Astatula Archives - Page 4 of 5

Tavres Police Officer Courtney Bannick is given a dose of Narcan after being exposed to fentanyl.

Tavares Police Officer OK After Exposure to Fentanyl Causes Her to Overdose

Astatula, Inside Scoop, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Florida—A Tavares Police officer is OK after being exposed to fentanyl and overdosing around midnight Tuesday.

Officer Courtney Bannick was exposed to the lethal drug during a traffic stop where she found various narcotics on a passenger in the vehicle. She placed the suspect into custody and as she attempted to leave the scene, TPD Cpl. Cullen O’Shea heard Bannick breathless and choking on the radio and went to check on her, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said.

Body cam video showing Tavares Police Officer Courtney Bannick overdosing after being exposed to fentanyl. (part 1)

When O’Shea approached Bannick’s vehicle, he found her drifting in and out of consciousness and she was removed from her vehicle. TPD Sgt. Jason Mahaney and Astatula Police Lt. Rodney Brown assisted with caring for Bannick while she continued to drift in and out of consciousness and she required three doses of Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, Sullivan said.

She (Bannick) is one of our most proactive officers,” Sullivan said. “She’s eager to get back to work.”

Bannick took precautions on the stop, including wearing gloves, and TPD is reminding its officers and the public to be careful, Sullivan said. “Tavares Police Department is thankful for the continuous training and quick response of the officers on scene that were able to assist Officer Bannick. Tavares Police Department recognizes that this day could have ended differently if our officers did not react the way they did.”

*Tavares Police Officer Courtney Bannick*

Bannick spoke exclusively with Inside Lake Tuesday afternoon.

“I remember starting to talk and inform dispatch I was leaving the scene with the female arrestee. As I put my car in drive and began to talk. I started to choke and feel lightheaded,” Bannick said. “I kept trying to talk on the radio and I wasn’t breathing and could tell I was fading. I kept telling myself to put the car in the park repeatedly. Then I saw O’Shea coming in the mirror.”

Bannick said she does not know how it happened.

“I don’t know how I was exposed, I did search the vehicle prior to searching her so I could’ve been exposed in there,” she told Inside Lake.

Bannick is feeling better, “I feel okay today, I have a headache which they said would be expected due to the Narcan.”

Officers perform traffic stops and find deadly drugs nearly every day; they use precautions, but can be exposed very easily.

“I’m thankful I had immediate help,” Bannick said. “I highly suggest never searching a vehicle or person alone. Always have that back up. If I didn’t have back up there last night, I wouldn’t be here today to talk about it. I hope people take this as a lesson. I’ve done this 100 times before. I search cars every night at work. You never know how strong the drugs really are.

The individuals involved in the traffic stop are facing felony charges, but have not been charged at this time, Sullivan said. The drugs that were found have been sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing.

Body cam video showing Tavares Police Officer Courtney Bannick overdosing after being exposed to fentanyl. (part 2)

Tavares Police Officer OK After Exposure to Fentanyl Causes Her to Overdose Read More »

Off-Road Crash Kills Astatula Woman Early Sunday Morning

Astatula, Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Tavares, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LAKE COUNTY, Florida—A 23-year-old Astatula woman was killed early Sunday morning when the Polaris Ranger side-by-side she was in overturned in a water-filled ditch and trapped her, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The woman, along with a 22-year-old Mount Dora man, a 48-year-old Tavares man, and a 25-year-old woman from Grand Island, were in the all-terrain vehicle in a wooded area near the Orlando North Airpark, off Duda Road near County Road 448A when it overturned and ejected the woman, trapping her beneath the vehicle around 4:30 a.m., FHP Lt. Channing Taylor said in a press release.

The other three occupants suffered minor injuries and all four were transported to AdventHealth Apopka, where the woman was pronounced dead, Taylor said.

The crash remains under investigation.

