THE VILLAGES, Fla.—A 89-year-old man is in serious condition after driving his golf cart into the path of a car Tuesday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The 89-year-old man of The Villages was driving a golf cart northbound on a golf cart path shortly before 8 a.m. when he turned left in front of a car near Woodridge Drive in Sumter County, according to FHP.
The golf cart driver struck the left side of the car, being driven by a 69-year-old Lady Lake man. The golf cart driver was seriously injured; the Lady Lake man and his 69-year-old female passenger were not injured, FHP said.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) is warning consumers of potentially contaminated gas sold at numerous gas stations, including two different Lake County locations over the weekend.
“The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has identified a potentially widespread fuel contamination caused by human error at the Port of Tampa. Fuel purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, at stations supplied by CITGO from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of being contaminated,” it said in a press release.
The gas stations impacted in Lake County are BJ’s Wholesale, 13585 Northeast 86th Path, Lady Lake and Choice Food & Gas, 310 North Central Avenue, Umatilla. FDACS relies on CITGO to provide a list of the impacted gas stations and more stations may be added. The stations have been asked to stop selling gas until the contaminated gas has been removed and the tanks cleaned, according to FDACS.
Contaminated gas can damage engines and cause vehicles and generators not to operate properly. FDACS has opened its consumer hotline, if you believe you purchased contaminated gas, call 1-800-HELP-FLA or visit www.fdacs.gov Consumers can also file a claim with the CITGO Good Gas Guarantee Program by visiting https://www.citgo.com/contact-us.
LADY LAKE, Florida—A Lake City man suspected of a one-day shoplifting spree at Best Buy stores in Gainesville and Ocala was arrested by Lady Lake Police Department Friday after fleeing from officers in Best Buy parking lot Friday, according to an arrest affidavit.
LLPD responded to Best Buy, 552 North Highway 27/441, Lady Lake to meet with the manager about theft suspects who had already stolen from Best Buy stores in Gainesville and Ocala. The manager believed the suspects were headed to Lady Lake and provided officers with still photos of a white male wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and white high-top shoes stealing a laptop. The manager also provided a photo of the suspect leaving in a dark-colored Cadillac sedan with a partial view of the license plate, the affidavit states.
As officers were leaving, they spotted a car matching the suspect vehicle and the license plate matched the partial plate in the photo. A black male exited the driver’s door and a white male, later identified as Clifford Charles Boyette-Carter, 26, exited the passenger door. The pair ran toward Papa John’s and China Max and officers found Boyette-Carter near China Max. He attempted to walk away and was cut off by an LLPD cruiser and when a sergeant started to speak to him, he kicked off his white high-top shoes and fled. Boyette-Carter ran north across Rolling Acres Road, hopped a fence, ran into the Oak Meadows neighborhood, doubled back and again ran toward Rolling Acres Road and then hopped a second fence and ran through the main gate of The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake.
The LLPD sergeant called for the school to be placed on lockdown at 2:15 p.m. while parents were lined up to pick up their children. Boyette-Carter fled down the parent pick-up line and tried to enter an occupied vehicle, according to the affidavit. He continued to flee, hopped another fence and entered the courtyard area, ran through metal doors and ran back toward the parent pickup area. He was finally tackled by a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy who responded to assist LLPD. Boyette-Carter was taken into custody and identified himself to officers and deputies. He said he ran because he had warrants from Jacksonville and did not want to be taken into custody.
The laptops allegedly stolen from Best Buy in Ocala and Gainesville were found in the vehicle Boyette-Cater was riding in and he said he really did not know the black male driving the vehicle, but provided his name, the name of the mother of his child and the name of the registered owner of the vehicle, the arresting officer noted.
Boyette-Carter was arrested for resisting arrest, loitering and prowling, trespassing on school grounds and interfering with school administration functions. He is being held in the Lake County Jail on $3,500 bond.
FRUITLAND PARK, Florida—A Fruitland Park man is facing more two dozen counts of possession of child pornography and six counts of transmitting pornography after a search warrant revealed numerous images in his Adobe account, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC,) Fruitland Park Police Department began investigating a report that eight images of child pornography were uploaded to an Adobe account belonging to David Michael Frisby, 37, on Dec. 18, 2022. A search warrant revealed 571 photos in his account including the eight photos that began the investigation and “the majority of them were pornography related and focused on young girls,” the affidavit states.
Through a subpoena, FPPD found that Frisby used Apple Private Relay and created an iCloud Private Relay that keeps internet activity private and hides the IP address being used. It hides activity in the Safari browser so well even Apple cannot see it and also hides the user’s actual email address and generates a private email address that is linked to the user’s Apple ID.
The detective investigating the case also found Frisby was the Geek Squad manager at Best Buy in Lady Lake, “This leads your affiant to believe that David is very familiar with computers, software, data entry, technology repair, cell phones and use of other electronic devices,” the detective noted in the affidavit.
A warrant was issued for Frisby’s arrest Aug. 2 for 25 counts of possession of child pornography, 10 or more images and six counts of transmission of pornography; he was picked up by FPPD Tuesday and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $137,000 bond.
TAVARES, Florida—The Lake Amateur Radio Association (LARA) hosted its annual Ham Radio Field Day event June 24 and 25 at the Lake County Institute of Public Safety, drawing enthusiasts from far and wide. The event, captured in a captivating photo, featured the club’s president, Glenn Casselman, and his spouse, Laura, who is also a Ham radio enthusiast. The picturesque location provided the perfect backdrop for a day filled with showcasing mobile command vehicles from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Fire Rescue, and, of course, the Lake Amateur Radio Association.
