UMATILLA, Fla.—A Tuesday morning crash killed a Umatilla man and sent another to the hospital, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Shortly before 6:15 a.m., a 2008 Toyota Tacoma being driven by a 40-year-old Umatilla man was stopped southbound at the stop sign at Pine Street and County Road 450A in unincorporated Umatilla. The Tacoma failed to yield to a 1996 Honda Civic being driven westbound on County Road 450A by a 32-year-old Umatilla man, FHP said.
The front of the Tacoma collided with the left side the Civic, seriously injuring the driver of the Tacoma. The driver of the Civic was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares, where he was pronounced deceased, and the Tacoma driver was transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford with serious injuries.
At press time, there was a roadblock at all four directions of the intersection, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said. The crash remains under investigation.
CLERMONT, Fla.—Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies are searching for a man who robbed a pharmacist of prescription pills at gunpoint in the Four Corners area of unincorporated Clermont Tuesday morning.
The suspect, described as a white male, weighing 170 to 180 pounds, with balding red hair and a beard, entered Walgreens,1600 U.S. Highway 27, Clermont, shortly before 9 a.m. and went to the pharmacy area of the store. He displayed a gun and robbed the pharmacist of prescription pills, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said.
No one was injured, and the man, who had tattoos on at least one of his arms, fled the store in an unknown direction. If you have information on the suspect’s identity or his whereabouts, call LCSO at 352-343-2101 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS; Crimeline callers may be eligible for a reward.
ALTOONA, Fla.—The man found dead in his burning home Saturday took his own life, according to the medical examiner, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
Michael Gall, 49, was found dead in his home at 20332 Wood Duck Road in Altoona around 1 p.m. Saturday, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said. LCSO and Lake County Fire responded to the home after reports it was on fire and LCFR found Gall dead in the home.
The medical examiner performed an autopsy Sunday and preliminary findings showed Gall died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Herrell.
ALTOONA, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a man was found dead in a burning home Saturday afternoon.
LCSO and Lake County Fire Rescue responded to 20332 Wood Duck Road, Altoona around 1 p.m. on reports the home was on fire. LCFR removed a deceased male from the home, and authorities found he had an apparent gunshot wound, according to LCSO Lt. John Herrell.
The man, identified as Michael Gall, 49, lived at the home and detectives are conducting a death investigation, Herrell said; no other information was released.
TAVARES, Fla.—The man police believe is responsible for the murder of a Leesburg store owner was booked into the Lake County Jail Friday morning.
Alex Lopez, 25, is facing charges of premeditated murder, armed robbery and two other weapons offenses, and is being held on no bond.
Lopez was on the run for nearly a month, while Leesburg Police Department worked with state, federal and local agencies to track him down and finally located him at a motel in Kissimmee around 7 p.m. Wednesday, Leesburg Police Department Sgt. Shannon Walsh said. He was taken into custody by the FDLE/Orlando – Violent Crime Task Force.
“We located him using collaborative investigative measures,” Walsh told Inside Lake.
Lopez is accused of gunning down father of five, Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, 51, at Fast Stop Superette, 3702 Picciola Road, on May 30 during an armed robbery of the store. LPD will not confirm how much money was taken in the robbery, but a post created by Shihadeh’s wife, Monique, on a fundraising platform states it was less than $100. In the same post, Monique also stated her husband was killed on their daughter’s 16th birthday, making an already tragic situation much more heartbreaking.
Raied “Ray” Shihadeh. Photo courtesy of Monique Shihadeh
Inside Lake spoke with Monique by text Thursday and she said, “Our family is happy about his capture. We are preparing for this continuous and long journey that we will be on but praying for strength.”
Monique posted about her husband in numerous Facebook groups throughout the last few weeks asking for help locating Lopez and informing the public of a reward offered by Crimeline, in addition to money raised and added to the reward by her family.
Lopez grew up in Eustis and Sorrento, several sources have told Inside Lake. His next court date is scheduled for July 22.
TAVARES, Fla.—A man accused of operating his motorcycle drunk and killing a woman riding on the back in April 2022 has pleaded no contest to DUI manslaughter and was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.
Edgar Wesley Tello, 66, of Umatilla, has been in the Lake County Jail since his arrest in February 2023, nearly a year after the crash that killed Rebekah Jo Towner less than two weeks after her 28th birthday.
On April 24, 2022, Towner, of Sorrento, was a passenger on 2006 Harley Davidson being controlled by Tello, northbound on Grove Street in Eustis, when he struck a curb, rode on the grass and then struck a construction sign near Pendleton Avenue, causing the motorcycle to slide on its left side. The motorcycle tires then struck the curb again and it flipped to its right side.
Rebekah Jo Towner was killed in a motorcycle crash in April 2022. Edgar Tello pleaded no contest to DUI manslaughter and was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison earlier this month. PHOTO: Towner Family
Police believe Towner’s head struck the sign, and the impact ejected her and Tello off the bike. The motorcycle slid nearly 200 feet before coming to its final resting place with Tello next to it, suffering head and neck injuries. Towner struck a guardrail in front of a home on Grove Street, causing blunt force trauma to her head, which resulted in her death. Medical records showed Towner was also drunk and had several controlled substances in her system.
Tello, was airlifted to an area hospital due to injuries, but was well enough to be interviewed the next day. He told a Eustis Police Department traffic homicide investigator he was in a motorcycle show during Leesburg’s Bikefest, the day of the crash, where he had one beer. After the show he went to a Tavares restaurant where he met Towner, and they had drinks together. They left Tavares and traveled to a downtown Eustis restaurant just a half of a mile from the crash scene and had more beer. Tello could not remember how much beer they had at either restaurant, according to the affidavit.