Off-Road Crash Kills Astatula Woman Early Sunday Morning Read More »

Driver Killed After He Loses Control on County Road 48, Collides with Truck and Guardrail

Astatula, Howey-in-the-Hills, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

ASTATULA, Florida—A Howey-in-the-Hills man was killed Wednesday afternoon after he lost control of the 2018 CH-R he was driving, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The man was traveling eastbound on County Road 48 near Ranch Road shortly after 12:30 p.m. when he lost control and began to hydroplane on the wet road as rain moved in before Hurricane Ian. The Chevy entered the westbound lane of County Road 48 and hit a 2020 Ford F-150 head-on.

“This impact caused vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 to exit the roadway and collide with the guardrail,” FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said in a press release.

The driver of the Chevy was pronounced dead on the scene and the driver of the Ford, a 36-year-old Howey-in-the Hills man, was transported to South Lake Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Crescenzi said.

The crash closed County Road 48 between Ranch Road and Laylaine Drive, and it remained closed at press time.

Law enforcement agencies are urging residents to shelter in place and stay off the road.

Driver Killed After He Loses Control on County Road 48, Collides with Truck and Guardrail Read More »

Traffic Fatality Closes CR 48, Law Enforcement Urging Residents to Stay off the Roads

Astatula, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

ASTATULA, Florida—A traffic fatality has closed County Road 48 between Ranch Road and Laylaine Drive as Hurricane Ian approaches the coast of Florida and weather conditions worsen.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash that killed a 38-year-old Howey-in-the-Hills man shortly after 12:30 p.m. The man was driving a 2018 CH-R and collided with a 2020 Ford F-150. The driver of the Ford was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi.

No other information was available at press time.

Law enforcement agencies are urging residents to shelter in place and stay off the roads.

Traffic Fatality Closes CR 48, Law Enforcement Urging Residents to Stay off the Roads Read More »

Tavares Police and LCSO Join Forces for Operation Aware

Around the County, Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, Features, Fruitland Park, Groveland, Howey-in-the-Hills, Inside Scoop, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mascotte, Minneola, Montverde, Mount Dora, Tavares, Umatilla, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

Operation Aware will provide wristbands and a database for first responders and the special needs community.

TAVARES, Florida—Two law enforcement agencies have joined forces to provide a new tool to the community that will give first responders valuable information when responding to calls for service in the special needs community.

Nearly a year in the making, Tavares Police Department began its Operation Aware initiative in November 2021 and has since teamed up with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to provide wristbands to members of the community that may require a different response from law enforcement.

“We are big on community policing,” TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake last year. “There are always ways we can be better,” she said, “and there are always opportunities for the community to teach us how to better serve them.”

Operation Aware is a “total approach” to the issues facing the special needs community and will provide education, outreach and follow up,” Sullivan said.

Newly-appointed Tavares Police Chief Sarah Coursey worked with Sullivan to get this program up and running. “Operation Aware is near and dear to my heart; it gives us the opportunity to serve our community in a unique way when our response requires a different approach,” Coursey told Inside Lake.

The wristbands are available for community members who have intellectual and developmental disorders, including, but not limited to, autism, dementia. PTSD and Alzheimer’s, according to Sullivan. Loved ones and caregivers are encouraged to reach out to TPD or LCSO and register special needs individuals to get them a wristband and enter them into the database.

The bright blue wristbands will immediately let law enforcement officers know they are interacting with an individual with special needs, and provide them with vital information including names, addresses, emergency contacts and medical conditions. Officers and dispatchers will have access to the information and individual addresses will be flagged so the officer is aware of any special circumstances before they arrive to the call. Officers will know if the individual is non-verbal, has a sensitivity to lights and sirens and any other pertinent information that would be helpful to officers. They will also help reunification by giving officers and deputies information immediately that can be shared with media outlets and on social media, Sullivan said.

The wristbands will also be a tool for the public; they will have a number and a QR code that can be scanned and will inform the public to call 9-1-1. The wristband never needs to be charged. To register, please visit https://tavares.org/1327/Operation-Aware or https://lcso.org/oa/

People Helping People, Tavares Police Department Creates Special Needs Database

Tavares Police and LCSO Join Forces for Operation Aware Read More »

More Charges For Armed Robbery Duo

Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Tavares, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Florida—Two men facing numerous charges for robbing three stores in Lake County have now been charged with robbing one more.

