Mount Dora

Former teacher found guilty of sexually battering foreign exchange student in ’23

TAVARES, Fla.—A former high school teacher has been found guilty of sexually battering a foreign exchange student last year, along with other charges related to the incident.

A Lake County jury found Dmitri V. Kostyunina, 51, guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, delivery of cannabis to a person under 18 and sexual battery last week in Tavares, according to Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office.

Kostyunina was employed as a science teacher at Apopka High School when he was arrested in October 2023 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) contacted Mount Dora Police Department and stated a “sexual incident” occurred at Kostyunina’s home in Mount Dora. The victim told authorities that Kostyunina gave him marijuana edibles and alcohol and performed sex acts on the boy in two different rooms in his home in September 2023. The boy, from Italy, had been staying with Kostyunina since August as part of a foreign exchange student program, Gladson’s office said. The boy’s age has never been released.

During an interview, Kostyunina admitted giving the boy THC edibles, wine and beer and claimed he “blacked out” and woke up to evidence of a sexual encounter, and “he knew he made a mistake,” his arrest affidavit states.

“Kostyunin’s actions not only violated the trust placed in him but also endangered the well-being of a child within our community,” Gladson said. “Instead of being able to learn abroad, make lasting friendships, and take in some of the amazing things our country has to offer, those experiences and memories will forever be tarnished because of Kostyunin.”

Kostyunina has been held in the Lake County Jail on no bond since his arrest; he will be sentenced at a later date.

Previous story: Apopka High School Teacher Admits Giving THC Edibles and Alcohol to Child Prior to “Sexual Incident” in Mount Dora – Inside Lake

Former teacher found guilty of sexually battering foreign exchange student in ’23 Read More »

Injured motorcyclist files lawsuit against Mount Dora bar he says served alcoholic pedestrian involved in crash last summer

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—A motorcyclist thrown from his bike after striking a pedestrian who was standing in the middle of the road last summer has filed a lawsuit against the owners of the bar he says knowingly served an alcoholic before the fatal crash.

According to the lawsuit, Jason Dean Bowlin, 42, was served “numerous alcoholic beverages while a patron at Big Dog Saloon” on or about Aug. 20, 2023. Around 12:45 a.m. Brandon Crunk was riding his 2021 Harley-Davidson westbound on County Road 19A near Progress Boulevard when he struck Bowlin who was standing in the middle of County Road 19A, less than half of a mile from Big Dog Saloon.

The impact killed Bowlin and threw Crunk from the motorcycle, severely injuring him. The lawsuit states Bowlin was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash and he was “habitually addicted to alcohol and/or was a habitual drunkard.”

Crunk filed the lawsuit against Toga Holding Co. Inc. and Sara-Dora Tavern Inc. in Lake County Circuit Court Thursday morning and states the defendants and its “employees, agents, and/or representatives knew that Bowlin was habitually addicted to the use of alcoholic beverages.”

Crunk is represented by M. Jesse Stern of Newsome Melton PA in Orlando, and he is seeking damages “in excess of $50,000.”

Previous story: Pedestrian Killed in Mount Dora Early Sunday, Motorcyclist in Critical Condition – Inside Lake

Read the complete lawsuit here: Crunk v. Toga Holding Co. Inc.; Sara-Dora Tavern Inc.

Injured motorcyclist files lawsuit against Mount Dora bar he says served alcoholic pedestrian involved in crash last summer Read More »

More charges for accused Eustis serial burglar

EUSTIS, Fla.—The man accused of multiple thefts in Eustis and Mount Dora beginning in October 2023 is now facing more charges, according to Eustis Police Department.

Jordan Makuannen, 19, has been held in the Lake County Jail on no bond since he was arrested earlier this week after Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies worked together and took him into custody after he bailed out of a stolen vehicle near the Lake County/Polk County line.

Makuannen is now facing additional charges related to the stolen Dodge Durango he dumped at Club at Eustis Apartments March 3, including burglary to an occupied dwelling, grand theft from a dwelling, grand theft, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and grand theft auto.

In that case, Makuannen is believed to have climbed through a window of a home on East Atwater Avenue while a resident was asleep; he took electronics, the keys to the Durango and the Durango. This theft was just one day after he was captured on video stealing groceries off the porch of a home on Morin Street and at least the second time he is accused of entering a residence while someone was home.

After EPD officers recovered the stolen Durango, they found groceries that matched items stolen from Morin Street and located items that belong to a Eustis woman and were taken in a separate theft, according to an affidavit.

Makuannen is facing a slew of charges and is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond due to his failure to appear in court for his October 2023 case.

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

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

More charges for accused Eustis serial burglar Read More »

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 »

BREAKING NEWS: Suspected Mount Dora Prowler Identified and Arrested

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Mount Dora Police Department has identified and arrested the man suspected of prowling the city’s west side last week while armed.

