Eustis Archives - Page 30 of 37

Eustis Police Officer Resigns Following “Egregious Policy Violation”

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Florida—A Eustis Police officer has resigned following an internal investigation that resulted in a five-day suspension, for what EPD Chief Craig Capri called an “egregious policy violation.”

Austin Williams, a four-year veteran of the department, resigned earlier this month after an internal investigation showed he violated the department’s pursuit policy, by pursuing a vehicle for a minor traffic violation and reaching speeds of up to 113 miles per hour. The vehicle he was pursuing crashed outside EPD’s jurisdiction, according to the internal affairs report.

“Once we were made aware of the egregious policy violation, we investigated and took corrective action,” Capri told Inside Lake. “Our agency is very transparent, and we have zero tolerance for (violations of this nature.)”

Around 10:45 p.m. March 13, Williams attempted to pull over a vehicle that failed to stop before the stop bar at a stop sign at West Stevens Avenue and South Bay Street. The white Ford sedan made a quick turn into a nearby gas station and quickly exited the parking lot when Williams activated his emergency lights on his unmarked patrol car.

The car accelerated and Williams activated his sirens and the car fled; Williams pursued the vehicle on Bay Street, speeding as fast as 93 miles per hour, according to the report. Williams turned off his lights and sirens around Bay Street and Chesley Avenue and notified Eustis dispatch the vehicle was going to run the light at Bay Street and Ardice Avenue and he was Code 4 (terminating the stop)—but he did not terminate the pursuit.

Williams continued to pursue the vehicle south on Bay Street (State Road 19) and ran a solid red light at RaceTrac gas station at 36 miles per hour, traveling at 80 miles per hour by the time he reached Long John Silvers, 2880 South Bay Street. When he came to the next light at Bay Street and the southbound ramp to U.S. Highway 441, he was traveling at 108 miles per hour. A vehicle pulled out in front of Williams, causing him to change lanes and decrease his speed to just under 100 miles per hour. His body camera captured him saying an expletive as the vehicle pulls out.

As Williams left Eustis city limits, he was traveling 108 miles per hour; he turned onto to Bay Road at 78 miles per hour and ran the stop sign at Bay Road and Dodson Cutoff, near the now-defunct Roll-Air skating rink.

He then requested dispatch notify Mount Dora Police Department the vehicle was entering its jurisdiction at about 80 miles per hour and Williams continued to follow the car outside the City of Eustis, without any further communication of his location, the report states.

Williams then approached Old U.S. Highway 441 and applied his brakes but ran the red light at the intersection and states, “I’m losing my (expletive) brakes, I’m gonna lose my (expletive) job if I don’t stop.”

Later, in an interview, Williams said he made that statement because he then realized he had violated EPD’s pursuit policy and admitted he had put other uninvolved parties in harm’s way.

Williams continued down Bay Road until it dead-ends at Lakeshore Drive and made a left turn, he then manually turned his body camera off. His dash camera was on and captured him increasing his speed from 12 miles per hour to 76 miles per hour until he spotted the vehicle crashed, upside down and on fire in front of a home, located in Lake County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. Williams exited his unmarked patrol car, drew his gun, and began giving the driver continuous verbal commands to show his hands and exit the vehicle. EPD Dispatch asked Williams’ location, and he responded, “38 Eustis (Williams ID) I don’t know my cross, I’m on Lakeshore Drive in Mount Dora, the car is on fire and on its roof.”

Williams attempted to open the passenger door was only able to partially open it and he continued to give the driver loud verbal commands. The driver replied, “Help me,” in a soft, gentle voice, the report states. Williams yelled “Get out of the car,” and the driver stated, “I can’t move.”

Williams continued to give verbal commands to the driver and again pointed his weapon at the driver and made no further efforts to assist the driver while continuing to give him verbal commands, according to the report.

A second EPD officer arrived on scene and Williams holsters his weapon and tells the second officer to grab a fire extinguisher. Williams then pulled the driver from the car and the driver denied committing the original traffic violation. Multiple agencies arrived and began assisting and the driver was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. From the time Williams called in the traffic stop to the time of the crash was only 3 minutes 33 seconds, according to the report.

An EPD road patrol sergeant arrived soon after and Williams reportedly said, “I was not 10-31, I know that’s the first question you’re gonna ask;” 10-31 is code for “in pursuit.” Williams was later questioned during the investigation and said he did not believe he was pursuing the vehicle, he believed he was trying to “locate the vehicle.”

EPD found that Williams did violate policy and he was given a five-day suspension without pay. Williams served the suspension and resigned the following day.