Dustin “Chico” Perdue, 27, of Tavares and Patrick “YG” Brown, 22, were arrested early Aug. 5 after an Astatula traffic stop led to evidence in a robbery of a Clermont gas station just 23 minutes before the stop.

They now stand accused of robbing Golden Ox Liquors 305 East Burleigh Boulevard, Tavares around 10 p.m. June 30. Perdue and Brown are accused of approaching the cash register, pointing guns at the victim and demanding money. The victim complied and the robbers grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash and tried to flee through the Golden Ox Bar that was filled with patrons. They realized their mistake and fled through the front door, according to a report.

*Patrick Brown, left; Dustin Perdue PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office*

Perdue and Brown have been charged in four robberies, including stores Clermont, Mount Dora, unincorporated Mount Dora and Tavares. They are being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

Perdue is also suspected of murdering Alejandro “Alex” Garcia at Caroline Court Apartments in Tavares on April 8.

Pair of Accused Robbers Facing More Charges, One Suspected of Tavares Murder, Police Say

Pair of Armed Robbers Suspected in Multiple Crimes Arrested, Police Say

Tavares Police Release Shooting Victim’s Names, Urging Witnesses to Come Forward

More Charges For Armed Robbery Duo Read More »

Tavares Police investigate the murder of Alejandro "Alex" Garcia in April. PHOTO: Tavares Police Department

Pair of Accused Robbers Facing More Charges, One Suspected of Tavares Murder, Police Say

Astatula, Clermont, Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Tavares, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MOUNT DORA, Florida—The duo accused of robbing a Clermont gas station last week are facing more charges in connection with robberies in the City of Mount Dora and unincorporated Mount Dora and Tavares Police say one of the men is a suspect in a murder.

In that case, Perdue and Brown stand accused of pointing guns at a store clerk at Circle K, 190 U.S. Highway 27, Clermont, and demanding money just before 11 p.m. Aug. 3. The clerk opened two registers and the suspects stole cash and change, some of it rolled, totaling $134 according to an arrest affidavit.

The red Volkswagen Beetle they were riding in was pulled over for an equipment violation by Astatula Police Department and a gun was spotted in plain view. Upon searching the car, police found a second gun, clothes and rolled change consistent with the robbery. The pair were arrested and held in the Lake County Jail on $101,000 bond. Inside Lake is not naming the driver of the car because she has not been charged with a crime. She is cooperating with law enforcement, according to affidavits in the case.

On Tuesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office added an armed robbery to charge to the pair, stemming from a robbery in unincorporated Mount Dora Aug. 2. LCSO responded to Triangle Food Mart, 3865 North Highway 19A on a report of an armed robbery.

The victim told deputies two black males wearing masks, hoodies and gloves entered the store, brandished handguns and made threats. They took $200 worth of Newport cigarettes, $40 and one of the victim’s cell phones. They fled the store and got into a red Volkswagen Beetle.

Also on Tuesday, Mount Dora Police Department charged the pair in connection with a robbery in its city. According to that affidavit, on July 30, Perdue and Brown robbed Little Sammy’s, 446 North Highland Street. In that case, the pair is alleged to have entered the store armed with their faces covered and demanded money from the two clerks. They took cash from the registers and several cartons of Newport cigarettes and demanded the clerks open the safe. The clerks said they had no way to open the safe and one of the robbers jiggled the handle with his bare hand, according to the affidavit. MDPD collected DNA evidence from the handle and are awaiting results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Both suspects saw one of the clerks attempt to push the panic button on his belt and they fled the store. As they ran out, one of them, later identified as Perdue, struck the victim across the face with his gun. The entire incident was captured on the store’s video surveillance system. One suspect was wearing a pair of black Nikes with red soles and the shoes were later tied to Brown.

In the case, Perdue and Brown are each facing an additional armed robbery charge and Perdue is also facing a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Detectives with MDPD, LCSO and Tavares Police Department interviewed the driver of the Beetle earlier this week and she admitted to being the driver in five armed robberies with Perdue and Brown—three in Tavares, in addition to both robberies in Mount Dora. She said she never profited from the crimes and was only the driver. She also gave detectives details about the crimes and identified Brown’s shoes, according to the affidavit. She is being treated as a witness at this time, but may be charged later, detectives told her.

