MOUNT DORA—A Leesburg woman was arrested Wednesday after an anonymous email was sent to her place of employment advising she was abusing an elderly patient and posting it on social media, according to an arrest affidavit.
Mount Dora Police Department responded to an assisted living facility in the city after an employee reported receiving the email that included a video posted to TikTok showing Gabriel V. Woods, 34, wearing a green work shirt and black pants, with “extremely distinct” gold and silver bracelets dancing to a song. The video was captioned “Nurse: The resident fell out of bed…Me: but this song hit I’ll pick her up in a min.”
The name of the facility is redacted from the affidavit.
The email also included a photo posted on Facebook of an arm with the same bracelets grabbing and twisting the lips of an 88-year-old dementia patient, according to the affidavit. The photo is captioned, “Twisting my Resident Lip Because Uon (Expletive) Before Shift Change.”
When Woods arrived at work Wednesday, MDPD questioned her and she admitted she was in the video and photo and the social media accounts belonged to her, the affidavit states. She said the video was not real and a there was no patient in need of assistance. She did admit to touching the woman in the photo, but said it was not forceful. She also told MDPD there no reason to touch the dementia patient’s mouth other than to make a post to gain social media likes.
Woods was arrested for abuse, aggravated abuse and neglect of an elderly person. She was transported to the Lake County Jail, where she was released on $2,000 bond.
MOUNT DORA, Florida— The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has released details about the apprehension of Zachery Waldo Wednesday.
Waldo, 36, was tracked down by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force that includes a deputy from LCSO, LCSO Lt. Fred Jones told Inside Lake.
He was found at Lakeside Inn, 100 Alexander Street, a popular downtown Mount Dora hotel, shortly before 11 a.m.
“They boxed him in, in the parking lot,” Jones said.
A $10,000 reward was being offered for information leading to Waldo’s capture, but no one will be getting the reward because the Marshals developed information on their own and found him, Jones said.
Waldo disappeared on a lunch break during his DUI manslaughter trial March 14 where he stood accused of killing three members of the same family in Leesburg in 2019.
On Christmas Eve 2019, Waldo was driving a 2019 Dodge Ram around 8:30 p.m. eastbound on Dixie Avenue approaching Dozier Court, when a 2018 Toyota Corolla being driven by Christopher Smith attempted to make a left turn on Dozier Court from westbound Dixie Avenue, Leesburg Police Capt. Joe Iozzi said following the crash.
The event data recorder (EDR) for the Ram recorded the Ram’s speed at 84.5 mph one tenth of a second from the time of impact, but just 2 seconds before the Ram was traveling at 96.3 mph, according to the report. The posted speed limit is 35 mph, and a witness told LPD the Ram did not slow down, and the brake lights did not illuminate. A witness also put Waldo behind the wheel just before the crash and DNA confirmed, Iozzi told Inside Lake.
The front of the Ram struck right side of the Toyota, killing Smith, 44, and his wife, Jessica Smith, 35, both of Eustis. They were pronounced dead on the scene. The couple’s two children,11-year-old Hunter and 13-year-old Hailey, who were passengers in the Toyota, were taken to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children for treatment. Hailey succumbed to her injuries and died on Christmas Day.
Waldo and his passenger, Kevin Cunningham, 33, were taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center for their injuries. LPD obtained hospital records and Waldo was found to have an alcohol level twice the legal limit, along with amphetamines and benzos in his system, according to the report.
Upon searching the Ram, LPD found a loaded Ruger .40 caliber handgun stolen from Mount Dora, six sandwich bags containing 157.8 grams of marijuana and six cell phones, according to the report.
A warrant was issued for Waldo’s arrest in 2020 and in August of that year, LCSO deputies and U.S. Marshals were conducting surveillance and spied Waldo getting into a black Dodge SUV. Waldo drove out of a neighborhood on Chain O Lakes Road near Grand Island and rolled a stop sign at County Road 44, according to an arrest affidavit. An LCSO deputy attempted a traffic stop and Waldo sped off, running other vehicles off the road. Multiple units attempted to stop Waldo and he struck an LCSO patrol car and crashed through a fence on Tall Oak Court, the affidavit states.
Waldo fled on foot and hid in the bushes of a home on Grand Island Oaks Circle and asked for a ride from a man returning home from work. The man denied him the ride and Waldo took off again and jumped over a fence to Laurel Crest Court. He was found lying on the ground wearing nothing but underwear, the affidavit states.
