LEESBURG, Fla.—A pedestrian walking in the road was killed after a car hit her early Thursday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The 40-year-old Wildwood woman was walking in the eastbound lane of County Road 44 near Cypress Drive, outside of Leesburg, and was struck by a 2015 Ford Focus being driven by 69-year-old Leesburg man around 4:10 a.m.. The woman was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. The Leesburg man was not injured.
LEESBURG, Fla.—Leesburg Police Department is searching for a man it says robbed and shot someone Sunday night.
Around 8 p.m., LPD responded to the 100 block of Truitt Street on a report of a shooting and found the 51-year-old victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body, LPD Lt. Shannon Walsh said. Police have not released the victim’s name or gender.
The suspect fled the scene and police searched the area; Eagle One, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, assisted in the search, but law enforcement was unable to locate him.
The victim was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition, Walsh said. LPD detectives have identified the suspect as Henry Demetria Darity, 36, and he’s wanted for attempted homicide, armed robbery and armed trespassing.
Darity was arrested Jan. 6 for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia; he was released from the Lake County Jail Jan. 30.
If you have information on Darity’s whereabouts, call LPD at 352-787-2121 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477; Crimeline line callers may be eligible for a reward.
LEESBURG, Fla.—A man on the run for nearly a year is in custody facing murder charges in the deaths of his intended home invasion victim – and his alleged accomplice.
Dieuseul Charlemon, 22, was taken into custody on multiple warrants including first- and second-degree murder on Jan. 31 by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department and US Marshals at 10131 SE 169th Lane, Summerfield after a months-long investigation, MCSO said.
On Feb. 16, 2022, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to 804 Montclair Road in unincorporated Leesburg on a report of a shooting around 4:30 a.m. There were signs of forced entry at the front door, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said in 2022, and no details were released about what may have happened, but Herrell said a home invasion had not been ruled out.
On Wednesday, Assistant State Attorney Nick Camuccio confirmed to Inside Lake, detectives believe Charlemon and his alleged accomplice, Jamari DeAndre Jones, 20 years old at the time of the crime, invaded Jammy Casteel’s home and a “firefight” ensued. Casteel, 41, was found shot on the front porch and transported to UF Health Leesburg hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, and Jones was found dead inside the home, Herrell said in 2022.
Jammy Casteel was murdered during a 2022 home invasion. PHOTO: Jammy Casteel/Facebook
Charlemon was indicted for the first-degree murder of Casteel and the second-degree murder of Jones in March 2024, Camuccio said, “He’s been on the run for awhile.”
After being taken into custody, Charlemon was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. In addition to the Lake County murder charges, he is facing an armed burglary charge in Sumter County, and failure to appear for aggravated fleeing to elude, fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license in Marion County. He is being held in the Marion County Jail on no bond.
TAVARES, Fla.—An aggravated battery charge a Leesburg dentist was facing has been dismissed after a Lake County Circuit judge granted a motion, based on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law filed by his defense attorney last year.
Dr. Eddie Orobitg was arrested following an altercation on the Harbor Hills golf course in unincorporated Leesburg in April 2023, accused of beating another man with a golf club. The altercation began when Orobitg yelled at Dr. Joseph Sivak and his wife as they walked on the 11th fairway, approximately 60 yards away from where Orobitg was golfing with his minor son, according to the motion filed by Orobitg’s attorney, Nicholas Stack of Hatfield & Stack in Tavares.
Sivak, a psychiatrist, “immediately” turned around and began waving his arms and yelling unintelligibly. He stepped to Orobitg on the 11th tee box, shoved him and said, “(expletive) you!” according to the motion. Orobitg regained his balance and Sivak yelled, “You just hit me with a golf club!” to which Orobitg replied, “You’re a (expletive) psycho!” and spat on Sivak. Sivak then swung a 36-ounce water bottle at Orobitg, knocked his prescription sunglasses from his face and hit him in the forehead. Orobitg then punched Sivak in the face, and Sivak fell to the ground followed by Orobitg, and the pair tussled on the ground, the motion states.
Orobitg disengaged Sivak and Sivak got up and charged him multiple times and then the men kicked each other. Orobitg used his foot to keep Sivak down and could be heard telling him to stay down in a 911 call. Sivak regained his footing, attempted to grab a golf club from Orobitg’s bag and Orobitg pushed him to the ground and used his foot to leverage the golf club from Sivak’s hand. Sivak then armed himself with golf balls from Orobitg’s golf cart and threw the balls at Orobitg’s son before finally walking away, according to the motion. Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and Orobitg was arrested for aggravated battery and transported to the Lake County Jail. He retained Stack as counsel approximately two weeks after his arrest.
Dr. Eddie Orobitg
In the motion filed in August 2024, Stack stated the charge should be dismissed based on “Florida’s Stand Your Ground” law. The law states, in part, “A person is justified is using or threatening to use deadly force if he or she reasonably believes that using force or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.”
Lake Circuit Judge Heidi Davis agreed and granted the motion to dismiss, following a hearing late last month. She stated in her ruling, “The Court finds that a reasonable and prudent person playing golf with their child, being confronted and shoved by an angry man would likely use more force than a spit. That is not to say the Court finds this action appropriate. To the contrary, two grown men of their statuses as doctors, should not behave in such a manner. The Court also finds that a reasonable and prudent person being hit in the head with a water bottle (retaliation for being spit upon) would have protected himself and his child with his hands and feet while the assailant continues to approach them in an aggressive manner while attempting to get the assailant to cease efforts to prolong the altercation. The Court also finds that a reasonable and prudent person would use his hands and feet to wrench a golf club out of an assailant’s hands to prevent that golf club being used upon them. Accordingly, the Court finds that the State has failed to overcome Defendant’s self-defense claim with clear and convincing evidence.”