Dylan Michael Price, 29, of Mount Dora, was arrested Monday following a search warrant at his home and is facing two counts of armed trespassing and one count of petit theft, City of Mount Dora Spokesperson Misty Sommer said.

He spent just over two hours in jail before being released on $4,500 bond just before midnight Tuesday, according to Lake County Jail online booking records.

Previous story: Mount Dora Police Seeking Public’s Help with Identifying Suspected Burglar – Inside Lake

BREAKING NEWS: Suspected Mount Dora Prowler Identified and Arrested Read More »

Mount Dora Police Seeking Public’s Help with Identifying Suspected Burglar

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Mount Dora Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance with identifying a man who is suspected of prowling and committing burglaries on the west side of the city and he may have been armed, according to a social media post.

A homeowner who lives near Crestview Drive and Normandy Drive told Inside Lake he awoke to the sound of several gunshots and a heavy police presence overnight Thursday and some of his neighbors captured the man on video surveillance. The homeowner said his home and vehicles were not burglarized but the gunshots sounded very close to his home.

MDPD released a photo of the suspect Friday and are asking anyone who can identify him to call them at 352-735-7130 or email  [email protected]

Mount Dora Police Seeking Public’s Help with Identifying Suspected Burglar Read More »

Man Shot in November Pleads No Contest to Lying to Mount Dora Cops

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—A man who was a victim of a shooting, has pleaded no contest to a charge of filing a false report after Mount Dora Police Department determined he and his ex-girlfriend lied about the location where he was shot in November, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Around 3:30 p.m. Nov. 13, shots rang out at Rosewood Condominiums in Tavares, terrifying parents and a school bus full of children that had pulled into the parking lot; Rosewood has been the site of several shootings and violent crimes in recent years.

“This occurred during a time frame when children were being dropped off,” Tavares Police Department Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake in November. “This is a residential neighborhood.”

TPD responded to the scene and began searching for a victim and evidence and while they were investigating, Amarion Saucier, 21, showed up at AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with his then-girlfriend, Josey Neat, 21. Saucier was suffering a gunshot wound to the buttocks.

Saucier and Neat told TPD Saucier was shot at Cauley Lott Park in Mount Dora and TPD requested Mount Dora Police Department’s assistance. A lieutenant with MDPD checked footage from cameras mounted in Cauley Lott Park and found no indication a shooting occurred there.

“In fact, children were observed playing on the swings, riding scooters and playing basketball within the 50-minute time frame of the recording,” an MDPD detective noted in the affidavit. “It is clear there was no shooting incident at the intersection of Highland Street and Pine Avenue inside Cauley Lott Park.”

The MDPD detective responded to the hospital to interview Saucier and Neat and when he arrived a TPD captain told him he warned the couple they could be arrested for giving a false statement to law enforcement, the affidavit states.

Tavares Police Department responds to a shooting at Rosewood Condominiums in November. Courtesy photo

Saucier and Neat told the detective the shooting did occur at Cauley Lott Park when he interviewed them separately. He told Neat the video surveillance from Cauley Lott Park did match her story and, “she insisted her story was true,” the affidavit states.

A warrant was issued for both Saucier and Neat Nov. 16, 2023, for false information to a law enforcement officer and they were picked up two months later on Jan. 16 when Neat called the police on Saucier. In that incident, she told MDPD she went to her now ex-boyfriend Saucier’s apartment in Spring Harbor Apartments in Mount Dora with her brother and another woman to get a phone for her daughter. Neat said the pair got into a verbal alteration and Saucier threatened to shoot her vehicle several times, though she did not see a weapon. Saucier then broke her window trying to get to Neat’s brother, according to Saucier’s arrest affidavit in that case.

When officers ran their names, they found Neat and Saucier had warrants and they were both taken into custody. Neat was released the following day on $1,000 bond. Saucier, was arrested for an additional charge of burglary for breaking the window and has since pleaded no contest to the false information charge. He is currently serving his sentence in the Lake County Jail; the burglary case remains open.

TPD continues to investigate the November shooting.

Man Shot in November Pleads No Contest to Lying to Mount Dora Cops Read More »

Incident with Barricaded Mount Dora Man Ends Peacefully

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—An incident with a barricaded subject in Mount Dora came to a peaceful end about seven hours after it started Sunday night.

A man, who has not been identified publicly, was having a mental health crisis and barricaded himself in a building at Hammock Oaks Apartments, 3550 Lake Center Drive, Mount Dora, shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday.

Mount Dora Police Department responded to the scene and Tavares Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office assisted, City of Mount Dora Spokesperson Misty Sommer said, and some residents were evacuated from their homes.

The ordeal lasted until nearly midnight and ended with  a “peaceful resolution” and the subject was taken into custody, Sommer said. No other details were available at press time.

