sheriff’s office in accordance with Florida public records law, so far this year on The Prairie there have been:
• 169 traffic stops;
• 21 traffic citations written;
• 8 traffic crashes;
• 17 traffic warnings;
• 18 reckless driver complaints; and,
• 17 suspicious vehicle complaints.

It should also be noted these numbers do not reflect any criminal call-outs or cases handled by OCSO deputies.

There are currently four OCSO deputies assigned to that area of the county. Still, if they are busy other deputies can be sent to The Prairie to handle a complaint.

“As our complaints escalated, to get them under control, we had to completely shut down ATV riding on The Prairie. No community within the Okeechobee community has free reign for ATV riding,” offered Sheriff Stephen.

Lt. Thomas, in explaining Florida state statute 316.2123 which governs the operation of ATVs, said all of the roads on The Prairie are considered public access, which means deputies then can enforce all state laws.

“If it’s used by the public and open to the public, state traffic laws can be enforced,” explained the lieutenant. “ATVs cannot be ridden on the roadways.”

The sheriff explained the stepped up enforcement by his agency goes back to a CWMD meeting in which he and assistant state attorney Ashley Albright were invited.

“We discussed the situation and the escalation of complaints. They asked us to step up our law enforcement. We continued with that selective law enforcement until we got to where we are now,” said Sheriff Stephen.

Where ‘they are now’ is issuing citations to ATV riders on any and all county roads, pointed out the lieutenant.

“The law says they are roadways, and we’re going to enforce it,” added Lt. Thomas.

OKEECHOBEE — An Okeechobee woman hired to clean a home nearly cleaned out the homeowner’s shed and is now facing a felony theft charge.

Maria Antonia Rodriguez, 49, S.E. 36th Ave., was arrested Monday, July 3, on felony charges of grand theft and burglary of an unoccupied structure.

Maria Antonia Rodriguez, 49

She was booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $5,000. Jail records show she has been released on bond.

An arrest report by Deputy Jessica Francis, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), stated Rodriguez had been hired to clean a home that a woman had just purchased. The idea was for Rodriguez to clean the home prior to the woman and her boyfriend taking occupancy.

The home was nearly empty because the new owners were in the process of painting and refurbishing the home. There was also a shed located behind the home.

Deputy Francis went on to point out that the new owners not only installed a surveillance camera inside the home but also took photos of their items being stored in the shed.

At some point on July 2, the feed to the surveillance camera was lost. So, the new owner and a female friend went to the home to check on the housecleaner.

When the homeowner arrived, she noticed a small pickup backed up to her shed. She apparently had told Rodriguez not to worry about the shed, so seeing the truck there seemed odd to her.

She then went inside the home to check on Rodriguez. When she entered, the small pickup drove away, noted the deputy. And as the truck was leaving, it passed right by the homeowner’s friend, who happened to see a green lawnmower in the back of the truck.

According to Deputy Francis, the homeowner immediately went to the shed and noticed that not only was her lawnmower gone, but so was a window air conditioning unit, a shop vacuum, a weed eater and several other items. In all, continued the deputy, items valued at a total of $965 were missing from the shed.

The deputy reportedly found Rodriguez at her home and arrested her without incident.

OKEECHOBEE — A local man has been released on bond after he was arrested and jailed for allegedly being physically confrontational Tuesday with a female deputy.

Steven Michael Williams, 25, N.E. 11th Way, was arrested July 4 on felony charges of corruption by threat, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting a law enforcement officer with violence. He was also charged with one misdemeanor count of disorderly intoxication.

Steven Michael Williams, 25

Williams was booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $12,500.

The man was not only charged with battering Deputy Sergeant Rosemary Farless, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), but threatening an OCSO detention deputy with physical harm.

According to the deputy’s arrest report she was sent to the 8000 block of S.R. 70 East around 5:30 a.m. regarding a man walking on the highway. The white male was not wearing a shirt but was wearing jeans.

When Sgt. Farless arrived at the scene she reportedly found a 2001 blue Dodge pickup sitting several feet off the roadway with the driver’s door open and the hood up.

She also noted the air bag had deployed, the front driver’s side tire was gone and several inches of the rim had been ground off from driving some distance without a tire and there was a long scrape on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

A few minutes later a sports utility vehicle pulled up and a man, later identified as Williams, called out to her and reportedly told her he wasn’t driving. Sgt. Farless then told him she was sent to the area because a man wearing jeans and no shirt had been seen walking close to the roadway.

At that point the man allegedly swore at her and called her a derogatory name.

Sgt. Farless then told a woman with Williams it appeared as if the truck had been involved in an accident and she was going to have it towed. Williams then reportedly said he as going to shut the hood on the truck, but Sgt. Farless told him no and to stay out of the road.

