Publisher Marilyn M. Aciego was born and raised in Lake County and is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She began her journalism career at LSSC and in 2023 she was honored with LSSC’s Distinguished Alumni Professional Achievement Award. She began working at the Daily Commercial while she was in college and continued her career there as a reporter after she graduated. In her 20+ year-career, she covered many of the area’s top stories including the disappearance of Trenton Duckett and the death of beloved Sheriff Chris Daniels. She has landed many exclusive interviews and was the first to break two of the biggest stories of 2024- the death of Jamaria Sessions and the murder of a Lake County Sheriff's Office deputy and the attempted murder of two other deputies. In addition to Inside Lake, Marilyn is the single mom of a teenaged son and the Florida Bureau Chief for an international media organization.
LEESBURG, Fla.—An Ocala woman was found dead Monday morning in a retention pond, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The woman, 25, was traveling northbound on County Road 452 in a 2019 Dodge Challenger when she ran of the right side of the road, hit a pole, crashed through a chain link fence and drove into a retention pond, fully submerging the car. The pond is located at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, 39034 County Road 452, Leesburg.
An Ocala woman was found dead in a retention pond Monday after crashing through this fence at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center outside of Leesburg. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
“The exact time of the crash is under investigation,” Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said.
FHP responded to the scene around 8 a.m. Monday and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team assisted with recovery.
LEESBURG, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating after a deceased person was found in vehicle at the bottom of a pond Monday morning.
The vehicle was found in a small pond at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, 39034 County Road 452, Leesburg around 7:45 a.m. Monday. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team is on scene and assisting FHP with recovery, LCSO Cpl. Chanel Martin told Inside Lake.
Inside Lake was on the scene and a large portion of fence was broken in front of the pond and crime scene taped was stretched out along County Road 452. An FHP traffic homicide investigator is on scene and more information will be released once it is available, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said.
TAVARES, Fla.—The suspect in a brutal 2022 Mount Dora double murder is now competent to proceed, according to an order signed by Lake Circuit Judge Cary Rada last month.
Vickie Lynn Williams, 51, is accused of stabbing Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80. The married couple was murdered in their Waterman Village home sometime between the hours of 11 p.m. Dec. 30, 2022, and 2 a.m. Dec. 31, 2022.
After allegedly murdering the couple, Williams stole their green Kia Soul and was still driving it when she was apprehended by a Savannah Police Department officer at a Georgia Amtrak station on Jan. 2, 2023. She was indicted later that month and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case that shocked Lake County.
In May, Williams was found incompetent to proceed and turned over to the Department of Children and Families (DCF.) While in its custody, Williams was evaluated and a “Competency Evaluation Report to the Court” completed in September and authored by Dr. Armando Collado Ph.D., was submitted to the Court and independently reviewed by Rada.
“The defendant’s appreciation of the charges, appreciation of the possible penalties, understanding of the adversarial nature of the legal process, capacity to disclose to counsel facts pertaining to the proceedings, capacity to manifest appropriate courtroom behavior, and capacity to testify relevantly are all acceptable,” Rada stated in his order.
Williams next plea negotiation conference is scheduled for Tuesday.
MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Mount Dora Police Department is investigating after a woman was robbed of her purse at gunpoint in a parking lot late Saturday afternoon.
The victim told police a black male, dressed in all black, wearing a ski mask and armed with a silver semi-automatic firearm, approached her as she was about to enter her vehicle in the parking lot of Viva Liquor 1 , 101 South Highland Street, around 5:40 p.m., according to MDPD.
The suspect took the woman’s purse and demanded her phone, but she refused to give it to him. He threatened to shoot her and then fled west on 1st Avenue toward Clayton Street in a silver SUV.
If you have information, call MDPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 352-735-7130.
MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Mount Dora Police Department is searching for an armed robber who robbed a customer at a liquor store late Saturday afternoon.
A suspect wearing all black and a ski mask robbed a customer at Viva Liquor 1, 101 South Highland Street, around 5:40 p.m. Saturday and fled the scene in a silver SUV. No other details were released Saturday night and police were still on scene investigating.
If you have information, call MDPD at 352-735-7130.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information that the store was robbed.
TAVARES, Fla.—A man who allegedly fired a shot at a Lake County Sheriff’s Office sergeant’s patrol vehicle early Thursday morning and fled the scene has been identified and arrested.
Shortly before 2:15 a.m. Thursday, the LCSO sergeant was patrolling the area of Wells Avenue in Tavares when he was flagged down by a citizen who told him a black male on a bike was rummaging through vehicles in the area. The sergeant canvassed the area and found two males and a female in front of the Peninsular Masonic Lodge, 1234 Wells Avenue. One of the men was on a e-bike, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The man on the e-bike, later identified as Norman Dywan Gunn, 35, took off in a southern direction behind the Dora Canal shopping plaza and the sergeant activated his blue lights and attempted a traffic stop. Gunn took evasive actions, partially crossing State Road 19/Duncan Drive, returned back to the plaza then headed further south into the rear of Prime Time Food Store, 1248 Wells Avenue. The business has been closed for several years. The sergeant yelled at Gunn to “stop” through his open window and Gunn reportedly yelled something like “I’m scared,” and continued to flee.
