Around the County

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — Two toddlers were found in a home with “deplorable” conditions and nearly a dozen people were hauled off to jail after a search warrant was executed Friday following a weeks-long narcotics investigation, said Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri. Eustis Police Department executed the warrant at 221 North Mary Street early Friday morning after receiving complaints about drug activity at the home that is less than 450 feet from a faith-based school. “We had several complaints of drug activity in the area. This house is the nuisance house

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — Dozens of children rode their bikes from Eustis Police Department with Chief Craig Capri and spent the afternoon with him and visited several vendors in downtown Eustis’ Ferran Park Thursday. The “Bike Ride with the Eustis Police Chief,” started at EPD with about three dozen bike riders and the crowd of kids grew to nearly 50 in Ferran Park, visiting vendors, and hanging out with law enforcement officers from three agencies, including EPD, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Fruitland Park Police Department. “I consider it a huge

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — Eustis Police arrested the man they say shot a man twice last week, and he is back out on the streets after being released on $12,000 bond. Gary “Pookie” Davis, 42, is accused of shooting the victim once in the right buttock and once in the right calf as the victim retrieved his puppy in the 600 block of Kensington Street Tuesday. According to a probable cause affidavit, the victim, Davis and another man had been having an ongoing dispute for more than a month. Lake Legal

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — The community came in force Friday for Eustis Police Department’s “Tip a Cop” to benefit an EPD event scheduled for Thursday. Chief Craig Capri, along with Captains G. Winheim and K. Toler, Sgt. B. Jenkins, Cpl. L. Brown and Officers J. Allred, D. Perez and M. Freitas worked the lunch rush at Tillie’s Tavern & Grill, 12 E. Magnolia Street to raise money for “Bike Ride with the Eustis Police Chief” scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The money raised Friday will benefit Thursday’s event; elementary aged children

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — Eustis Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on Kensington Street Tuesday night. A man suffered two gunshot wounds around 6:20 p.m. and his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, EPD Chief Craig Capri told Lake Legal News. He was transported to Central Florida Regional Hospital for treatment. “It looks like the victim is going to pull through,” Capri said. EPD has developed information the shooting may be a part of an ongoing dispute with another man. Capri (who was on scene of the shooting),

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — A homeless man who told police he had been using fraudulent receipts “for years to get money” was busted for that offense and possessing methamphetamine Saturday, according to an arrest affidavit. Eustis Police responded to Bealls, 2802 David Walker Drive on a report of a man using fraudulent receipts. An employee told EPD Darin Clay Grenier, 44, had committed fraud at their other location and the employee had been watching for him. He said Grenier entered the store and took a cooler and jewelry totaling nearly $80

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — The Eustis Police chief abruptly resigned Wednesday, citing “other professional opportunities,” according to a press release. Chief Gary Calhoun tendered his resignation to City Manager Ron Neibert on Wednesday, Neibert told Lake Legal News Wednesday afternoon. The city posted the press release on the city’s Facebook page and the post had garnered 60 comments at press time Thursday. Several comments questioned whether Calhoun resigned on his own accord or was forced out. Neibert denied Calhoun was forced out. Calhoun was hired in 2015, and while his official last

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — A suspect wanted in a Halloween shooting rammed two unmarked Eustis Police Department detectives at a local car dealership, fled the scene, was bitten by a K-9 and tased Thursday afternoon, according to Eustis Police Officer J. Allred. EPD received information that the suspect was going to be at Prestige Ford, 17701 U.S. Highway 441, Mount Dora. Two EPD detectives in unmarked vehicles went to the dealership to take him into custody. He rammed both detectives’ vehicles and fled the scene, Allred told Lake Legal News. Though

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida— A man who apparently did not want another man close to him because of “coronavirus,” was arrested Wednesday for threatening the man with a meat cleaver and a fishing knife. Just before 8:30 p.m. Eustis Police responded to Colonial Inn, 1000 South Bay Street on a report of an aggravated assault. Lake Legal News has reported on several incidents at the motel since 2019, including two separate search warrants.  When an officer arrived, the victim told him a man he knew as “Junior,” later identified as Rolando Trevino

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida— On the first day back from holiday break, a 16-year-old Eustis High School student was arrested for having a loaded gun on campus Monday. Jaiden Dylan Vickers, 16, is facing serious charges after pills and a loaded 9mm Kel-Tec handgun was found in his backpack that he left in a classroom during basketball practice, according to an arrest affidavit.  Three pills were also found in a pill bottle in the backpack and the label on the bottle did not match Vickers’ name. One pill was an allergy medication,

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — A Eustis man who was armed with two knives and a firearm when police found him with two juvenile females— one of whom was overdosing— has been released on $7,000 bond after being arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and felony child abuse on Wednesday. An officer with Eustis Police Department was conducting a property check early Wednesday morning at Woodland Center, 1950 North State Road 19, when he found a 16-year-old girl sitting on a bench at the plaza. The girl told EPD

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — A home invasion Monday night is under investigation, according to Eustis Police Officer J. Allred. EPD responded to a complaint of multiple gunshots in the area of Tall Pines Villas, 1000 Wall Street around 11:30 p.m. Monday. Officers were flagged down in the area of Pine Avenue, according to a press release. The victims told police two black males, over 6 feet tall and weighing more than 200 pounds entered their home and demanded a female victim come with them. The suspects escorted her outside, but then allowed

The following story was first published on Lake Legal News July 30, 2020.  EUSTIS, Florida — A woman who drove down the street with a man on the hood of her SUV was charged with aggravated domestic battery Saturday. Just before 6 p.m. Saturday, a Eustis Police officer met with the victim at the police department and he said his child’s mother, Ernesta Presy, dropped their child off at the last minute at his home on West Pendleton Avenue without notice. The victim confronted Presy and documented the conversation on his cell phone, according to an arrest affidavit. Presy allegedly

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — The former firefighter accused of killing a young woman while driving drunk was nearly twice the legal limit and claimed he had COVID-19 after the crash, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Michael Geoffrey Downs, 30, turned himself in at the Lake County Jail Friday afternoon after apparently being tipped off there was a warrant for his arrest for killing 23-year old Catherine Eaglin on March 19. Downs is charged with DUI manslaughter, three counts of DUI with property damage and one count of false information on

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — A former firefighter accused of DUI manslaughter was booked into the Lake County Jail Friday afternoon. Michael Geoffrey Downs, 30, is facing several charges in addition to the DUI manslaughter, including three counts of DUI with property damage and a count of false information on a crash report. He was booked into LCJ and released in less than an hour on $33,500 bond. Downs, who was an engineer medic at Eustis Fire Department, and former local paramedic of the year was terminated by the City of Eustis

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. EUSTIS, Florida — A local firefighter, who is the deputy chief of the volunteer Umatilla Fire Department, an engineer medic at Eustis Fire Department, and former local paramedic of the year, is under criminal investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol for a three-vehicle crash that killed a 23-year-old woman March 19. Michael Downs, 30, who was off-duty from both fire departments, was traveling eastbound in a 2016 Dodge Ram on State Road 44 when he failed to stop and struck the back of a 2017 Nissan Sentra, “propelling” it into