Eustis Police Officer Resigns Following “Egregious Policy Violation” Read More »

Free Sealing and Expungement Clinic Scheduled for Saturday

Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, 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

TAVARES, Florida—Lake County residents with minor criminal histories have a unique opportunity to quickly and efficiently expunge or seal their record Saturday if they qualify, at the first-ever Sealing and Expungement clinic offered here.

Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida is teaming up with the Lake County Bar Association and Lake Young Lawyers Division to offer this free 4-hour clinic scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Lake County Courthouse, 550 West Main Street, Tavares. Lawyers and representatives from numerous government agencies will be on hand to help participants navigate through the process, which often can be difficult to do on their own or expensive to hire a private attorney, said Taylor Tremel, an attorney who will be available on-site Saturday, to help. Lake County Clerk of Court Gary Cooney is waiving certain fees and providing the space for the clinic, Tremel said.

Tremel, who has served as an assistant state attorney and a public defender, is now in private practice with the firm Bowen & Schroth in Eustis and is enthusiastic about being a part of this program. “We saw that there was a need, and I thought it was a worthwhile thing to take on” he told Inside Lake.

“This brings everybody together under one roof to help and answer questions. It’s not very often all these groups get together to do something like this,” Tremel said.

Many crimes are not eligible to be sealed or expunged, including violent offenses, Tremel said. If a person was adjudicated guilty for a crime, they are not eligible either.

Participants’ criminal case must have occurred in Lake County to partake in the event and are asked to pre-register at Clinic Screening (legalserver.org) and those who do, may qualify for assistance with the $75 Florida Department of Law Enforcement application fee. Tremel said participants should not overstate their income or overrepresent how much money they have in the bank.

Tremel is hoping for a large turnout Saturday, “It’s a really awesome event,” he said. “I think it’s something that can be done annually.”

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Gift Card Scam Ends in Handcuffs for Employee

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Florida—An employee of an office supply store is facing fraud and grand theft charges after he was caught scamming the store with a gift card scheme, according to an arrest affidavit.

Matthew Tyler Nolen, 18, of Mount Dora, was confronted by the manager of Office Depot, 17081 U.S. Highway 441, after his drawer consistently came up short and the manager reviewed surveillance video. The video showed Nolen ring up Visa gift cards under his associate number and then select cash, the affidavit states.

Nolen performed four separate transactions over a week, totaling more than $1,000 that were captured on video and when confronted on Monday, Nolen admitted to the thefts and admitted he had taken around $50 in drinks he did not pay for, the affidavit states. Nolen began working at the store in January.

After writing a statement and being read his Miranda warning, Nolen refused to speak with EPD and was arrested for grand theft and scheming to defraud. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $2,000 bond.

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Eustis Man “Surprises” Sister with Stolen Trailer Tracked from Polk County, Arrested for Grand Theft

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

TAVARES, Florida—A man who “surprised” his sister with a stolen trailer was arrested Monday after the Polk County victim pinpointed the trailer in Tavares using a tracking device.

Tavares Police responded to a construction site near Camp Street and Mansfield Road and found the trailer attached to a Ford truck. The officer ran the trailer’s license plate and confirmed it was stolen out of Polk County, then he ran the license plate of the truck it was attached to and found the registered owner was on site, according to an arrest affidavit.

When TPD spoke to the truck’s owner, she said her brother, Kenneth Ray Hutchinson, 44, had borrowed her truck Sunday to go to Lakeland and returned Monday morning with the truck and the trailer. She said she had previously told her brother she wanted a trailer and he “surprised” her with the trailer that day. When she asked him where he got it, he told her “from a friend,” the affidavit states.

Hutchinson, of Eustis, was arrested for grand theft and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $2,000 bond.

Eustis Man “Surprises” Sister with Stolen Trailer Tracked from Polk County, Arrested for Grand Theft Read More »

Man Found with Viagra, Other Drugs Tucked Inside His Pants

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Florida—A Leesburg man lost his swag Monday night when a deputy busted him hard—with ammunition and drugs, including more than two dozen Viagra pills tucked in next to his scrotum.

A Lake County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes deputy spotted Rodney Lamar “Hollywood Swag” Woods driving a green Ford Mustang with dark tinted windows late Monday night on State Road 19 near Pine Meadows Golf Course Road. The deputy performed a traffic stop for the suspected illegal tint and asked Woods for consent to search the car, which he denied, according to an affidavit.