Three days later, he posted a $148,000 bond and was released from LCJ.
Waldo stood trial in March 2023 for the crimes. He was still out on bond and not in custody, so he was allowed to leave the courthouse during a lunch break He never came back from that break on the second day of his trial. LPD, LCSO and U.S. Marshals began searching for him immediately and he was found guilty in absentia by a jury the same day.
A little more than a month ago, Waldo’s girlfriend, Melinesia Shauntel Jones, 32, was arrested for her part in helping him elude capture. Jones was charged in March with principal to failure to appear, accessory after the fact to DUI manslaughter, false information to law enforcement in a felony investigation, and accessory after the fact to DUI with serious bodily injury. Her home on East Street in Leesburg was searched by U.S. Marshals and LPD, but Waldo was not there. Jones was arrested and held for a month at the Lake County Jail, before being released Thursday on $13,000 bond.
Waldo, now charged with failure to appear, is being held on no bond.
MOUNT DORA, Florida— The man who left for lunch during his DUI manslaughter trial in March was taken into custody Wednesday morning.
Zachery Maurice Waldo, 36, was on trial for killing Christopher Smith, 44, his wife, Jessica Smith, 35, and their daughter Hailey Smith, 13, all of Eustis, more than three years ago. Their son Hunter, just 11 years old at the time, was the sole survivor in the vehicle his family was riding in. Christopher and Jessica died on the scene of the Christmas Eve 2019 crash and Hailey died on Christmas Day 2019.
As his trial was underway on March 14, Waldo left the Lake County Courthouse on a lunch break and never came back; Waldo was out on bond for the crimes and that is why he was allowed to leave the courthouse during the break. Leesburg Police Department, LCSO and U.S. Marshals began searching for him immediately and he was found guilty in absentia by a jury the same day.
He was found in Mount Dora Wednesday morning and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond, according to online booking records. Inside Lake is working to get details on his apprehension.
LEESBURG, Florida—A speeding SUV that caught the attention of a Leesburg Police officer resulted in eight charges for a Leesburg man Monday.
An LPD officer was patrolling the area of Tuskegee Street shortly before 2 p.m. Monday when he noticed a black Chevy Equinox speeding and swerving, according to an arrest affidavit. The Chevy turned onto Harlem Avenue and then Georgia Avenue and the officer drove parallel to the SUV and found it on Waitman Avenue and watched it back into a driveway on Waitman Avenue, the affidavit states.
The officer initiated a traffic stop and smelled a strong odor of marijuana as he approached the vehicle. Kiereon Daishaun Black, 22, who lives at the home on Waitman Avenue exited the SUV and walked towards the passenger side of the SUV as the officer told him the reason for the traffic stop and asked for his license and registration. Black stated they were in the vehicle and began searching for his paperwork from the passenger side when the officer noticed a bag with ammunition in a bag in the center console, the affidavit states.
Kiereon Daishaun Black PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
The officer asked Black if he had any weapons and he stated there was a gun in the left, rear passenger area. The officer then asked Black if he had anything on him and he said, “yes” and LPD found a loaded 9mm Ruger in his right, front pocket. LPD later found out the gun was stolen from Dade City, according to the affidavit.
The officer also located a large bulge in Black’s left pocket and found it to be just over 17 grams of marijuana. Black was told to sit in a nearby lawn chair while officers searched the Chevy, and they found a loaded 45mm Glock on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat. Once the Ruger came back as stolen, officers attempted to take Black into custody and he resisted and began to flee on foot. An officer deployed his taser twice, striking Black in the arm both times, causing him to fall to the ground.
Black was placed under arrest and officers continued their search of the SUV and found 36 grams of marijuana and 1.4 grams of THC wax. A baggie was found under the front bumper of the Chevy that contained just over 4 grams of crack cocaine, the affidavit states.
Black is facing numerous charges, including, theft of a firearm, concealing a weapon during the commission of a felony, carrying a concealed firearm, resisting without violence and possession of marijuana, cocaine, THX wax and drug paraphernalia. He was transported to LPD for processing and later the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $14,000 bond.
SUMTER COUNTY, Florida—Four people were seriously injured in an early morning crash near The Villages, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
A 35-year-old Leesburg man was driving a sedan eastbound on State Road 44 when he sped through a red light and collided with an SUV being driven by a 32-year-old Wildwood woman that was traveling southbound on Morse Boulevard, FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins said in a press release.