A manager at the Tavares restaurant later told police Tello and Towner met at her restaurant and, “it was obvious they did not know each other,” the affidavit states. The manager said the pair had two drinks and then they were asked to leave.
At the Eustis restaurant, a manager told police Tello and Towner were at the establishment about an hour and shared a pitcher of beer. Tello started getting aggressive with staff, paid the bill and surveillance video showed Tello left on his bike with Towner on the back.
Less than half a mile later, Tello would crash the motorcycle, leaving Towner dead. A witness told Inside Lake the day of the crash, “I heard a squeal, like it hit the curb and then there were two booms,” he said. “He (Tello) was going faster than 30 (miles per hour.)” The posted speed limit in that area is 30 miles per hour and there is an electronic speed monitor reminding motorists of their speed and to slow down.
A Eustis Police Department traffic homicide investigator is seen here collecting evidence near a mangled sign following a fatal motorcycle crash April 24, 2022. Rebekah Jo Towner was killed in the crash. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
Tello originally pleaded not guilty to DUI manslaughter but changed his plea to “no contest” earlier this month. In addition to 135 months in prison, Tello will lose his driver license for life and will serve one year of probation following his release from state prison.
LEESBURG, Fla.—A man was arrested after he was accused of exposing his genitals to three people in the middle of the day on a busy highway during a road rage incident Sunday afternoon.
Shortly before 3:15 p.m. Sunday, a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a report of a road rage incident and indecent exposure. One of the victims told the deputy they were traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 27 when they slowed due to heavy rain, according to an arrest affidavit.
A speeding silver Kia Optima swerved around their vehicle and cut them off. The Optima continued to be operated “aggressively,” speeding up and coming to a complete stop in front of victims’ vehicle, then driving beside them while someone threw objects and screamed at them, one of the victims told LCSO.
The victims pulled over at the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Plantation Boulevard to get the make, model and license plate of the Optima when it pulled over ahead of them. The driver, later identified as James Cary Box, 56, got out and began to charge toward the victims’ car, the affidavit states.
Box then allegedly pulled his shorts down to his knees and exposed his genitals, grabbing them with both hands and shaking them toward the victims. Two of the three victims screamed and looked away, and Box apparently left the scene.
One of the victims provided photos of the Optima and Box to the deputy, and when the deputy went to Box’s Leesburg home, he was still wearing the same clothes, according to the affidavit. Box denied being involved in a road rage incident and said the victims must be confused. He was arrested for exposure of sexual organs and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $1,000 bond.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—Only Inside Lake was on the scene earlier this month as Lake County Sheriff’s Office detectives, in conjunction with the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) searched an internet gaming facility in unincorporated Umatilla, and LCSO has finally released information regarding that search warrant and three more.
On June 13, 2024, four search warrants were executed at different illegal gaming establishments in Lake County. Detectives with the Leesburg, Clermont, Eustis, and Mount Dora police departments also assisted with the investigation that stemmed from continued concerns that illegal gambling throughout Lake County leads to an increase in law enforcement calls for service, criminal activity, and other threats to public safety, LCSO spokesperson Chanel Martin said.
The Umatilla location was the site of an attempted armed robbery in August 2022; in that a incident a security guard was shot. No arrests have been made in that case.
“Illegal gambling establishments operate outside the legal, regulated market to exploit vulnerable Floridians. They are usually associated with organized crime, do not generate state tax revenue, and do not provide the same consumer protections or safeguards as legal gaming operators,” said Lou Trombetta, FGCC Executive Director.
Detectives seized approximately 170 gaming machines and approximately $211,000 from the Hot Spot,11145 U.S HWY 441, Tavares; Hot Spot, 11203 U.S. HWY 441, Tavares. Cyber Monkey. 23505 State Road 40, Astor and Hot Spot II, 37415 SR 19, Umatilla, according to Martin.
Detectives seized all illegal gaming devices and issued misdemeanor notices to appear in lieu of physical arrests to six operating employees. The citations were issued with reference to Florida State Statue 849.01, which states it is illegal to keep or maintain a gambling house.
DeLAND, Fla.—A 35-year-old DeLand man was killed Friday morning after a dump truck swerved and hit the pickup truck he was driving head-on, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Around 7:15 a.m., a 23-year-old Deltona man was driving a 2018 Kenworth dump truck eastbound on State Road 44, approaching Misty Lane in the DeLand area of Lake County, when he swerved left to avoid stopped traffic, FHP said
The dump truck crashed head-on into a 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 traveling westbound, killing the Ram’s driver. The dump truck driver was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with minor injuries.
Earlier reports stated a 2024 Toyota Camry was involved in the crash, but the investigation determined it was involved in a separate hit-and-run crash, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia told Inside Lake.
The crash shut down State Road 44 for several hours and remains under investigation.
DeLAND, Fla.—State Road 44 is shut down while the Florida Highway Patrol investigates a crash that killed a man Friday morning.
The crash happened around 7:15 a.m. at State Road 44 and Misty Lane in the DeLand area of Lake County and involves a 2018 Kenworth dump truck, a 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 and a 2024 Toyota Camry. The driver of the Ram was pronounced deceased on the scene and had not been identified at press time; details on how the crash occurred have not been released.
State Road 44 is closed in both directions and traffic is being diverted at County Road 437 and County Road 42, according to FHP.
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