A K9 deputy arrived, and the dog alerted on the vehicle, and the street crimes deputy began to search the car. He found a small amount of methamphetamine on the floorboard, and a box of 12-gauge shotgun shells inside the trunk. Woods exclaimed, “Those are birdshot!” as the deputy placed them on the hood of his patrol car. A digital scale with drug residue was also found in a backpack.

Woods, a 34-time convicted felon, was taken into custody and searched. “I then located a baggy tucked next to his scrotum with what appeared to be multiple baggies containing different powders, pills and crystal rock substances,” the deputy stated in the affidavit.

The deputy found 27 sildenafil citrate pills, commonly known as Viagra; 21 morphine pills with different strengths, one unknown pill, nearly 10 grams of methamphetamine, one gram of cocaine and a gram of an unknown powder all tucked in next to Woods’ scrotum.

Woods was arrested for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a legend drug with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession methamphetamine with intent to sell, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. The arresting deputy requested Woods be held on no bond due to charges Inside Lake reported on in February.

In that case, Woods is accused of attacking a man with a baseball bat in December and causing multiple broken ribs and broken bones in his right arm, requiring surgery. Woods was picked up on a warrant in February and released on $50,000 bond the same day

Woods has been charged with more than 50 felonies and has been convicted of 34 of them; some are still open cases. He has been convicted of nearly two dozen misdemeanors.

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Eustis Woman Arrested for Putting 4-year-old in Dryer

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Florida—A Eustis woman was arrested on a warrant for aggravated child abuse Saturday after a 4-year-old boy she was babysitting in February said she put him in a dryer with towels and he went, “round and round.”

According to a probable cause affidavit, on Feb. 1, the boy was at the emergency room at UF Health Leesburg for treatment. Medical staff observed swelling and bruising on the child’s forehead, ears, abdomen and back, and the boy said, “Miss Amber” put him the dryer with towels, and he spun around, according to a probable cause affidavit. Amber Christine Chapman, 35, frequently babysat the child while his parents were at work.

The child was interviewed the following week and he said Chapman placed him in a dryer and closed the door and he went “round and round.” Chapman opened the door, closed it again and he went, “round and round,’ the affidavit states.

A warrant was issued for Chapman’s arrest Friday, and she was picked up Saturday and transported to the Lake County Jail, where she was released on $15,000 bond.

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Man Flees Eustis Traffic Stop, Crashes

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Umatilla / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Florida—A man accused of fleeing a traffic stop did not get very far when he crashed the vehicle, he was driving just a few blocks later, according to an arrest affidavit.

Eustis Police attempted to stop 2005 silver Honda without a front or rear bumper for running a stop sign at Park Avenue and Eustis Street shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday. The car, being driven by Erin Tryon Dobson, 18, accelerated and fled the area when an EPD officer activated his lights and sirens, running several stop signs. The officer then terminated the stop, due to department policy, the affidavit states.

A short time later, a crash was reported at Bay Street and Pendleton Avenue and the same officer responded and found it was the vehicle that had just fled from him in the same area. Dobson, of Umatilla, was on scene when EPD arrived and admitted he was driving the car and apologized for fleeing because he did not have insurance, according to the affidavit.

A witness told EPD she saw three black males exit the car and two of them took off on foot behind an apartment complex nearby; Dobson said one of the males was his cousin, but he did not know the other male’s name.

Dobson was arrested for fleeing and eluding and reckless driving. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $10,500 bond.

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Woman Busted By Eustis Police With 4 lbs. of Marijuana In January Pleads No Contest

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

TAVARES, Florida—A woman busted by Eustis Police early this year with nearly 4 pounds of marijuana, scales, THC oil, chocolate bars containing hallucinogenic mushrooms and two concealed guns pleaded no contest to several of the charges Monday and was sentenced to 45 days in jail, with a credit of three days. Her legal woes are not over, however, she is still facing numerous charges in Orange County.

Miranda April Mauck, 30, of Okahumpka, pleaded no contest to three charges Monday, possession of marijuana with intent to sell and two counts of carrying a concealed firearm, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records. Mauck was originally arrested for those charges in addition to possession of THC oil, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms and possession of drug paraphernalia. The possession of THC oil and possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms charges were dropped, the disposition of the paraphernalia charge is unclear. Mauck was pulled over for speeding 17 miles over the posted limit by Eustis Police on Jan. 3 and the smell of marijuana was emitting from her vehicle, the arresting officer noted in the arrest affidavit.

