Clermont

Clermont woman who was “acting strange and talking about having premonitions” arrested for killing husband

CLERMONT, Fla.—A woman is facing a first-degree murder charge after shooting and killing her husband late Sunday night, according to an arrest affidavit.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to 10649 Lake Ralph Drive in unincorporated Clermont just before 10:10 p.m. on a report of a homicide and when they arrived, the complainant whose name is redacted from the affidavit, escorted a deputy into the home where Maria Jose Rodriguez, 40, was sitting in the dining room.

She was secured in handcuffs and placed in a patrol vehicle and deputies then found her husband, Andrew Rodriguez, 40, lying on his side in a pool of blood in a bedroom. Lake EMS pronounced him deceased 10 minutes after LCSO arrived on scene.

The complainant told deputies Maria Rodriguez was “acting strange and talking about having premonitions” prior to the shooting. Andrew Rodriguez contacted Maria Rodriguez’ mother and requested family members to come to the home. When the family told Maria Rodriguez they were going to take her to the hospital, she “freaked out,” followed her husband into the bedroom and shot him multiple times.

Maria Rodriguez then exited the bedroom with a notebook in her hand and stated how important the notebook was, according to the affidavit. Evidence found at the scene was consistent with Maria Rodriguez moving closer to her husband as she fired, an LCSO detective noted in the affidavit.

She was arrested for first-degree murder and transported to the Lake County Jail, where she is being held on no bond.

 

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Man arrested last year for multiple thefts in Eustis nabbed by deputies after bailing out of stolen SUV in South Lake early Monday

CLERMONT, Fla.—A man wanted for failure to appear in court for crimes in 2023 and now suspected of committing recent thefts in Eustis and Mount Dora, was apprehended after a Polk County license plate reader hit on the stolen SUV he was driving early Monday morning.

According to an arrest affidavit, around 4:45 a.m. Monday, the Polk County license plate reader hit on a black Honda SUV that was stolen in Mount Dora and Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputies located it traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 27 near U.S 192, approaching the Lake County line. PCSO’s Aviation Unit observed the Honda turn eastbound on Hartwood Marsh Road and then onto Lovers Lane. The vehicle then came to a stop in the 11000 block of Avalon Ridge Way and the driver, later identified as Jordan Makuannen, 19, fled on foot and attempted to hide behind a sand berm at Tarmac- Center Sand Mine.

PCSO’s Aviation Unit watched Makuannen from above while deputies on the ground deployed a PCSO K9 and Makuannen was located and taken into custody. Makuannen refused to identify himself to Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies but when he arrived at the Lake County Jail, jail staff was able to identify him, the affidavit states.

Jordan Makuannen in his October 2023 mugshot, left, and his mugshot taken after his arrest Monday.

Makuannen was already wanted for failure to appear on charges related to an October 2023 case in Eustis. Only Inside Lake reported in 2023 Makuannen’s stepfather turned him in after finding numerous identification cards in his home on East Atwater Avenue. Officers responded to the home and collected the cards that matched up to several victims of burglaries of both homes and vehicles in the area, some nearly two months old. The victims reported numerous items stolen, including guns, wallets, purses, electronics, cash and credit cards. Sixteen vehicle burglaries were reported during October 2023 and at least eight of them are within one half of a mile of the home on East Atwater Avenue, according to an affidavit in that case. In one incident, Makuannen is suspected of stealing a woman’s purse after entering her home on Blackberry Court, armed with a knife, while the victim was home.

EPD began watching Makuannen’s home on East Atwater Avenue in October and when he returned, officers knocked on the door and he fled from the back porch; he was taken into custody a few blocks away in the parking lot of a business on South Bay Street. He was arrested for eight charges, including armed burglary and grand theft and locked up on $65,000 bond. According to Lake County Clerk of Court online records, on Dec. 6, 2023, Makuannen’s public defender filed a motion to release him on his own recognizance because more than 30 days had passed since his arrest, and he had not been formally charged. About a week later, Circuit Judge Cary Rada granted the motion on the majority of his charges, reducing his bond to $16,000 and he bonded out Dec. 23, 2023. He failed to appear at subsequent court dates following his release, according to online records.

