LEESBURG, Fla.—An Ocala woman was found dead Monday morning in a retention pond, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The woman, 25, was traveling northbound on County Road 452 in a 2019 Dodge Challenger when she ran of the right side of the road, hit a pole, crashed through a chain link fence and drove into a retention pond, fully submerging the car. The pond is located at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, 39034 County Road 452, Leesburg.
An Ocala woman was found dead in a retention pond Monday after crashing through this fence at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center outside of Leesburg. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
“The exact time of the crash is under investigation,” Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said.
FHP responded to the scene around 8 a.m. Monday and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team assisted with recovery.
LEESBURG, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating after a deceased person was found in vehicle at the bottom of a pond Monday morning.
The vehicle was found in a small pond at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, 39034 County Road 452, Leesburg around 7:45 a.m. Monday. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team is on scene and assisting FHP with recovery, LCSO Cpl. Chanel Martin told Inside Lake.
Inside Lake was on the scene and a large portion of fence was broken in front of the pond and crime scene taped was stretched out along County Road 452. An FHP traffic homicide investigator is on scene and more information will be released once it is available, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said.
UMATILLA, Fla.—A 29-year-old man who has ties to Eustis and Umatilla is in the Lake County Jail on no bond accused of multiple sex crimes against children.
Arsenio Quinones, who lives in Umatilla, but has a Eustis mailing address, was arrested by a Lake County Sheriff’s detective Thursday after agreeing to meet with the detective at a home in Umatilla and admitting he committed sex crimes against two separate juvenile victims, according to a heavily redacted arrest affidavit.
Both victims’ names, ages and addresses are redacted from the affidavit to protect their identities.
In October 2023, victim one reported Quinones had touched her in a sexual manner at least six years ago and she had text messages between her and Quinones proving her allegations. She showed law enforcement the messages where she asked Quinones why he had manipulated her into doing sexual things with him. He reportedly responded, “There’s no reason or excuse…I’m telling you this stays in my head about wtf happened. I don’t just live myself forgetting and leaving it in the past…I hate who I was and I wish I can either end it or do whatever it is I need to do to make it better. I know you don’t care about me and what I have to say. But I am genuinely sorry for putting you through that and destroying any time of image you have of me and life. You didn’t deserve it and shouldn’t have been taught…”
The victim told her family what allegedly happened, and she gave a second victim a case number to contact law enforcement. Victim one told the detective there may have been a witness to the abuse of victim two.
Victim one was contacted at a “later date” by an LCSO detective, and she described the abuse in detail; Inside Lake is not including the details in this story, due to their graphic nature.
Victim one made a controlled phone to Quinones Wednesday, and she confronted him about the abuse she said lasted four to five years. Quinones apologized multiple times and victim one mentioned victim two and Quinones reportedly stated the abuse was “not forced.” A controlled phone call is an arranged call made between a victim and a suspect, monitored and recorded by law enforcement.
Victim two told the detective two different abuse incidents occurred at two different homes, and the first incident occurred in either 2016 or 2017. She said Quinones asked her if she would be his girlfriend and then touched over and under her clothes. During the second abuse incident, Quinones took the abuse much further, she told the detective in detail.
Following the interviews with both victims and the controlled phone call, the LCSO detective went to the home of Quiniones’ mother and gave his number to her so Quinones could contact him. He called the detective a brief time later, and the detective went to a home in Umatilla to speak with him in person and, according to the affidavit, Quinones told the detective victim one was curious, so they engaged in sexual activity. He said he did not think it happened as much as victim one said it did, but she “may have been correct.”
Quinones then admitted to sexual activity with victim two, and said he did not force either victim. Quinones was arrested for two counts each of sexual battery on a victim under 12 and lewd or lascivious battery, victim 12 to under 16: three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim 12 to under 16, sexual battery on a victim 12 to under 18 and lewd or lascivious molestation, victim under 12. He was transported to the LCJ, where he remains on no bond.
EUSTIS, Fla.—A motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon after striking a concrete mailbox, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The man was riding a 2020 Harley-Davidson FXLRS on State Road 44 when he failed to negotiate a curve, ran off the road, and hit the mailbox near Bottany Woods Drive, in unincorporated Eustis, shortly after 5 p.m.
He was transported to AdventHealth DeLand, where he was pronounced deceased, FHP said. The crash closed State Road 44 and it was still closed nearly three hours after the crash.
TAVARES, Fla.—The mom accused of kidnapping her two daughters from a Sorrento foster home in January is back in Lake County to face her charges.