*Image of some of Dustin Perdue’s tattoos. PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office*

Perdue soon may have a much more serious charge to face. TPD Lt. Sarah Coursey told Inside Lake he is a suspect in double shooting that killed a man in April. Alejandro “Alex” Garcia Jr., 29, was killed around 8 p.m. April 8 at Caroline Court Apartments, 1000 East Caroline Street. Another man was shot multiple times and survived his wounds.

Garcia’s murder was just two months after Perdue was released from state prison after serving nearly 10 years for burglary and theft charges.

Brown also recently served time in state prison; he was released just over three months ago after serving just under two years for burglary and grand theft charges out of Polk County. He was released after Garcia’s murder and is not a suspect.

Perdue and Brown are both being held in LCJ on no bond. If you have any information on Garcia’s murder or any of the robberies, call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Our coverage on Perdue and Brown’s arrests last week. https://insidelake.com/2022/08/05/pair-of-armed-robbers-suspected-in-multiple-crimes-arrested-police-say/

Tavares Police Release Shooting Victim’s Names, Urging Witnesses to Come Forward

Pair of Accused Robbers Facing More Charges, One Suspected of Tavares Murder, Police Say Read More »

Pair of Armed Robbers Suspected in Multiple Crimes Arrested, Police Say

Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, Inside Scoop, Tavares, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Florida—Two men suspected in multiple armed robberies, who were both released from state prison this year, are behind bars on $101,000 bond, according to Lake County Jail online booking records.

Dustin “Chico” Perdue, 27, of Tavares and Patrick “YG” Brown Jr., 22, of Auburndale were arrested early Thursday morning following an armed robbery at Circle K, 190 U.S. Highway 27, Clermont just before 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to their arrest affidavits.

Two black males with their faces covered were wearing dark clothes and gloves when they entered the store near the corner East Grand Highway, pointed guns at the store clerk and demanded money. The clerk opened two registers and the suspects stole cash and change, some of it rolled, totaling $134 according to the affidavit.

The suspects, one tall and thin, the second shorter with a medium build, both pointed handguns at the clerk and one of them put a red bag on the counter that was used to collect the money, video surveillance shows. One of the suspects appeared to have a tan-colored hoodie on underneath his dark shirt, with the hoodie covering his head. The pair fled on foot and a K9 tracked the scent to a nearby business plaza and stopped, indicating the duo got into a vehicle and fled the scene, the affidavit states.

Perdue is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds; Brown is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds, according to LCJ online records.

Twenty-three minutes after the robbery, a vehicle was pulled over in Astatula for an equipment violation and Perdue and Brown were found in the vehicle, along with a female driver. Inside Lake is not naming the driver because she has not been charged with a crime. Twenty-three minutes is consistent with the amount of time it would take to drive from the robbery scene to the location of the traffic stop, a Clermont Police detective noted in the affidavit.

A handgun was spotted in plain view in the front passenger floorboard at Brown’s feet, along with a bag of marijuana in his lap, according to the affidavit.

Astatula Police searched the vehicle and found a red backpack that contained gloves, dark-colored pants, long sleeve shirts, a tan hoodie, loose and rolled change, in addition to a second handgun, according to the affidavit.

Brown and Perdue were placed under arrest for armed robbery, two counts of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and petit theft. and transported to LCJ. The CPD detective asked both defendants be held on a “no bond” status, however each defendant’s bond is set at $101,000.

Sources have told Inside Lake the duo is suspected of multiple armed robberies and other crimes in several cities and LCSO’s jurisdiction. Inside Lake will be following these cases closely and will publish a follow-up if more charges are added.

Purdue was released from prison in February after serving nearly 10 years for a variety of burglary and grand theft charges; Brown was released from prison just over three months ago after serving just under two years for burglary and grand theft charges out of Polk County.