Eustis Police Department officers are seen here in October 2023 after apprehending burglary suspect Jordan Makuannen who fled from them. PHOTO:
Shannon Cook/Special to Inside Lake

On March 1, Makuannen was captured on surveillance video stealing a grocery order off of a porch on Morin Street in Eustis. In that incident, Makuannen is seen wearing tan pants and black slides as he takes several bags of groceries around 6 p.m. and again around five minutes later when he returns for a case of water.

Two days later, on March 3, LCSO attempted to pull over a Dodge Durango that had been stolen from a home on East Atwater Avenue—the same street Makuannen lives on and one of the vehicles he is suspected of burglarizing in October 2023.

The Durango fled and was later found abandoned at Club at Eustis Apartments behind Publix on David Walker Drive. Officers searched the Durango and found several grocery bags and items that matched what was stolen from the home on Morin Street.

Video surveillance captured Makuannen running through the apartment complex wearing the same black slides he was wearing when he stole the groceries two days prior, and another video showed Makuannen removing his black slides and leaving them on a staircase. EPD officers found the slides and collected them as evidence, but they did not find Makuannen.

After identifying Makuannen as the suspect in the grocery grab, EPD detectives secured a warrant for Makuannen’s arrest, as the court issued a warrant for his arrest for failure to appear. Makuannen apparently cut his hair, and stayed under the radar until he was apprehended Monday. He could be facing more charges in cases that are still under investigation, EPD Chief Craig Capri said.

He is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

Previous story: Stepdad Turns Stepson in to Police After Finding Evidence of Multiple Burglaries in his Eustis Home Monday – Inside Lake

Man arrested last year for multiple thefts in Eustis nabbed by deputies after bailing out of stolen SUV in South Lake early Monday Read More »

Clermont man accused of exposing himself to minor in store parking lot in February

CLERMONT, Fla.—An 18-year-old man is scheduled to be arraigned later this month on a charge of lewd and lascivious exhibition after being accused of exposing himself to a minor female in the parking lot of a busy store in February.

On Feb. 23, the girl told a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy she walked up to the vehicle she was riding in the parking lot of Kohl’s, 12305 U.S. Highway 27, Clermont when Ismael Torres Marchany, of Clermont, “startled her.” She said Marchany was making a “hissing” sound and when she turned around, he was exposing and touching himself, according to an arrest affidavit.

The victim became upset and started to cry and got into the passeneger side of the vehicle and told the woman she was with. The victim continued crying and began to panic and shake and the woman drove slowly through the parking lot and was able to get the make, model and license plate of the vehicle Marchany was driving. The victim and the woman went to their home in unincorporated Clermont and waited on deputies.

They gave the vehicle information to a deputy, and it came back to Marchany. The deputy contacted Marchany and met him on Thousand Trails Boulevard at Thousand Trails Orlando, an RV park in unincorporated Clermont. Marchany told the deputy he did not speak English and an officer from Clermont Police Department responded to the scene to translate, the affidavit states.

Marchany told law enforcement he works across the street from Kohl’s and was on a break. He said he went to Kohl’s parking lot to listen to music and as his break ended, he went to change into his uniform to go back to work.

“During the questioning he changed his words of time frame a couple of times, as well as stating that he had boxers on the entire time but ended fully nude in his vehicle,” the arresting deputy noted in the affidavit.

Marchany was not questioned about the minor female but brought her up on his own and said a female came up to his driver’s door when he was “looking away and not paying attention,” the affidavit states. Marchany said she startled him but at “no point did he touch himself in a sexual way. Marchany said he changed his clothes, went back to work and then went home.

Marchany was placed under arrest and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned March 18.

Clermont Police Department is also investigating a similar incident that occurred on Dec. 23, 2023, involving the same vehicle and more charges against Marchany are possible in that case.

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Georgia Man Accused of Shooting Friend as they Travel on the Turnpike near Clermont Sunday Night

CLERMONT, Fla.—A Georgia man is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond after being accused of shooting his friend as they traveled on Florida’s Turnpike late Sunday night.

The Florida Highway Patrol asked for assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office around 10:30 p.m. Sunday in reference to a man stopping vehicles and asking for help. Not long after, LCSO received a 911 call from an unnamed individual stating someone was banging on their door and asking for help in unincorporated Clermont, according to an arrest affidavit.