Then, in an apparent taunting manner, Williams “… walked out to the center line of S.R. 70 and started swinging his arms and screaming profanities at me,” stated Sgt. Farless.

When the deputy moved toward him, Williams allegedly walked over to the truck and shut the hood. He then got into the SUV, rolled up the passenger side window, locked the door continued to swear at the female deputy and asked: “What are you gonna do now?”

The woman in the SUV unlocked the door and Sgt. Farless reached in and grabbed the man’s wrists but he braced his feet against side walls of the floorboard.

“I tried several times to pull Williams from the SUV. He snatched his right hand free and slapped and pushed my left shoulder/arm area causing me to lose grip with my left hand,” stated the sergeant’s report.

Williams allegedly cussed the deputy again and continued to call her a derogatory name.

She resorted to using her taser but it had little effect and Williams pulled the probes out of his arm. He then shoved Sgt. Farless backward, stated her report.

By now, OCSO Deputy Greg Mullen arrived on the scene and helped remove Williams from the SUV. Deputy Mullen also handcuffed Williams and took him to jail.

At the jail, Williams apparently continued to yell and swear and demanded he be allowed to make a phone call. The detention deputy reportedly told him he would get that call once he settled down. Williams then allegedly threatened the jailer.

Williams continued his alleged rowdy behavior when he was placed in a holding cell then flooded the cell with water from the toilet.

OKEECHOBEE — Some people have no respect for the property of others — or, the dead.

This became quite evident Thursday morning when county employees showed up for work at the Evergreen Cemetery at 1116 N.E. 39th Blvd. where they found someone had pulled up and dragged away a hedge. The vandals also backed up to another hedge and tried to push it over, as well as a small tree. And, by doing all this they tore up the grass.

All of this damage was done by an all terrain vehicle (ATV) around the entrance to the cemetery sometime Wednesday night, July 12.

“We do have a problem out here. It’s been off and on in the past years, but in the last week or two it seems to have started up again,” explained Russell Rowland, assistant to the county administrator. “The damage last night was outside the gates and after hours. At this point we haven’t found any damage inside the gates.”

Mr. Rowland pointed out how vandals used the side-by-side ATV to pull up the hedge.

They then dragged it down the street to a small road leading to an Okeechobee Utility Authority water treatment plant. They then turned around and proceeded down the street toward R-Bar Estates.

“The shrub — roots and all — were pulled out of the ground,” noted Mr. Rowland.

He also pointed to another shrub where the vandal, or vandals, tried to push over the plant with their ATV. They did the same thing on the other side of the entrance where they tried to push over a small palm tree.

At this point, it appears that only one vehicle was involved.

Deputy Nathaniel Mitchell, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), took the complaint Thursday morning.

This isn’t the first time someone has vandalized a cemetery in the county.

Three to four weeks ago, pointed out Mr. Rowland, someone tore up turf inside the Evergreen Cemetery by “cutting donuts” with their vehicle. He explained the vandalism was done during the daytime when the gate was open and county employees were apparently working at another of the county’s cemeteries.

In February of this year, someone cut the fence at the cemetery in Fort Drum and stole a gate.

As he looked at the damage Thursday, Mr. Rowland indicated it wasn’t just replacing the stolen plant or putting down new sod that bothers him.

“It’s not going to cost that much to replace the plants,” he said. “It just the idea of destroying property at a cemetery — that’s pretty bad.

“It’s disrespectful to the people buried in the cemetery, and their families,” he added.

OKEECHOBEE — It appears the shrub pulled out of the ground near the entrance to Evergreen Cemetery by vandals has been found.

“They brought the bush from the cemetery and stuck it in my culvert,” said John Eisenberg, in a phone interview Friday, July 14.

Vandals on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) pulled up the shrub sometime Wednesday night, July 12. They also backed up to another shrub and tried to push it over. They did the same thing to a young palm tree on the opposite side of the entrance.

The damage to Mr. Eisenberg’s property in the 2100 block of N.E. 39th Boulevard also occurred sometime Wednesday night.

He reportedly told Deputy Nathaniel Mitchell, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), he had been working on his property and spent $8,000 putting in new culverts.

The deputy indicated in his report that he met with Mr. Eisenberg around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13.

Mr. Eisenberg, who lives in Port St. Lucie but is preparing to build a home on his N.E. 39th Blvd. lot, said he had also put reflectors in the ground to mark where work had been completed. But, to the vandal, these were just something more to destroy.

“The reflectors were thrown about the property,” he said, adding he also found some of his reflectors in a tree. “This happened before when they ran over the reflectors.”

But what bothers Mr. Eisenberg the most is the vandals are riding their ATV on the new culverts.