Dixie Krista Williams, 42, is accused of kidnapping her two daughters, Tilli and Natalia, in the early morning hours of Jan. 25 from their foster home in Sorrento, triggering an Amber Alert and large law enforcement response. The girls were missing for more than a day, until Williams was captured in Louisiana on Jan. 26.
Tillie and Natalia Williams are seen here in this undated photo.
Through its investigation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office discovered information that Williams may be traveling in a silver Nissan Rogue on Interstate 20 in Louisiana with the girls who were 5 years old and 18 months old at the time of the kidnapping. Detectives relayed that information to Louisiana State Police (LSP,) and troopers spotted the Rogue and initiated a traffic stop around 12:15 p.m. local time. After a brief pursuit by LSP and Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, Williams was taken into custody, and Tilli and Natalia were found safe. The girls were turned over to Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services; it is unknown what their current status is.
Williams was arrested on a warrant for two counts of kidnapping and numerous Louisiana charges, including aggravated flight from an officer, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, resisting an officer, two counts of no child passenger restraint system and no seat belt use. Lincoln Parish Clerk of Court records were not available at press time, the status of Williams’ Louisiana criminal charges is unknown.
Williams spent more than eight months locked up in Ruston, Louisiana before being extradited back to Lake County on Oct. 6. In addition to her kidnapping charges, Williams must answer for failing to appear in court for five traffic-related charges stemming from an arrest by Eustis Police Department in December 2022. In that case, Williams was found driving without a license, allegedly resisted arrest and was ticketed for several driving offenses. On that traffic stop, Williams told the arresting officer she was “traveling” and “did not need a license,” a phrase commonly used by self-proclaimed sovereign citizens.
Williams is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond, and according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records, she waived her arraignment scheduled for Nov. 4 and pleaded not guilty. She is represented by Assistant Public Defender Mona Payne and Assistant State Attorney Gabriel Lozano is prosecuting the case.
OCALA NATIONAL FOREST—A Sorrento man has died after crashing a dirt bike Sunday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Around 11:10 a.m., the 59-year-old man was riding a 2022 KTM Dirt Bike on a dirt road in the Ocala National Forest when he crashed into two trees and was thrown from the bike, FHP said. Troopers did not release an exact location.
The man was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares, where he was pronounced deceased.
TAVARES, Fla.—The woman accused of helping mastermind an ambush attack on Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies may pay for her crimes with her life.
Fifth Judicial Circuit Assistant State Attorney Kenneth Nunnelley filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty late Tuesday afternoon in the case against Julie Sulpizio.
Sulpizio, 48, is accused of starting an altercation with her neighbors on Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis on Aug. 2. LCSO responded to the altercation and during a well-being check at her home, just down the street from the original call, Master Deputy Bradley Link was shot and suffered fatal wounds. In an immediate rescue attempt of Link, K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell was shot in the wrist and in a subsequent rescue attempt, Deputy Stefano Gargano was shot multiple times. Howell and Gargano have since been released from the hospital and continue to recover from their injuries.
Evidence at the scene revealed Julie’s husband, Michael, and daughters, Cheyenne and Savannah, opened fire on the deputies and all three were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds after LCSO’s SWAT made entry to the home.
Sulpizio is facing a multitude of charges, including principal to first degree murder of a law enforcement officer, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, three counts of principal to attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer, three counts of battery and one count of battery on a law enforcement officer.
Sulpizio is being held on no bond at an undisclosed detention center and has pleaded not guilty.
Publisher’s note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla.— Tropical Storm Helene, expected to make landfall Thursday as Hurricane Helene, is expected to bring wind and rain to Lake County and residents should finish storm preparations by Wednesday afternoon. How to get information and sandbags, along with closures are listed below.
Citizens Information line: 352-253-9999
AlertLake Notification System: sign up at https://alertlake.com/ or text ALERTLAKE to 888777
TAVARES, Fla.- Lake County public schools will be closed Thursday due to Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to be a hurricane when it makes landfall, according to Lake County Schools.
After-school activities on Wednesday are not cancelled and a decision will be made about Friday following Wednesday’s mid-day briefing, LCS said.
MOUNT DORA, Fla.—The City of Mount Dora has lifted its precautionary boil water notice, according to spokesperson Misty Sommer.
“Lab results have confirmed that no contaminates were found in our water supply, and it’s safe for all normal use,” Sommer said in an email shortly before 1 p.m. Friday.
Around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, an independent contractor struck a water main while working on a development at U.S. Highway 441 and Natoma Boulevard. Residents and businesses lost water, and most were restored by 11 p.m. Tuesday. The city issued a boil water notice following restoration and expected it to be lifted by Friday.