The sergeant was unable to follow path of the e-bike and believing Gunn went to the front of the store, he approached the corner of the store, and a shot was fired at his marked patrol vehicle, the affidavit states. The sergeant took a tactical position and held the scene while backup arrived.
The DYU C3 e-bike was found abandoned and LCSO CSI collected it for evidence. Deputies and LCSO’s Eagle One searched for Gunn and were assisted by Tavares Police Department but they were unable to find him. Gunn lives just .2 miles from the store where the shooting occurred.
The entire incident was recorded by the sergeant’s dash cam and the gunshot is “clearly audible, but not visually observed,” according to an LCSO detective investigating the case.
Detectives canvassed the area and a video from Circle K, 439 South Duncan Drive, showed a black male on the same e-bike arriving at the store at 1:18 a.m. The man was wearing a Checkers uniform shirt and purchased a cigar from the store. The detective recognized the man as Gunn, who works at Checkers, 480 East Burleigh Boulevard, Tavares. A witness, the same man with Gunn when the sergeant first arrived, told LCSO the man was possibly “Lion,” and gave detectives the exact location of Gunn’s home.
A warrant was issued for Gunn’s arrest for aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and fleeing and eluding. He was arrested Thursday afternoon and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond. Gunn’s neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, told Inside Lake he was arrested and taken into custody at Checkers, and deputies searched his home on Maplewood Street early Thursday evening.
This incident comes just 3.5 months after LCSO deputies were ambushed in unincorporated Eustis Aug. 2. Master Deputy Bradley Link was killed and Master Deputy Harold Howell and Deputy Stefano Gargano both suffered gunshot wounds and are still recovering. Julie Sulpizio has been charged with multiple crimes in that case and is facing the death penalty.
TAVARES, Fla.—A transient Mount Dora woman is in the Lake County Jail on no bond after making multiple threats against three Tavares Police Department officers and one Mount Dora Police Department officer on Facebook Wednesday.
A tipster reached out to TPD on its Facebook page just before 9:45 p.m. Wednesday and stated, “Someone I know has made some alarming threats against your officers on Facebook. I would like to remain anonymous, but here are the threats on Facebook. Her name is Ernesta Presy.” The tipster followed the message with 11 screenshots from Presy’s Facebook page. A tip also came into Crimeline not long after, according to a report.
TPD notified MDPD of the threat against its officer and the department said it was familiar with Presy from previous contacts and confirmed she is a “homeless transient” in their area, the report states.
Presy, 27, is apparently upset about a March incident involving TPD; the type of incident is redacted from TPD’s report, but according to a lawsuit Presy filed against TPD, she was taken into custody under a Baker Act. Presy is representing herself “pro se,” without the assistance of an attorney. “Pro se” is a Latin term meaning “for oneself” or “on one’s own behalf.” Presy is also representing herself in a lawsuit against Lifestream.
Inside Lake obtained copies of the Facebook posts and the posts included a sticky note with the names and identification numbers of three TPD officers. The note was provided to Presy by an on-duty road patrol officer when she stopped by the department on Tuesday to inquire about the names of the officers involved in her Baker Act in March. In addition to the sticky note with the officer’s names, she posted one TPD officer’s photo three times, including updating her profile photo to a photo of the officer and on another post, she provided a link to the officer’s personal Facebook page. Presy posted numerous threats and concerning statements including:
“I don’t know about y’all but only I can die standing up for my rights! I said what’s up and what it’s gone be..”
“If Hitler went to heaven so will I for killing these mutha (expletive) who unlawfully arrested me –as soon this case shut down I’m turning off the tracker.”
“I’m getting a gun, and it will be used for those who unlawfully arrested me in March and those who held me hostage. I have to stop caring so much.”
“5 people will die.”
“After I shoot her I will stab u multiple times for all the times you made me cry and plead!!!”
“if ur innocent and you get in the way u will die too.”
Screenshots taken from Ernest Presy’s Facebook page.
TPD searched Facebook for Presy’s page and confirmed the posts that were sent in by the tipsters. A warrant was issued for her arrest for written or electronic threats to kill, and she was picked up by MDPD Thursday morning. She was transported to LCJ, where she is being held on no bond.
Presy was arrested in 2020 after being accused of striking her child’s father with a vehicle and driving through Eustis with him hanging onto the hood. He was able to jump off when Presy stopped at a traffic light. That charge was later dropped due to video evidence in the case creating reasonable doubt.
UMATILLA, Fla.—A 29-year-old man who has ties to Eustis and Umatilla is in the Lake County Jail on no bond accused of multiple sex crimes against children.
Arsenio Quinones, who lives in Umatilla, but has a Eustis mailing address, was arrested by a Lake County Sheriff’s detective Thursday after agreeing to meet with the detective at a home in Umatilla and admitting he committed sex crimes against two separate juvenile victims, according to a heavily redacted arrest affidavit.
Both victims’ names, ages and addresses are redacted from the affidavit to protect their identities.