“We put a lot of work into getting the culvert back in place, but they keep riding up and down it. We even put material around the culvert so it wouldn’t be undermined, but they keep driving up and down it,” he said.

Like Mr. Eisenberg, this week’s vandalism at Evergreen Cemetery wasn’t the first it’s happened.

“We do have a problem out here. It’s been off and on in the past years. But, in the last week or two, it seems to have started up again,” said Russell Rowland, assistant to the county administrator, in an interview Thursday. “The damage last night was outside the gates and after hours. At this point we haven’t found any damage inside the gates.”

As with Mr. Eisenberg’s case, Mr. Rowland said it won’t cost much to repair the damage done around the cemetery’s entrance. But what really bothered him was the level of disrespect shown by the vandals.

“It’s just the idea of destroying property at a cemetery — that’s pretty bad. It’s disrespectful to the people buried in the cemetery, and their families,” he said.

OKEECHOBEE — A man is being held on bond in the county jail after he reportedly drove his car down a boat ramp Saturday and into Taylor Creek with the apparent intention of killing himself and the man riding with him.

When officers from the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD) arrived at the ramp in the 600 block of S.E. Fourth Street around 9 p.m. on July 15 they found a dark-colored PT Cruiser in the water. A short time later they found a man curled up in a fetal position in some bushes.

That man reportedly told Officer Raul Marrero and Sergeant Dawn Wendt he was hiding from the driver because he was afraid of the driver.

“He said ‘we’re going to die tonight’ and drove his car into the water,” the passenger reportedly told police.

According to Officer Marrero’s report the incident started when he was sent to a man’s home on S.E. Sixth Ave. because someone had tried to kick in his front door and demanded money. While the officer was speaking with the homeowner, he was notified that a car had been found in Taylor Creek.

The officer told the homeowner to lock himself in his home, and Officer Marrero then headed for the boat ramp.

Upon his arrival at the ramp the officer spotted tracks headed to the south — away from the water. A few minutes later, the man in the bushes was found.

That man reportedly told the officers he didn’t know which way the driver of the car went, but he was hiding from him because he was afraid.

Officer Marrero noted in his report the frightened man apparently initially got out of the PT Cruiser before the driver of that car went to the man’s home to get money supposedly owed him. The frightened man told the deputy he then walked east on Fourth Street and made it to Sixth Avenue, when the driver pulled up and gave him a ride.

“(I) told (him) ‘let’s go get some cigarettes’ but he (the driver) said ‘nope, we’re dying tonight,’” stated the report. “(He) then punched the gas and drove like a madman down the ramp and then into Taylor Creek.”

The frightened man was able to get out of the car and run away.

Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office deputies later arrested the driver of the PT Cruiser at a home in the southeastern part of the county and held him until Officer Marrero arrived.

Because no one wanted to press charges against that man, all the officer could do was charge him with one misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident. He is being held in the Okeechobee County Jail on a $500 bond.

OKEECHOBEE — Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) K-9 Magnum had a busy Sunday night when he found two alleged burglary suspects who were reportedly trying to hide from deputies.

Willie Joe Harris, 38

Because of Magnum’s efforts Willie Joe Harris, 38, and Kimberly Kay Lyons, 33, were both arrested on a felony charge of burglary of an occupied dwelling, and misdemeanor charges of resisting a law enforcement officer without violence and loitering or prowling.
Both are being held on bond in the Okeechobee County Jail.

An arrest report by OCSO Deputy Jonathon Gove indicated he answered a home alarm on N.E. Second Street around 1:37 a.m. on July 17. As he was on his way, OCSO Deputy Sergeant Brian Hagan contacted the deputy by radio and said he had just seen a gold Dodge Neon leaving the area of the alarm. Sgt. Hagan went on to say the complainant told an OCSO dispatcher a car matching that description had just left their residence.

Kimberly Kay Lyons, 33

Deputy Gove, along with other deputies, began canvassing the area.

“I located a gold Dodge Neon in the drainage ditch on Northeast 64th Street, north of State Road 70,” stated Deputy Gove’s report. “The vehicle appears to have slid off the roadway into the ditch, and was abandoned.”

Deputy Gove went on to add he then saw a white male wearing dark pants and no shirt walking around a house and trying to open a door. That same man reportedly walked across the street to another home and tried to open a vehicle’s door, but the homeowner yelled at the man who then ran away.

As the man, later identified as Harris, ran behind two houses Deputy Gove said he contacted OCSO Deputy Brian Cross, who is K-9 Magnum’s handler.

The fleeing man, continued the report, jumped over a barbed wire fence and continued running in a northerly direction.