Both vehicles rotated and came to a final stop on the south shoulder of State Road 44, while the front axle of the sedan and the engine block of the SUV came to a final rest in the westbound lanes, Gaskins said.
Both drivers and two passengers in the sedan, a 22-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, both of Leesburg, were all transported to local hospitals with serious injuries. All the occupants of the sedan are in serious condition and the driver of the SUV is in critical condition, according to Gaskins.
The crash shut down the eastbound lanes of State Road 44 and the lanes were still closed nearly seven hours after the crash. The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office assisted FHP with traffic control.
LEESBURG, Florida—Shoppers have a new place in town to hunt for bargains.
The first of its kind in Lake County, Bin Pickin, 1015 West North Boulevard, Leesburg, is a new concept for the area, Jennifer Wooten, who owns the store with her husband, Jamie, told Inside Lake this week.
The Wootens purchase truckloads of overstock and returns from Amazon, Kohl’s and CVS Pharmacy and offer all the items for one price three days a week, Wooten said. Fridays, each item is $10, Saturdays, items are $7 and Mondays, they are just $3. Items are placed on large tables and shoppers can pick through the tables hunting for treasures. “It is Black Friday every week,” Wooten said.
GRAPHIC: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
Not all items are worth $10, and Wooten suggests coming back on $7 day or $3 day to purchase those items. Big-ticket items are often snatched up at the $10 price point and shoppers can miss out if they do not buy the item when they see it, Wooten said.
“It may not be there on $7 day; most likely it won’t be there,” she said.
Bins are topped off and replenished Saturday morning before $7 day, but $3 days are the items that are leftover from Fridays and Saturdays.
“Fridays and Saturdays are all new stuff,” she said.
They have a large variety of items, and they change from week to week with each new truckload. Friday marks Bin Pickin’s third week and shoppers have found everything from makeup, to video games, telescopes and home décor. Electronics have been popular and Wooten said so far the most expensive thing they have seen is a mini PC that retails for as much as $800.
Photo courtesy of Bin Pickin
The store has gotten off to a fantastic start, Wooten said, with lines wrapped around the building on Fridays, more than an hour before they open; and there are always at least 15 to 20 people in the store the entire time they are open.
“The community has been great,” she said. “We have loyal customers already.”
Items are sold “as is” and Bin Pickin does not accept returns, but it offers a box opening station where shoppers can take a box to an employee and the employee will open it up to ensure all pieces are there. If not, the customer is not obligated to buy the item, according to Wooten. Employees will also plug electronic items in to make sure they power on, she said. Amazon items that are in plain boxes have small labels that can be scanned with the Amazon app, right from a cell phone and customers will know what is inside the box.
Photo courtesy of Bin Pickin
Earlier this week, Wooten opened on Tuesday for $1 day to clear out some of the lower-ticket merchandise and Bin Pickin will be adding a few $1 days per month in the future, she said. She may also add a few nighttime events to accommodate more people who have daytime work schedules, she said.
On Thursdays and Fridays, Bin Pickin posts short videos on its Facebook page to preview some of the items it will have that week. Shoppers can watch the videos by visiting the Bin Pickin – Leesburg Facebook page or by clicking here.
TAVARES, Florida—A Tavares High School student was found with a gun on campus Monday, according to an arrest affidavit.
Freddy Adams, 16, was pulled out of class around 12:30 p.m. Monday because he and two other students were believed to be under the influence of the drugs, the affidavit states. Adams’ backpack was searched by an assistant principal and he found a small black bag that contained a Remington Arms R51 9mm. The names of the other two students were not released.
The gun was not loaded, but the AP found a magazine that contained six 9mm rounds in the bag with the gun, according to the affidavit. Adams, of Leesburg, was arrested by THS’ school resource deputy for possession of a firearm on school property, carrying a concealed firearm and possession of a firearm by a minor; he was transported to the Lake County Jail.
LEESBURG, Florida—Leesburg Police Department is investigating a crash that killed a Crystal River man Sunday night.
Shortly after 8:15 p.m. Sunday, LPD responded to a crash between a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a Kia SUV near State Road 44 and Euclid Street, LPD Capt. Joe Iozzi said in a press release.