In October 2023, victim one reported Quinones had touched her in a sexual manner at least six years ago and she had text messages between her and Quinones proving her allegations. She showed law enforcement the messages where she asked Quinones why he had manipulated her into doing sexual things with him. He reportedly responded, “There’s no reason or excuse…I’m telling you this stays in my head about wtf happened. I don’t just live myself forgetting and leaving it in the past…I hate who I was and I wish I can either end it or do whatever it is I need to do to make it better. I know you don’t care about me and what I have to say. But I am genuinely sorry for putting you through that and destroying any time of image you have of me and life. You didn’t deserve it and shouldn’t have been taught…”
The victim told her family what allegedly happened, and she gave a second victim a case number to contact law enforcement. Victim one told the detective there may have been a witness to the abuse of victim two.
Victim one was contacted at a “later date” by an LCSO detective, and she described the abuse in detail; Inside Lake is not including the details in this story, due to their graphic nature.
Victim one made a controlled phone to Quinones Wednesday, and she confronted him about the abuse she said lasted four to five years. Quinones apologized multiple times and victim one mentioned victim two and Quinones reportedly stated the abuse was “not forced.” A controlled phone call is an arranged call made between a victim and a suspect, monitored and recorded by law enforcement.
Victim two told the detective two different abuse incidents occurred at two different homes, and the first incident occurred in either 2016 or 2017. She said Quinones asked her if she would be his girlfriend and then touched over and under her clothes. During the second abuse incident, Quinones took the abuse much further, she told the detective in detail.
Following the interviews with both victims and the controlled phone call, the LCSO detective went to the home of Quiniones’ mother and gave his number to her so Quinones could contact him. He called the detective a brief time later, and the detective went to a home in Umatilla to speak with him in person and, according to the affidavit, Quinones told the detective victim one was curious, so they engaged in sexual activity. He said he did not think it happened as much as victim one said it did, but she “may have been correct.”
Quinones then admitted to sexual activity with victim two, and said he did not force either victim. Quinones was arrested for two counts each of sexual battery on a victim under 12 and lewd or lascivious battery, victim 12 to under 16: three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim 12 to under 16, sexual battery on a victim 12 to under 18 and lewd or lascivious molestation, victim under 12. He was transported to the LCJ, where he remains on no bond.
EUSTIS, Fla.—A Eustis Police Department road patrol sergeant is OK after a suspect slammed into his marked patrol truck while he was at a stop sign early Sunday morning.
An EPD road patrol officer was patrolling the area of Center Street and Orange Avenue at 12:50 a.m. Sunday when he spotted a white Ford speeding and driving recklessly eastbound on Orange Avenue, according to an arrest affidavit. The officer notified his sergeant, L. Arnold, the vehicle was traveling toward Abrams Road and the officer lost sight of it around Glover Street, according to an arrest affidavit.
Arnold was traveling on Abrams Road and after he stopped at the stop sign at Abrams Road and Orange Avenue, also known as State Road 44, the white Ford made a sharp turn onto Abrams Road and slammed into the left front fender of his truck, causing Arnold’s head to smack against the driver’s side window and shatter it, EPD Chief Craig Capri told Inside Lake.
The window of EPD Sgt. L. Arnold’s truck after his head shattered it when a car slammed into him at a stop sign early Sunday. The crash also damaged the left, front fender of the truck. PHOTOS: Eustis Police Department
Arnold called out on the radio he had been involved in a crash, exited his patrol truck and drew his firearm because he did not know if the driver struck him intentionally, the affidavit states. The driver, identified as Davonta Carter, 29, of Mount Dora, then got out of the vehicle and began running westbound on Orange Avenue.
Arnold gave chase and the first officer who spotted Carter speeding, pulled up and began chasing Carter at gunpoint too. After several commands to “stop,” Carter laid down in the middle of Orange Avenue and surrendered, the affidavit states. He was placed in the back of a patrol car that was parked in the middle of Orange Avenue and the officer moved the car to a nearby gas station.
Carter, covered in sweat, requested EMS to check him out, Lake EMS responded, and Carter refused transport; his passenger, Miavohni Wright, 23, of York, Penn., was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers searched the vehicle and found a black and white Adidas bag with a 9mm handgun, two plastic bags containing crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana.
Carter was arrested for leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, driving while license suspended, reckless driving, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance, driving while license suspended and resisting without violence. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where staff advised he needed to be checked out by the hospital before being booked, due to being involved in a crash. He was transported to AdventHealth Waterman, where he was medically cleared, and transported back to LCJ, where he is being held on $41,000 bond.
EUSTIS, Fla.—A motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon after striking a concrete mailbox, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The man was riding a 2020 Harley-Davidson FXLRS on State Road 44 when he failed to negotiate a curve, ran off the road, and hit the mailbox near Bottany Woods Drive, in unincorporated Eustis, shortly after 5 p.m.
He was transported to AdventHealth DeLand, where he was pronounced deceased, FHP said. The crash closed State Road 44 and it was still closed nearly three hours after the crash.