According to the report by Deputy Gove, Harris tried to climb a tree but was apprehended by Magnum.

Some time later, Magnum found Lyons hiding in a pile of bushes behind the home she and Harris had just tried to burglarize, noted Deputy Gove.

OKEECHOBEE — A 28-year-old local woman accused of trying to kill her live-in boyfriend is being held without bond in the Okeechobee County Jail.

Erica Marie Delacruz, N.W. 20th Ave., was arrested Wednesday, July 19, on one count of attempted murder. She allegedly stabbed her paramour of 10 years in the chest with a butcher knife that had an 8-inch blade.

Erica Marie Delacruz

The victim was taken to Raulerson Hospital then later flown out to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce, stated a report by Detective Max Waldron, the arresting officer. As of Thursday afternoon, the victim was still in the hospital. His condition was not known as of newspaper deadline.

Detective Waldron, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), stated in his report the man was asleep when he was stabbed.

According to the victim’s brother, who lives in the same home, the lights were off in the home and he had just gone to bed when he heard screams from the area of the living room sometime around midnight. He then got up to investigate.

When he walked into the living room he saw his brother “… holding his chest and bleeding severely,” offered the detective’s report.

Detective Waldron’s report detailed how an alleged argument between Delacruz and her boyfriend escalated to the point where she closed and locked the bedroom door then stabbed the victim.

Through interviews, the detective stated he learned other people in the home that they had to force open the bedroom door. And, when they did, they saw the victim and Delacruz on the bedroom floor. The victim, bleeding from the wound to his chest, appeared to be holding Delacruz down and she was holding the butcher knife in her right hand, noted the detective.

“Erica was attempting to stab him with the knife,” stated the detective.

The couple was separated, which allowed the victim to get out of the room, and the knife was reportedly taken away from Delacruz.

Besides the wound to his chest, the victim also had some superficial defensive wounds.

OKEECHOBEE — Detectives with the Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force arrested a local man and woman after a traffic stop when the investigators allegedly found several pounds of marijuana and marijuana resin in their vehicle.

Brittany Lynn Osceola, 28

Arrested Friday, July 21, were Brittany Lynn Osceola, 28, and Jose Guadalupe Romero Jr., 24. Both Osceola and Romero gave detectives the same S.W. Ninth Street address in Okeechobee.

Osceola and Romero were both charged with possession of marijuana over 20 grams, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of marijuana resin and possession of marijuana resin with intent to sell.

Osceola was booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $40,000, while Romero’s bond was set at $20,000. Jail records show both have been released on bond.

Task force detectives stopped a 2016 black Chevrolet Suburban on S.E. Third Street being driven by Osceola due to illegal window tint, stated a detective’s arrest report.

Jose Guadalupe Romero Jr., 24

“While I was speaking with Osceola I could smell a strong odor of green marijuana coming from the interior of the vehicle,” stated the detective.

A short time later another task force detective and his K-9 arrived at the scene. K-9 Samba was tasked with performing a free-air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle. The K-9, noted the report, gave a positive alert to the vehicle.

Detectives then began to search the vehicle and during that search they reportedly found a large black bag on the floor behind the driver’s seat. In that bag were three, gallon-size packages of suspected marijuana; an assortment of marijuana resins; and edible marijuana candy bars and candies, noted the detective’s report.

Those three bags of suspected pot reportedly weighed a total of 3.58 pounds.

The report goes on to indicate detectives also found:
• one Rx strain of kuchi marijuana green weighing 3.5 grams;
• one bottle of Beenector tropical gummy weighing 1.3 ounces
• seven Beenector natural hash resins weighing 1 gram each;
• one Live Well flower gold weighing 3.5 grams;
• two Good Meds diesel Budda weighing 28 grams each;
• one Crisp crunch mile chocolate crispy kraken bar weighing 1.8 ounces;
• one Beenector green apple gummy marijuana edible weighing 1.3 ounces; and,
• one Sesh cannabis oil 500 mg. cartridge.

“The above listed items all contained cannabis resin, according to their attached warning labels,” the detective pointed out.

According to the report Osceola’s bond was higher than Romero’s because “… she is currently out on bond for interference with child custody and false information concerning a missing child.”

Osceola was also issued a traffic citation for the window tint violation, noted the arresting detective.

OKEECHOBEE — Law enforcement officers from up to four different agencies were

Amir Lynn, 16

involved in a chase Wednesday in Okeechobee County that, at times, reached speeds of 130 mph on S.R. 70 East.

Two juveniles and an 18-year-old man were taken into custody after they crashed the car they were in on N.W. 30th Street in Playland Park but not until they had intentionally struck a sheriff’s office vehicle and forced a number of FHP and Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) vehicles off the road, stated reports.