Deputies responded to the home and found Bounmy Xayavong, who told them he was traveling south on the Turnpike with his longtime friend, a man later identified as Sergio Villanueva. The pair began arguing about an ex-girlfriend and Villanueva shot him in the upper right thigh while he was driving, he told deputies. He stopped the vehicle, got out and began running and asking for help, according to the affidavit.

Villanueva, 26, then drove away and after Xayavong was unable to find help on the Turnpike, he jumped off the roadway and went down a hill to County Road 561 to look for help. Xayavong provided the wrong name and date of birth to deputies and “seemed to be withholding information from deputies,” the arresting deputy noted in the affidavit. Deputies searched him and he was identified by a Georgia Department of Defense paper that had his name on it. They also found a key fob with a plastic tag that had an Oregon license plate number on it. After running the tag, they found it belonged to a Hertz rental car.

Deputies canvassed the Turnpike in search of evidence and a crime scene and came up empty. About three hours later, at 1:30 a.m., the LCSO Communication Center received a 911 call from a male that said, “Oh yeah,” and hung up, Deputies went to the area on Lemongrass Road to canvass the area and found a dark-colored Chevrolet parked toward the back of a home under construction. Deputies called out and Villanueva, lying on his stomach with his arms stretched out, called out from inside the home for deputies to arrest him, according to the affidavit.

They took him into custody and searched him for the gun and he “spontaneously uttered” he threw the gun because he was frightened. He took deputies to the area where he said he threw it, but they were unable to find it, the affidavit states.

Villanueva was arrested for aggravated battery, trespassing on a construction site and tampering with evidence.

Georgia Man Accused of Shooting Friend as they Travel on the Turnpike near Clermont Sunday Night Read More »

Man who Killed French Bulldog in 2021 Clermont Botched C-Section Headed to Prison

CLERMONT, Fla.—One of the men arrested after a botched C-section killed Lyla the French bulldog in Clermont in 2021, is headed to prison after pleading no contest to numerous charges last week, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records.

Frankie Huertas Rivera, 36, pleaded no contest Friday—exactly three years to the day Lyla lost her life. In 2021, Larry Colon, then 50, paid Rivera $650 to perform a C-section on Lyla in Colon’s living room and Colon’s daughter filmed the horrific surgery and posted it to TikTok Feb. 9, 2021.

According to a probable cause affidavit in the case, the video showed Colon holding Lyla down while Rivera cuts her open and she is seen squirming and shaking in pain as Rivera removes puppies from her. After the surgery Colon took Lyla — after she was already dead — to a local vet and an employee performed chest compressions on the French bulldog for 15 minutes in an attempt to save her life. Lyla was found with two dead puppies still inside her and was believed to have died from septic shock secondary to contamination and additional puppies left in her uterus.

The veterinarian told a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy Lyla and her two dead puppies “suffered unjust cruelty and suffering due to unethical medical services performed,” the affidavit states.

Colon was later arrested on a warrant for animal cruelty and Rivera was picked up in Hernando County for on a warrant for practicing veterinary medicine without a license, conspiracy to commit animal cruelty and seven counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

River pleaded no contest to all of his charges and was sentenced more than two years in prison, followed by five years of probation; he was also ordered not to have contact with animals and must take an eight-week class on animal cruelty with the Humane Society.

Colon’s case remains open.

Previous story: “Lyla” The Dog Dead Following Botched Amateur C-Section In Clermont Home – Inside Lake

Man who Killed French Bulldog in 2021 Clermont Botched C-Section Headed to Prison Read More »

Lake County Schools to Follow Wednesday Schedule in Anticipation of Severe Weather Tuesday, After School Activities Canceled

LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—Lake County Schools will follow Wednesday schedules on Tuesday in anticipation of severe weather, according to an LCS spokesperson.

“Severe thunderstorms are in the forecast for tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024) in Lake County, particularly in areas on the northern end. In an effort to get as many students home before the worst of the storm begins, Lake County Schools will follow our Wednesday early dismissal schedule on Tuesday,” LCS Communications Coordinator Sherri Owens said in an email Monday night.

LCS will excuse weather-related absences and all after school outdoor activities are canceled. Extended Learning Centers (ELC) will be open, Owens said.