Established in 1952 by a group of Lake County/City radio amateurs, LARA has steadily grown over the years and now boasts a membership of more than 130 dedicated individuals. Not only do they own their own property, but they have also constructed a state-of-the-art clubhouse onsite. LARA’s primary focus lies in the fun hobby of Ham radio and service to the community. Furthermore, the club’s three VHF repeaters and three UHF repeaters, some of which are linked to Echolink, DMR and the IRLP network, enable worldwide communications, amplifying the club’s impact and reach.
PHOTO: Mark O’Keefe/Special to Inside Lake
The Ham Radio Field Day event at the Lake County Institute of Public Safety serves as a testament to LARA’s commitment to promoting the invaluable role of amateur radio in emergency situations. The event not only highlighted the association’s advanced communication capabilities but also fostered a sense of camaraderie among radio enthusiasts and local public safety agencies. As LARA continues to expand its membership and community involvement, their dedication to serving as a vital link during times of crisis remains unwavering. For more information, visit www.k4fc.org
LADY LAKE, Florida—The young man shot and killed early Friday morning has been identified.
At 12:45 a.m. Friday, Lady Lake Police Department responded to a home in the 100 block of Caroline Street on a report of gunshots and found Bryson Leverette, 20, of Leesburg, with severe injuries from gunshot wounds, according to Elisha Pappacoda, Communications Director for the Town of Lady Lake.
Leverette was pronounced deceased on the scene and a second person suffering from gunshot wounds approached officers and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, Pappacoda said. No other information has been released. If you have information on the double shooting, call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
LADY LAKE, Florida—Lady Lake Police Department is investigating after one person was killed and another person was shot in early Friday morning.
At 12:45 a.m. Friday, LLPD quickly responded to a home in the 100 block of Caroline Street on a report of gunshots, according to Elisha Pappacoda, Communications Director for the Town of Lady Lake.
“Officers were on scene within minutes and located a subject with severe gunshot injuries. They attempted to give first aid while awaiting the arrival of EMS,” Pappacoda said in an email.
The individual was pronounced deceased on the scene. While securing the scene, a second individual suffering gunshot wounds approached officers and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, Pappacoda said. The names of both victims are not being released at this time.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office CSI and Criminal Investigations Bureau is assisting LLPD in its investigation, along with the State Attorney’s office and the Medical Examiner’s Office, according to Pappacoda. Investigators are following leads and no suspect information was available at press time.
If you have information on the double shooting, call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
LAKE COUNTY, Florida—Several local law enforcement agencies are counting on the public to help them grow their K9 units with a grant from a national biohazard clean-up company.
Five agencies in Lake County are competing for a $2,500 grant that can be used for their K9 units, such as purchasing equipment and other needs for their pups. The grant will be provided by Aftermath Service LLC, a national company that provides biohazard clean-ups from incidents such as crime scenes and unattended deaths.
Eustis Police Department, Fruitland Park Police Department, Lady Lake Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Tavares Police Department are all competing for the cash for their K9S. TPD has not had a K9 officer in nearly 20 years, newly-appointed TPD Chief Sarah Coursey told Inside Lake.
“I saw a need in my community for this essential unit, which will better aid the officers in locating and removing dangerous narcotics from our city and tracking missing or endangered persons,” Coursey said.
Tavares Police Officer Zack Barclay will serve on TPD’s K9 Unit PHOTO: Tavares Police Department
Most agencies have taken to social media to ask for the public’s help getting votes, and TPD has been posting to its popular Facebook page each day since voting began. TPD does not have dogs yet but has already chosen its two officers that will become handlers, Officer Ben Carter and Officer Zack Barclay and have posted their photos on Facebook in hopes of drawing in votes. A quick glance at the comments shows Barclay has been quite popular—especially with the ladies.
“Our Facebook page has always been an excellent source of information when solving crimes; the community has always stepped up to the plate with valuable information and now we are asking them to throw us a bone,” Coursey explained.
LEESBURG, Florida—Leesburg Police Department continues to investigate a crash that killed a pedestrian earlier this month.
Shortly before 2:30 a.m. May 20, Erica L. Davis, 40, was crossing U.S. Highway 27, also known as North 14th Street at West Main Street when she was struck by a 2019 black Toyota Corolla being driven by Zachary Sents, 32, of Webster.
Davis, of Lady Lake, was transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, formerly known as Ocala Regional Medical Center, with life-threatening injuries and later succumbed to her injuries. LPD is asking anyone with information about the crash to call the LPD Traffic Unit at 352-728-9860, extension 3838.
LADY LAKE, Florida—A Lady Lake woman turned herself in at the Lake County Jail Thursday after a warrant was issued for her arrest for hitting and killing a woman and seriously injuring a man last year and fleeing the scene, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Tara Renee Schiessle, 31, is accused of striking the pair as they walked northbound on the grass shoulder of Rolling Acres Road near West Lakeview Street shortly before 9:45 p.m. Sept. 11, 2022. The impact killed the 40-year-old woman, and the 31-year-old man, identified as Jonathan Kirkland in a separate civil suit, was airlifted to Ocala Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. Schiessle fled the scene, FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said last year.
After a 9-month investigation that included waiting for DNA evidence to come back from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab, troopers issued a warrant for Schiessle’s arrest for leaving the scene of a crash involving death, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injuries and false and fraudulent insurance claims, Crescenzi told Inside Lake. She met the investigating trooper at the Lake County Jail Thursday, turned herself in and was released the same day on $42,000 bond.