After sliding some 239 feet and crashing the white Nissan four-door sedan allegedly stolen out of Brevard County, the driver of the car, Amir Lynn, 16, and Taparree Tyrell Shelton, 18, fled the scene on foot. Both were soon captured in the area. Another teen, Christopher Ezekiel Gordon, 17, was

Taparree Tyrell Shelton, 18

taken into custody without incident.

The trio taken into custody are facing the following charges filed by OCSO deputies.

Lynn, of a Mims address, is charged with eight felony counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle, one felony count of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle and one felony count of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence.

Shelton, of a White Sands Drive address in Titusville, is charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting a law enforcement officer without violence. His bond on that charge has been set at $500.

Gordon, of a Cypress Ave. address in Mims, is charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.

Lynn and Gordon were both booked into the Okeechobee County Jail then taken to the St. Lucie Regional Detention Center in Fort Pierce.

Christopher Ezekiel Gordon, 17

Lynn, Shelton and Gordon are also facing charges filed by FHP troopers involved in the case.

All three are charged with the felonies of grand theft – auto and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle. All three are also charged with the misdemeanor of resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.

Shelton, because he is an adult, is being held in the county jail on a total bond of $40,000.

Both Lynn and Shelton tried to flee from officers after crashing the Nissan. Lynn was quickly taken into custody after OCSO Deputy Brian Cross warned the teen that he was going to turn OCSO K-9 Magnum loose. After the second warning, Lynn gave up.

Shelton, however, learned first hand how a well-trained K-9 can convince someone to change their mind.

After fleeing the crash site, Shelton ran past some mobile homes to the south of N.W. 30th Street then into some dense vegetation and could not be found. However, OCSO Deputy Matt Crawford tasked K-9 Mick to find the missing suspect. Mick immediately went to work and before long Deputy Crawford heard someone yell: “Get him off me!”

Mick had reportedly found Shelton hiding in the thicket and convinced him to give up by “engaging” the man on the right arm, in the elbow area.

“The suspect gave no indication that he was present, prior to engagement,” stated Deputy Crawford’s report.

FHP reports indicate the chase began not long after Trooper Mithil Patel clocked the Nissan traveling at a speed of 108 mph in a 65 mph zone on S.R. 70 East. As the trooper tried to get the tag number on the Nissan the driver of the vehicle kept increasing his speed until he was up to 130 mph, noted the report.

Trooper Patel went on to point out in his report that he was able to get close enough to the car to get its license tag number. When that tag number was checked, the trooper found out the car was reported stolen out of Brevard County.

When the Nissan entered Okeechobee County it was still traveling at a speed of more than 100 mph.

“The vehicle started to drive reckless. The vehicle almost crashed into a semi on the right shoulder at the location of the mud fest on State Road 70,” stated Trooper Patel’s report.

“The vehicle crossed the double yellow line and then traveled the wrong way in the eastbound lanes. The vehicle then picked up speed, traveling over 130 mph.”

Trooper Patel went on to note that the driver of the Nissan narrowly missed hitting another vehicle in Okeechobee County.

As the Nissan was traveling on the right shoulder of the highway near Mosquito Creek, the trooper lost sight of the car.

After notifying all agencies about the car, OCSO deputies spotted the car on U.S. 98 North.
Michele Bell, OCSO public information officer, said Nissan then turned west onto N.W. 30th Street with deputies and troopers following. When the driver of the car realized the street was a dead end he stopped, turned around and drove east — straight into the law enforcement vehicles chasing him.

The driver, Lynn, then intentionally struck the front bumper of the Chevrolet Tahoe being driven by Deputy Cross, said Mrs. Bell. Damage to OCSO unit was minimal.

At that point the other deputies and troopers “… had to take evasive action to avoid hitting them,” Mrs. Bell added.

The chase started around 11:30 a.m. and ended in less than two hours when the suspects were taken into custody.

Mrs. Bell said deputies are still searching for a possible fourth suspect in the car. At this point, she noted, they have very little information to go on except that he is a black male.

FHP is handling the investigation into the recovery of the stolen vehicle and the alleged assault on its troopers. The sheriff’s office is investigating the alleged assaults on its deputies.

The alleged theft of the vehicle is being handled by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

Mrs. Bell said officers from the Okeechobee City Police Department, along with a helicopter from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the case.

She added that other than Shelton, no one was injured during the incident. Shelton was taken to Raulerson Hospital where his arm was treated and he was then released.

After three suspects in an alleged stolen vehicle were taken into custody early Wednesday afternoon, July 26, Florida Highway Patrol troopers and deputies from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office were stopping vehicles on N.W. 30th Street in Playland Park as they searched for a possible fourth suspect. Photo by Eric Kopp

OKEECHOBEE — Curious as to why he had stopped receiving some of his mail, a local man contacted the United States Postal Service (USPS) and found out his mail had been rerouted to Miami.