Lake County Schools to Follow Wednesday Schedule in Anticipation of Severe Weather Tuesday, After School Activities Canceled Read More »

Fentanyl, Cocaine, Marijuana, Stolen Gun Found During Umatilla Search Warrant, Trio Arrested

UMATILLA, Fla.—Three people are behind bars and $50,000 worth of drugs are off the streets following a search warrant at a Umatilla home early Wednesday, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Acting on Crimeline tips and complaints, LCSO’s SWAT team, along with detectives from LCSO, Clermont Police Department, Eustis Police Department, Leesburg Police Department, Mount Dora Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security wrapped up a six-month long investigation Wednesday with the execution of the search warrant at 38945 Pine St., in unincorporated Umatilla.

Law enforcement detained three people found inside the home, Robert Donaldson, 46, Joana Silva, 22, and Lashonda Gaston, 44. Donaldson and Silva are engaged, according to LCSO.

Upon searching the home, law enforcement found a large amount of powder and crack cocaine, weighing about 1.5 pounds, along with an ounce of fentanyl in pill form and 7 pounds of marijuana, with a combined street value of $50,000. The fentanyl pills were stamped with a handicap symbol, LCSO said; a stolen gun and $10,000 in cash were also found.

PHOTOS: Lake County Sheriff’s Office

Donaldson, who was already on probation for possession of drugs and resisting arrest in a 2021 case, was arrested for trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in fentanyl, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, manufacturing cocaine into a cocaine base, possession of drug paraphernalia, and ownership, lease, rental, or possession of a residence for trafficking in or manufacturing a controlled substance; he is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

Silva, who was caught trying to flush crack down the toilet, was arrested for tampering with evidence, trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in fentanyl, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacturing cocaine into a cocaine base, possession of drug paraphernalia and ownership, lease, rental, or possession of a residence for trafficking in or manufacturing a controlled substance; she is being held in LCJ on $561,000 bond.

Gaston was arrested for trafficking in fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; she is being held In LCJ on $20,000 bond.

Fentanyl, Cocaine, Marijuana, Stolen Gun Found During Umatilla Search Warrant, Trio Arrested Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—At press time Christmas Eve, the jolly fellow best known as Santa Claus was last spotted in Greenland and had delivered more than 5 billion gifts, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD.)

Little boys and girls (who should be in bed) can track the big guy’s movements online as he makes his way across the world with his trusty reindeer crew, by visiting NORAD Tracks Santa.

NORAD began tracking Santa in 1958 after taking over the duty from the U.S. Air Force.

BREAKING NEWS: Santa Claus is Coming to Town Read More »

Motorcyclist Struck by 8 Vehicles after Falling from Bike near Clermont, FHP Says

CLERMONT, Fla.— A 26-year-old Kissimmee man was killed Sunday night after he fell from his Kawasaki motorcycle and was struck by eight vehicles on U.S. Highway 27, near Clermont, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Around 6:20 p.m. Sunday, the motorcyclist was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 27 near Frank Jarrell Road when he lost control, fell from the bike, and landed in the center lane, FHP Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said in a press release.

The rider was then struck by eight vehicles that were traveling behind him, including a Chevrolet Trax, a Nissan Armada, a Toyota Camry, a Chevrolet Silverado, a Ford Escape, a Toyota Corolla, a Nissan Pathfinder and a Dodge Challenger. The drivers of all eight vehicles did not see him, Garcia said.

The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased on the scene; none of the occupants of the eight vehicles that struck him were injured, Garcia said. FHP originally stated the crash involved the motorcycle and two vehicles, but the investigation later revealed the crash involved a total of nine vehicles.

Previous story: Motorcyclist Killed in 3-Vehicle Crash near Clermont Sunday Night – Inside Lake 

Motorcyclist Struck by 8 Vehicles after Falling from Bike near Clermont, FHP Says Read More »

Motorcyclist Killed in 3-Vehicle Crash near Clermont Sunday Night

CLERMONT, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is on scene of a fatal crash at U.S. Highway 27 and Frank Jarrell Road, near Clermont.

A 26-year-old Kissimmee man riding a 2024 Kawasaki motorcycle was involved in a crash with 2020 Chevrolet Trax and a 2023 Dodge Challenger around 6:20 p.m. Sunday. The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased on the scene. There is a roadblock in the area and motorists are asked to use caution.

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