Incident with Barricaded Mount Dora Man Ends Peacefully Read More »

Barricaded Subject Forces Mount Dora Residents Out of Their Homes

Update: Incident with Barricaded Mount Dora Man Ends Peacefully – Inside Lake

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—At least three law enforcement agencies are on scene at a Mount Dora apartment complex due to a barricaded subject.

Mount Dora Police Department, Tavares Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to Hammock Oaks Apartments, 3550 Lake Center Drive, Mount Dora in reference to a subject having a “mental health crisis,” shortly before 5 p.m. TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake.

Some residents were evacuated from their homes,” City of Mount Dora Spokesperson Misty Sommer said.

“We believe he’s isolated, Sullivan said. “We’re ensuring the safety of the residents.”PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake

Barricaded Subject Forces Mount Dora Residents Out of Their Homes Read More »

Missing Person Advocate Says Law Enforcement Turned on Her in Missing Mount Dora Mom Case

TAVARES, Fla.—There has been another twist in the case of missing Mount Dora mom Nicole Baldwin.

Early Friday morning, Mount Dora Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement executed a search warrant for electronics at the Tavares home of Terri Rogers, the woman who has organized search parties for Baldwin and gathered information in the case.

Rogers’ involvement in the case began about a week after Baldwin went missing, partially because Baldwin’s case is what Rogers calls “eerily similar” to her missing niece’s case. Rogers is the aunt of Tonya Whipp, a woman who has been missing in Polk County since last summer and told Inside Lake she was compelled to get involved in Baldwin’s case. Baldwin, who is from Germany, does not have family in the United States, other than her children and husband, and Rogers said she advocated for Baldwin because she did not have anyone else to do it for her. Soon after Inside Lake published its first article on the case, Rogers reached out to Baldwin’s oldest daughter Alisha to get flyers out and get her face out to the public, she told Inside Lake.

Rogers developed a relationship with Alisha and has spoken to her sporadically and even helped her move some things out of a storage unit. Rogers said Alisha has never told her she is involved in any way or given her any clue as to what may have happened to Baldwin.

Nicole Baldwin, left, and her daughter, Alisha, right are seen here in this undated photo,. Photo courtesy of Alisha Baldwin

Baldwin vanished in early November and was reported missing to MDPD. MDPD has remained tight-lipped throughout its investigation, leaving many questions unanswered. Inside Lake has asked numerous questions about the case but MDPD has revealed very little. The home where Baldwin lived on Strathmore Circle was searched by MDPD, FDLE and Lake County Sheriff’s Office crime scene investigators on Nov. 28 and has been searched several times since.

On Dec. 14, Baldwin’s husband, Brett, was arrested on federal child pornography charges as investigators found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a phone that was seized during the investigation. He continues to be held in the Marion County Jail on those charges.

In addition to the four community searches Rogers has organized, she has spent hours each day searching for Baldwin on her own or with a smaller team of two to three people. She has walked miles in wooded areas from Leesburg to Mount Dora looking for any trace of the mom of three.

Rogers provided a copy of the search warrant to Inside Lake and law enforcement apparently believes Baldwin is dead, as the warrant states Rogers’ electronics may be “evidence of or evidence relevant to proving” second degree murder.

Inside Lake asked MDPD why they would execute a search warrant on someone who has seemingly been forthcoming and helpful to its investigation and the city’s spokesperson responded with this text, “Court orders are approved by the State Attorney and the Court of Law. MDPD executed a lawful search warrant to continue the search for missing person Nicole Baldwin. The status of the investigation is ongoing.”

Rogers said an agent with FDLE told her they were confiscating her electronics because they believed she was hiding something and “protecting Alisha.” Rogers said she has been communicating with this agent for months and has always given her any information Rogers believes is pertinent to finding Baldwin. Rogers has screenshots of text messages she said were between her and the agent showing the agent gave her particular areas to search and a message stating Alisha had been “cleared,” she said

Rogers said she thought there was a trusting relationship between her and the agent, but after being surprised with the search warrant, she is upset and angry.

“All they had to do was ask and I would have given them my phone. I’m not hiding anything,” she told Inside Lake. “Hook me up to a lie detector test!”

Just before Christmas 2021, Rogers was the victim of a house fire and lost three dogs to smoke inhalation and the experience was extremely traumatic for Rogers. After the fire she rescued more dogs and purchased indoor cameras so she could keep an eye on them when she left her home.

“They have taken that ability from me; I feel like a prisoner in my own house. I’m not comfortable leaving my home if I can’t check on my rescue dogs,” Rogers told Inside Lake.

This forced Rogers to cancel a community search for Baldwin scheduled for Sunday.

She told Inside Lake her anxiety is off the charts now and she is in fear of law enforcement. Rogers feels she now needs legal counsel and her best friend has started a fundraising campaign to help with legal fees, to donate to the fundraising campaign, click here Missing Person Advocate Unjustly Targeted.

Missing Person Advocate Says Law Enforcement Turned on Her in Missing Mount Dora Mom Case Read More »

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