Deputy Daniel Eng, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), indicated in his July 22 report that the 75-year-old Okeechobee man had only been receiving junk mail for the last six weeks.

“(He) stopped getting important mail, like his bills,” noted the deputy’s report.

The Okeechobee man also found out someone had been using his Amazon credit card. That credit card has been canceled, the deputy’s report stated.

As for what happened to the man’s mail, the report noted that his mail had been rerouted to 5280 N.W. 26th Ave. in Miami.

The victim then canceled that routing information and changed the mailing address back to his local address.

OKEECHOBEE — The search is on for the person or persons responsible for injuring an American bulldog puppy estimated to be 6- to 8-months old.

Michele Bell, public information officer for the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), said in an interview Tuesday, Aug. 1, the white puppy was found July 2 in the 3600 block of N.W. Sixth Avenue in Whispering Pines. The dog was suffering with both mouth and facial injuries.

“After being examined by a veterinarian it was determined by x-ray the dog had a broken jaw. The veterinarian said the injuries were consistent with it being kicked or stomped,” said Mrs. Bell.

Okeechobee County Animal Control apparently got a call about the dog and they went to the area and found it. OCSO Deputy Sergeant Arlene Durbin, who heads up animal control for the sheriff’s office, then contacted OCSO Deputy Rusty Hartsfield.

The dog was taken to Dr. Jay Stinson, DVM, at Northlake Veterinary Hospital in Okeechobee, 1107 U.S. 441 S.E., where it was determined the dog had multiple fractures and needed a specialist because of those injuries. Ruff Pet Rescue in Indiantown was then contacted and the dog, later named Rufus, was turned over to them on July 24.

Mrs. Bell said a veterinarian associated with that pet rescue performed the surgery.

“The dog had surgery and the doctor had to put in titanium plates and screws to attach the jaw,” offered Mrs. Bell. “The dog is fine now.”

Rufus is now in need of a home. If you would like to adopt Rufus, contact Ruff Pet Rescue at 954-993-7860. Ruff Pet Rescue is a non-profit facility.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to raise money to pay for the surgery and medical care.

While Rufus is waiting for a new home, Deputy Hartsfield is looking for the person or persons who deliberately injured the pup.

“If you have information on the person who did this, contact the sheriff’s office or Deputy Hartsfield,” said Mrs. Bell.

To contact the deputy call 863-763-3117 and refer to case #17S16781.

A phone call seeking more information from Ruff Pet Rescue was not returned by newspaper deadline.

OKEECHOBEE — A stolen Walmart shopping cart and its contents were recovered Monday afternoon several blocks from the store and a local woman was subsequently arrested on misdemeanor theft charges.

In his arrest report Officer Ryan Holroyd, of the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD), placed the 33-year-old Okeechobee woman under arrest for one count of retail theft and one count of illegal possession of a shopping cart.

The woman was booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $1,000. Jail records state she has been released on bond.

According to the officer’s report, the woman was seen placing several items from the store’s grocery department in her shopping cart. She then went to a self-checkout register where she scanned some items and paid for them.

However, noted the officer, she neither scanned all of the items in her cart nor did she pay for all of them.

As she started to walk out of the store the woman was stopped by Walmart loss prevention officers, who started checking the items in the cart and comparing them to the items she paid for on the receipt. The stolen 14 items had a total price of $99.79, stated the officer.

Officer Holroyd went on to state the woman was asked to accompany the officers to their office. But, she walked out of the store while pushing the cart that contained those items for which she had paid.

OCPD Officer Raul Marrero then found the woman pushing the Walmart cart northbound in the 1700 block of S.W. Second Avenue.

Officer Holroyd went on to note that he later went to the woman’s S.W. Third Avenue home where he found two more Walmart shopping carts. A loss prevention officer from the store took possession of all three of the carts.

The officer pointed out that each cart is valued at $250.

The woman has been trespassed from Walmart, offered Officer Holroyd.

OKEECHOBEE — It couldn’t have been easy but, none the less, someone made off with a couple of floating docks from homes along the Rim Canal.

According to a report by Deputy Tim Higgins, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), he handled the Aug. 9 theft complaint and stated the missing dock was apparently in its place Tuesday, Aug. 8.

In that report the deputy stated he met with the 73-year-old victim who returned to her home in the 600 block of U.S. 441 S.E. around 5 p.m. Wednesday only to find her 20-foot by 8-foot floating dock gone. It had been tied to her stationary dock and a tree, she reportedly said.