Stack told Inside Lake Friday, he is pleased with outcome, “This has been a very long, emotional and trying time for Dr. Orobitg and his family. He and his business have received extremely negative treatment as a result of the arrest and coverage; his integrity was questioned. I am very happy that the facts of the case have finally come to light, and the truth has been revealed. We are very fortunate to have had a Judge brave enough to follow the letter of the law.”
TAVARES, Fla.—Tavares Police Department is investigating after a man was found deceased in his crashed vehicle by a passerby early Wednesday morning.
At 12:50 a.m., a 911 caller reported he was walking and saw overturned truck in an open construction field in the area of Dead River Road and Sierra Drive approximately 50 yards from the roadway. Police are unsure how long the 2018 Chevrolet pickup truck was there before it was discovered, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said, and are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact them.
The driver, Michael Winterbottom, 63, of Mount Dora, was found in the truck and pronounced deceased on the scene.
TPD has also publicly identified the pair critically injured in a unrelated motorcycle crash Friday morning. Everett Swift, 74, and Janice Swift, 82, both of Leesburg and Michigan, were riding a 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle southbound on State Road 19 and failed to slow for traffic stopped at the traffic light at Dead River Road. The motorcycle slammed into the back of a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, throwing the pair from the motorcycle. Everett Swift and Janice Swift were each airlifted to area hospitals with critical injuries. They have since been released and are undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation facility, Sullivan said.
TAVARES, Fla.—A motorcyclist and his passenger are fighting for their lives after crashing into the back of a pickup truck Friday morning, according to Tavares Police Department.
According to witnesses, shortly before 9:30 a.m., a 61-year-old Tavares man driving a white 2015 Chevy Silverado was on State Road 19 southbound stopped at the light at Dead River Road. A 74-year-old man, who has a home in Leesburg and Michigan, was riding a 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle southbound on State Road 19 and failed to slow as he approached the light, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said.
The motorcycle slammed into the back of the Silverado, throwing the Leesburg man, and his passenger, an 82-year-old woman, from the bike, critically injuring both of them. They were each airlifted to area hospitals with life-threatening injuries, Sullivan said. Their names have not been released, pending notification of next of kin. The driver of the Silverado was not injured.
The crash closed a portion of State Road 19 for more than three hours.
Update: 9:45 p.m. Mark Lang has been found safe at Gateway Plaza in Leesburg, according to LPD. Lt. Shannon Walsh.
LEESBURG, Fla.—Leesburg Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing man.
A Purple Alert has been issued for Mark Lang, 64, who is described as a white male, 125 pounds, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, with gray hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a fishing design, black dress pants and black Skechers shoes. He walks with a stagger that may cause him to drag his legs. Lang may be driving a white 2015 Nissan Rogue, license plate 05ARHB, with numerous stickers on the rear windshield and rear fender, including a Star Trek sticker and a Florida Panthers sticker. The Nissan also has a dent in the area of the driver’s side headlight.
A Florida Purple Alert is used to assist in the location of missing adults suffering from a mental or cognitive disability, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (FDLE.)
If you have any information on Lang’s whereabouts, call LPD at 352-787-2121.
LEESBURG, Fla.—A pedestrian has died from injuries he sustained after he was hit by a tractor-trailer in Leesburg Monday night.
The pedestrian, a 34-year-old male of Leesburg, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, was struck crossing U.S. Highway 27 near County Road 48, by a red 2024 International tractor-trailer being driven southbound by Daniel Morales-Barrios, 34, of Davenport, Leesburg Police Department Lt. Shannon Walsh said. The crash closed U.S. Highway 27 for nearly three hours.
The Leesburg man sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he died, according to Walsh. LPD continues to investigate the crash and is asking anyone with information to call its Traffic Unit at 352-728-9860, extension 3838.
LEESBURG, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that killed a man outside of Leesburg early Sunday morning.
A 26-year-old man of Puerto Rico was driving a 2024 Chevy Malibu eastbound on County Road 48 approaching County Road 33, shortly before 2:30 a.m. He ran the stop sign at County Road 33, went off the roadway, became airborne over a ditch, struck a tree and overturned, FHP said.
The driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital; his passenger, a 41-year-old male, also of Puerto Rico was also transported and pronounced deceased. The crash remains under investigation.
LEESBURG, Fla.—A Leesburg High School freshman was arrested for possessing a loaded, stolen gun Thursday after a Lake County Sheriff’s Office vape-detection dog alerted on the student’s backpack.
K9 Samba and her handler Erica Samborski assisted Leesburg Police Department school resource officers with a prescheduled visit to LHS for a routine check for contraband and illegal items. Samba alerted on a backpack in the media room where students often leave their belongings, according to LCSO. No students were present at the time of the search and after Samba’s alert, the backpack was searched and a loaded 9mm Glock was found. The gun was one of two that were stolen from an unlocked vehicle that was burglarized in Lake County. Three vapes and a cigar were also found in the backpack, LCSO said.
“Leesburg School Resource Officers took possession of the firearm and arrested the 9th grade student. To ensure the safety of all students, Leesburg officers conducted a thorough search of the immediate area and added an officer to the campus for additional security throughout the remainder of the day,” LPD Lt. Shannon Walsh said in an email. “This remains an active investigation, and Leesburg detectives are conducting further inquiries.”
Earlier this month, K9 Samba was honored with the Back the Blue Award by then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. Moody was appointed to the U.S. Senate Thursday by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