A K9 alerted to drugs in her vehicle and upon searching, officers found marijuana in a backpack in plain view on the front passenger floorboard, more than $2,000 cash, a Glock 9mm, a Ruger .380, scales, marijuana packaging, THC oil, vape bars and 10 chocolate bars containing Psilocybin mushrooms. Mauck was arrested and released on $14,000 bond. Less than three weeks later, on Jan. 23, Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies learned of an illegal “Cannabis Exhibition” in a room at Point Hotel & Suites, 7389 Universal Boulevard, Orlando. The cannabis party was advertised on the Instagram account ”LadyNugsOfficial,” deputies later identified the account holder as Mauck, according to an Orange County probable cause affidavit.

OCSO drove to the hotel and began surveilling the property. They found a white Toyota registered to Mauck and observed two white males who appeared to be acting as “lookouts,” according to the affidavit. They left a short time later in an SUV and were pulled over. Though, deputies could smell a strong odor of marijuana, none was found during a search. The driver, Christopher Bordoy, was released on scene, along with his passenger. Mauck then left the hotel in her Toyota and was also pulled over. Again, deputies smelled a strong odor of marijuana and searched the vehicle. They found 17 grams of marijuana in a pill bottle and Mauck was taken into custody. OCSO found a room key during the search and after taking to the manager, they found the room was registered to Bordoy. OCSO and the manager went to the room where they found a bag of food in front of the door with Mauck’s name, a deputy noted in the affidavit.

They entered the room and found cannabis residue and multiple suitcases and after securing a search warrant, they searched the room. They found multiple bags of cannabis and edibles and more than $7,500 in cash. The cannabis weighed 25.2 pounds and the edibles weighed 52 pounds, according to the affidavit. OCSO has since filed forfeiture proceedings against Mauck and Bordoy on the cash, according to Orange County Clerk of Court online records.

Mauck’s Instagram name, “LadyNugsOfficial” appeared on multiple cannabis bags, a CashApp card and paperwork, the affidavit states. A warrant was issued for trafficking in a controlled substance, trafficking in cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia on Jan. 27. On Feb. 13, a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted a grey Audi and found the registered owner, Mauck, had an Orange County warrant. Mauck was pulled over and arrested on the warrant. LCSO searched her vehicle and found more than 20 grams of marijuana in multiple packages and THC oil. She was arrested on those charges as well as the Orange County warrant, but the Lake County charges were later dropped.

Nearly 10 years ago, Mauck witnessed her boyfriend get shot by an LCSO deputy. On July 15, 2012, Mauck’s boyfriend, Andrew Lee “Drew” Scott, 26, was killed when a deputy came to his door—the wrong door—looking for a battery suspect. A lawsuit filed in 2013 by Mauck and Scott’s parents against then-Sheriff Gary borders and Deputy Richard Sylvester claimed, Sylvester, “banged on the door” of Mauck’s apartment in Leesburg in the early morning, “in such a manner to bewilder or frighten the residents and foreseeably place said residents in a defense posture.”

Mauck and Scott were watching TV in apartment 114 at Blueberry Hill Apartments in Leesburg and Scott, fearing for their safety, retrieved his legally owned handgun and opened the door. Sylvester fired six shots, striking Scott at least three times and killing him. Mauck was struck by glass and debris. Sylvester did not announce himself as law enforcement and was not criminally charged. In response to the lawsuit, defendants Borders and Sylvester filed a motion for a summary judgment and the court granted Sylvester qualified immunity and denied Mauck’s and Scott’s parent’s claims. They appealed the ruling and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling.

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Head-On Crash Kills Sanford Man, Shuts Down State Road 44

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

LAKE COUNTY, Florida—A 22-year-old Sanford man was killed Tuesday night in a three-vehicle crash that shut down State Road 44 near Eustis, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The man, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was driving a 2005 Nissan Altima westbound around 6:10 p.m. on State Road 44 near Donna Vista Place when he crossed over the center line and sideswiped a 2014 Honda Accord being driven eastbound by a 30-year-old Sorrento woman, FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said in a press release.

The Altima then struck a 2006 Chevy Silverado head-on being driven by a 56-year-old Eustis man. The driver of the Altima was killed, and the driver of the Silverado was seriously injured and airlifted to Central Florida Regional Medical Center in Sanford with non-life-threatening injuries, Crescenzi said. The driver and passenger of the Accord were not injured.

State Road 44 remained shut down at press time.

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Fatality Shuts Down State Road 44

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

LAKE COUNTY, Florida—A multi-vehicle fatal crash has shut down State Road 44 at Donna Vista Place, near Eustis, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred at 6:10 p.m., involves multiple vehicles and one person was pronounced dead on the scene, FHP Lt. Kim Montes said.

Drivers should use an alternate route.

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