During his interview with that victim, the deputy learned her neighbor’s floating dock was also missing.

Deputy Higgins went on to point out that the woman also talked to the owners of a nearby mobile home park about the theft. Those owners apparently had no knowledge of her missing dock, but took it upon themselves to contact a local construction company that is replacing a sea wall at the park.

The deputy’s report then states representatives from that company recalled seeing both docks in place when they left the job site around 3:30 p.m.

The victim reportedly told Deputy Higgins she “… looked up and down the canal from where she could see, but did not see anything.”

She described the floating dock as being made of wooden planks with tie-down cleats on each end. The planks apparently sat on square floating devices, added the deputy’s report. She also estimated the dock’s value to be around $300. The report did not indicate an estimated value of the other dock.

Deputy Higgins went on to note in his report that the victim was going to get a boat and search the Rim Canal.

If anyone has information on the missing docks, they are asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 863-763-3117.

OKEECHOBEE — A Lake Placid man was arrested at an Okeechobee bank Tuesday after he became upset in the drive-through line then grabbed a handgun and stuck it in the waistband of his pants.

The 36-year-old lineman did not threaten or point the .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol at the two bank employees who were trying to help him, pointed out Deputy Joseph Hall in his arrest report.

After losing his temper at the two female bank employees, the man reportedly “… started slamming things in his truck and mumbling to himself,” stated the deputy’s arrest report.

The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) deputy went on to detail how the man got out of his silver Ford F-150 pickup, put on a pair of boots and a shirt, placed the pistol in the waistband of his pants and began walking in a northerly direction on South Parrott Avenue.

He walked away from the bank around 6:15 p.m. and left his truck sitting in the drive through, noted the report.

OCSO deputies Brian Cross and John Fisher caught up with the man in the 2100 block of U.S. 441 South.

Deputy Cross took the fully-loaded firearm away from the man, who was then arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and improper exhibition of a firearm.

He was booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on a bond of $1,000. Jail records indicate he has been released on bond.

According to Deputy Hall’s report the man had called the Harbor Community Bank on U.S. 441 South and asked if they would stay open late for him. He apparently told a bank employee he was driving from Miami to Lake Placid and his pickup was out of gas and he needed money.

He was told they would wait for him, stated the deputy’s report.

However, after his arrival the man apparently tried to make a cash withdrawal. But, he was told they couldn’t give him any money due to their seven-day check clearing policy. It was then suggested he try a local cash advance business.

At this point he “… became very upset and started hitting his dash board and yelling,” noted Deputy Hall.

The deputy went on to point out although the man was armed and visibly upset, he never threatened the two women with the gun, never pointed the firearm in their direction or made any threatening gestures toward the women.

Deputy Hall went on to state the man was arrested without further incident, and his truck was towed from the bank.

OKEECHOBEE — A local man has lost a large sum of money to what he thought were ‘girlfriends’ that he had met on the popular social media site Facebook.

The 32-year-old man reportedly told a deputy Thursday he had ‘girlfriends’ who talked to him on Facebook. And what started out as friendly conversations soon turned dark and menacing.

“After I give them my phone number they seem nice, (but) then things changed,” he apparently told Deputy Nathaniel Mitchell of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). “I received several messages saying if I don’t send money, my family will be killed.”

So, thinking he was protecting his family, the man gave in and sent them money. He apparently isn’t sure how much.

Deputy Mitchell noted how the man was told to send money in the form of I-tunes cards. Then, after he buys those cards, he was instructed to send the codes on the cards to different phone numbers.

So, he did.

By using I-tunes cards the scammers don’t need to have the card in their possession to collect the money. All they need are the numbers, or codes, on the card.

Those phone numbers used by the scammers were: to Joel at 847-616-8568; to Nichole at 901-203-2183; 747-205-6846; and, 347-345-2544.

“It should be noted that while taking this complaint the victim’s cell phone rang constantly from the numbers listed above. When told law enforcement was now involved, the line would go dead,” pointed out Deputy Mitchell.

According to the deputy’s report he told the victim these people were just stealing from him. The family, he continued, is in the process of changing their phone numbers and creating new Facebook identities.

“My sister and family told me I should not send any money to these people,” the man reportedly told Deputy Mitchell. “I guess they were right. I needed to hear it from someone else (police).”

OKEECHOBEE — A former Okeechobee resident and suspect in the disappearance of a 9-year-old Fort Myers girl has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty on child pornography charges.

Jorge Manuel Guerrero-Torres, 29, Orlando, was sentenced Aug. 14 to 40 years in prison after being convicted on one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Amy Filjones, public affairs spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa, said Tuesday, Aug. 15, Guerrero will most likely serve nearly the entire sentence in a federal prison.