According to the preliminary investigation, Rodney J. Balderas, 41, of Crystal River was westbound on a black 2013 Harley-Davidson when he collided with a 2016 black Kia SUV being driven by John R. O’Steen, 73, of Leesburg. Balderas was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The crash caused traffic to be diverted around the scene for about three hours, Iozzi said. LPD is asking anyone with information about the crash to call LPD’s Traffic Unit at 352-787-2121.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida—A Leesburg man is being held in the Osceola County Jail on no bond, accused of shooting a truck that contained a 5-year-old child in a road rage incident on Florida’s Turnpike Sunday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Tara Crescenzi.
A trooper was conducting traffic enforcement in the median of Florida’s Turnpike near Kenansville shortly before 6:30 p.m. Sunday when he observed a white sedan driving recklessly and changing lanes around a white pickup truck in the northbound lanes.
The trooper made his way into traffic and watched the white car continue to improperly change lanes at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour until it was caught in traffic, according to an incident report. FHP pulled the car over and ordered the occupants to exit the vehicle. The driver, Zion Zaire Vincent Waller, 22, and his passenger, a 22-year-old woman from Minneola, exited the vehicle and Waller was immediately placed under arrest for reckless driving. His passenger was detained and placed in a patrol vehicle; Inside Lake is not naming the Minneola woman because she was not charged with a crime. Troopers began to inventory the vehicle before it was towed and discovered a Premier Firearms 556 rifle and a Glock 45 handgun in plain view, the report states.
Zion Waller is seen here in his January 2023 Lake County Jail mugshot. Waller was arrested in Lake County in January for domestic battery by strangulation and two counts of child abuse. The charges were dropped just two days before the road rage incident.
As they inventoried the car, a white pickup truck pulled up to the scene and the driver told troopers his truck had been shot by Waller and pointed to a bullet hole on the left side of the truck between the driver’s door and the passenger door. The driver said the white sedan had been driving erratically around the truck before shooting at it, while it contained him, another adult and a 5-year-old child, according to the report.
FHP questioned Waller, who said he was involved in a road rage incident with the truck several miles south and the driver of the truck pointed what appeared to be a weapon at him. Waller told troopers he feared for his life and shot one round at the truck and sped up to get away. Waller said he did not call 9-1-1 because he did not “feel safe” pulling over, the report states. His passenger, the Minneola woman, told troopers Waller shot at the truck, attempting to shoot at the tires.
A bullet hole in a truck is seen here following a road rage incident involving a Leesburg man Sunday. PHOTO: Florida Highway Patrol
The driver of the truck consented to a search and no weapons were found in the vehicle.
Waller was arrested for three counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied vehicle, carrying a concealed firearm and reckless driving. He was transported to the Osceola County Jail, where he is being held on no bond. The occupants of the truck were not injured.
Waller was arrested in Lake County in January for domestic battery by strangulation and two counts of child abuse. The charges were dropped just two days before the road rage incident.
OCALA, Florida—A Leesburg man who was apprehended near a Tavares motel more than a year ago has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Timothy Eric “Tater” Evans, 41, was taken into custody March 3, 2022 near La Bella Inn, 101 West Burleigh Boulevard by multiple agencies on a federal warrant issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) stemming from an incident that occurred in Tavares on May 21, 2021.
In May 2021, Evans was found with a stolen vehicle and an officer with Tavares Police Department searched the stolen vehicle and found MDMA, also known as Molly, and a loaded gun in the center console. A search of Evans’ phone revealed numerous photos of illegal narcotics and guns, along with messages in which Evans was attempting to buy and sell guns, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The gun charge was dropped by the state and picked up by the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Evans pleaded guilty in June 2022.
Evans was later taken into custody in Tavares with the cooperation of multiple agencies, including ATF, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Mount Dora Police Department and Tavares Police Department.
PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
“We assisted ATF, FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) and Mount Dora Police Department in the apprehension of Timothy Evans on an active federal warrant,” TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake last year. TPD also transported Evans to the Lake County Jail, according to a report.
According to an MDPD report, officers from that agency assisted with blocking eastbound traffic on U.S. Highway 441 near the motel and Evans and another male were ordered out of the vehicle they were in and taken into custody without incident. The vehicle was then towed to MDPD for secure storage.
Multiple sources, as far back as November 2021, have told Inside Lake Evans, an eight-time convicted felon, is suspected of committing a high-profile crime in the area, but he has never been arrested for the crime. Evans’ case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together many levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence, the U.S Attorney’s Office said. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk prosecuted the case.
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