Pair of Armed Robbers Suspected in Multiple Crimes Arrested, Police Say Read More »

Yearlong Investigation Nets 13 Pounds of Various Narcotics, Nearly a Quarter of a Million Dollars and Guns, 2 Arrested

Astatula, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

ASTATULA, Florida—Last month during a press conference about a record-breaking drug bust, Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell had a message for drug dealers in Lake County, “To be continued.” And on Wednesday he kept his word.

A yearlong investigation by LCSO, The City/County Investigative Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations into an Astatula man culminated in a search warrant early Wednesday morning at 22630 County Road 561, Astatula where detectives found a “one-stop shop of narcotics,” and arrested Eugene Isom, 44, and Marie Richardson, 42, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said in a press release.

Detectives, who were assisted by the SWAT team, searched the home and found 1 pound of crack cocaine, 2 pounds of fentanyl, 8 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of methamphetamine, 25 Tramadol pills, seven firearms, two vehicles and $218,000 cash.

Eugene Isom *PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office*

Detectives also found “everything needed to distribute large amounts of illegal drugs,” including presses, digital scales and packaging materials, Herrell said.

Isom is facing a litany of charges including tampering with evidence, trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in fentanyl, possession of marijuana, possession ammunition by a felon, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. He is being held in the Lake County Jail on $421,000 bond. Richardson is facing the same drug charges. She is being held on $406,000 bond and her mugshot was available at press time.

“This case is only part of an ongoing, continuing effort to combat those who deal drugs in our communities and its success would not have been possible without the support and assistance from our partners with the Clermont, Eustis, Mount Dora, and Leesburg Police Departments, as well as those from Homeland Security Investigations,” Herrell said.

This bust comes a little over a month after LCSO wrapped up “Operation Sneak-A-Peek,” a four-month operation that resulted in 27 arrests including three high-level dealers and the county’s largest fentanyl haul to date.

Inside Lake’s previous story on Operation Sneak-A-Peek

Inside Lake’s previous story on Operation Sneak-A-Peek https://insidelake.com/2022/06/30/team-effolcrt-in-operation-sneak-a-peek-nets-largest-fentanyl-haul-in-county-history/

Yearlong Investigation Nets 13 Pounds of Various Narcotics, Nearly a Quarter of a Million Dollars and Guns, 2 Arrested Read More »

Man Arrested more than a Dozen Times since 2016 Accused of Fleeing Tavares Police

Astatula, Inside Scoop, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Florida—A man who is no stranger to the law has been arrested again—his 15^th felony arrest in Lake County since 2016, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records.

Austin Dean Chaudoin, 26, of Astatula is accused of fleeing Tavares Police officers Saturday and having drugs on him when a detective caught up with him Sunday, an arrest affidavit states.

A TPD detective was getting gas Saturday around 1 a.m. when he spotted Chaudoin pull up to a nearby gas pump. The detective recognized Chaudoin from past involvements and found the tag was expired on the white Dodge Durango Chaudoin was driving. A marked unit attempted to pull Chaudoin over on U.S. Highway 441 and Palm Gardens Street and he failed to yield and took off speeding, according to the affidavit.

Officers deactivated their emergency lights and sirens and terminated the traffic stop, driving the opposite way of Chaudoin.

The TPD detective went back to the gas station and Chaudoin was identified by the clerk and on video surveillance later that day. Around 3 a.m. Sunday, the detective was attempting to locate Chaudoin, and found him and the Durango at Rosewood Condominiums. Chaudoin was taken into custody and searched. TPD found a glass pipe, syringe and bag of white powder in his left front pocket and a small bag containing methamphetamine in his right pocket.

The detective asked Chaudoin if the white powder was “fetty,” a street term for fentanyl and he nodded his head, the affidavit states.

Chaudoin was arrested for fleeing and eluding, possession of methamphetamine, possession of fentanyl and possession of paraphernalia. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $17,000 bond.

Correction: Due to a typo, the original headline was incorrect and did not match information contained in the story. The current headline reflects the correction.

Man Arrested more than a Dozen Times since 2016 Accused of Fleeing Tavares Police Read More »