“He can get some gain time, but that’s pretty minimal,” she said in a phone interview.

Jorge Manuel Guerrero-Torres

Guerrero was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappel, who also ordered that he forfeit the cell phone he used to commit the offense. A federal jury found Guerrero guilty on May 16.

Guerrero was also the main suspect in the May 29, 2016, disappearance of Diana Alvarez. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies combed rural areas of Okeechobee, Glades and Osceola counties for the girl but were unable to find her.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) in Fort Myers is the lead agency investigating the child’s disappearance. A call to them Tuesday about the progress of their probe was not returned by newspaper deadline.

A criminal complaint by LCSO Deputy Sergeant Jody Payne, who is assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, indicated Guerrero and his brother lived with the missing child and her parents in their Fort Myers home for several months.

Guerrero and his brother then moved to Orlando.

In his complaint, Sgt. Payne stated Guerrero left his Orlando home on the evening of May 28 and drove to the Fort Myers area. He was reported in the area of the child’s home from midnight until 3 a.m. on May 29.

Diana was reported missing May 29 around 7:34 a.m.

After leaving Fort Myers, Guerrero drove toward Okeechobee then headed to Yee Haw Junction, stated the complaint. Records show he remained in Yee Haw for several hours, added Sgt. Payne.

“On or about June 3, 2016, after an extensive search spanning different jurisdictions, Guerrero-Torres was located in Okeechobee. Guerrero-Torres was taken into custody as a result of his lack of lawful immigration status in the United States,” noted Sgt. Payne’s complaint.

Guerrero was later taken to the Lee County Jail.

At the time of the man’s arrest he no longer had his cell phone. Sgt. Payne pointed out the phone was tracked to Daytona on June 3. A landscaper there told investigators he found the phone in a ditch in Orange County, and that a person named Jorge had called the phone and told the man he could keep it.

The Samsung cell phone was turned over to law enforcement and on June 5, 2016, a forensic examination was done on the phone. That exam turned up a number of ‘selfies’ of Guerrero as well as “… multiple images of child pornography,” added the sergeant’s complaint.

The child and/or children on the phone were not immediately identified.

When Guerrero was apprehended in Okeechobee County, he was in the process of making arrangements to flee to Mexico, stated a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Guerrero-Torres acknowledged that he had taken the images while living with the child’s family,” added the press release.

This case was investigated by the LCSO, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Okeechobee Police Department and the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office.

The case was prosecuted by chief assistant United States attorney Jesus M. Casas and assistant United States attorney Charles Schmitz.

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Guerrero indicted by grand jury, June 17, 2016, Okeechobee News

OKEECHOBEE — It seems someone passed a fake $100 bill and it was accepted as payment, even though the print on the bill says it’s phony.

Case in point: Deputy Corporal Bryan Lowe, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), responded to a local business Wednesday, Aug. 16, regarding a bogus C-note.

Cpl. Lowe stated when he was handed the bill he quickly saw it was no good.

“While inspecting the currency I immediately felt the paper was thicker than normal. It also had ‘For Motion Picture Use Only’ clearly printed on the front and back,” he noted.

When asked, an employee at the business said they could not identify who had passed the bogus bill.

Cpl. Lowe took the bill and turned it over to evidence custodians at the sheriff’s office.

To date, this has been the only report made of the movie money being passed as real currency.

This is movie money.

OKEECHOBEE — Emergency medical personnel from Okeechobee County Fire/Rescue (OCF/R) reportedly saved a 31-year-old man Friday by administering Narcan which counteracts the effects of opioid overdose, stated a deputy’s report.

A report by Deputy Tim Higgins, of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), stated he responded to a U.S. 441 S.E. address due to an unresponsive man whose breathing was shallow.

The man had apparently told his wife he had smoked some marijuana earlier in the day. Then, shortly before calling for help, the man “… fell over inside the house and was unresponsive,” stated the report.

After their arrival, medical personnel began treating the man and gave him a dose of Narcan. At that point paramedics were preparing to take the man to a hospital.

Before the ambulance reached the highway, “… EMS personnel exited the ambulance. They advised (the man) was awake and had admitted to using heroin earlier which is why he was unresponsive,” stated Deputy Higgins.

“EMS personnel advised (the man) was up and speaking to them and advised them he was fine and refused any further treatment from them.”

The man then signed a medical treatment waiver and walked away from the ambulance.

According to the deputy’s report this was not the first time the man had been treated for a possible heroin overdose.

“I spoke to (the husband and wife) about their use of heroin since the sheriff’s office had been to their residence prior to this date for them both overdosing from heroin,” noted the deputy’s report.

Deputy Higgins went on to point out he urged them to “… change their habits before this situation ends up differently.”