Unincorporated Lake

Georgia Man Accused of Shooting Friend as they Travel on the Turnpike near Clermont Sunday Night

CLERMONT, Fla.—A Georgia man is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond after being accused of shooting his friend as they traveled on Florida’s Turnpike late Sunday night.

The Florida Highway Patrol asked for assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office around 10:30 p.m. Sunday in reference to a man stopping vehicles and asking for help. Not long after, LCSO received a 911 call from an unnamed individual stating someone was banging on their door and asking for help in unincorporated Clermont, according to an arrest affidavit.

Deputies responded to the home and found Bounmy Xayavong, who told them he was traveling south on the Turnpike with his longtime friend, a man later identified as Sergio Villanueva. The pair began arguing about an ex-girlfriend and Villanueva shot him in the upper right thigh while he was driving, he told deputies. He stopped the vehicle, got out and began running and asking for help, according to the affidavit.

Villanueva, 26, then drove away and after Xayavong was unable to find help on the Turnpike, he jumped off the roadway and went down a hill to County Road 561 to look for help. Xayavong provided the wrong name and date of birth to deputies and “seemed to be withholding information from deputies,” the arresting deputy noted in the affidavit. Deputies searched him and he was identified by a Georgia Department of Defense paper that had his name on it. They also found a key fob with a plastic tag that had an Oregon license plate number on it. After running the tag, they found it belonged to a Hertz rental car.

Deputies canvassed the Turnpike in search of evidence and a crime scene and came up empty. About three hours later, at 1:30 a.m., the LCSO Communication Center received a 911 call from a male that said, “Oh yeah,” and hung up, Deputies went to the area on Lemongrass Road to canvass the area and found a dark-colored Chevrolet parked toward the back of a home under construction. Deputies called out and Villanueva, lying on his stomach with his arms stretched out, called out from inside the home for deputies to arrest him, according to the affidavit.

They took him into custody and searched him for the gun and he “spontaneously uttered” he threw the gun because he was frightened. He took deputies to the area where he said he threw it, but they were unable to find it, the affidavit states.

Villanueva was arrested for aggravated battery, trespassing on a construction site and tampering with evidence.

Georgia Man Accused of Shooting Friend as they Travel on the Turnpike near Clermont Sunday Night Read More »

Argument Over Drill Led to Shooting Near Fruitland Park Friday

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla.—The man accused of shooting another man in unincorporated Fruitland Park Friday is now facing an attempted murder charge.

According to an arrest affidavit, Scott Hutcheson and Michael Robert Corkill, 39, got into an argument after Corkill grabbed Hutcheson’s drill while he was at a friend’s house working on a four-wheeler. Hutcheson told Corkill not to touch his things and Corkill reportedly said, “I’ve got something for your (expletive,)” and walked across the street to his home at 36751 Shadow Hill Drive, according to an arrest affidavit.

Corkill then stepped out of his home, stood in his driveway, pointed a black rifle at Hutcheson and shot him in the left forearm. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Corkhill retreated to his home and barricaded himself for nearly three hours until LCSO’s SWAT Team entered his home and took him into custody. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond.

Previous stories: Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours – Inside Lake

BREAKING NEWS: Large Law Enforcement Presence Near Fruitland Park, Deputies Attempting to take Shooting Suspect into Custody – Inside Lake

Argument Over Drill Led to Shooting Near Fruitland Park Friday Read More »

Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla.—A man suspected of shooting another man in unincorporated Fruitland Park Friday is in custody, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. John Herrell.

Few details were released in the incident that began around 3 p.m. and ended nearly four hours later around 7 p.m. on Shadow Hill Drive near Fruitland Park. Herrell told Inside Lake the male suspect shot another man in the arm during an argument and refused to speak with deputies. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was transported to the Lake County Jail after being taken into custody; the victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

 

 

Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: Large Law Enforcement Presence Near Fruitland Park, Deputies Attempting to take Shooting Suspect into Custody

Update: Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours – Inside Lake

 

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is working to take a suspect into custody who allegedly shot another man Friday afternoon, according to LCSO Lt. John Herrell.

LCSO released few details Friday afternoon but did tell Inside Lake the male suspect shot another man in the arm and deputies had not been able to contact the suspected shooter at press time. The incident began as an argument and the victim has non-life-threatening injuries, Herrell said.

Witnesses told Inside Lake there is a large law enforcement presence on Shadow Hill Drive in unincorporated Fruitland Park.

This is a developing story.

BREAKING NEWS: Large Law Enforcement Presence Near Fruitland Park, Deputies Attempting to take Shooting Suspect into Custody Read More »

Argument Leads to Shooting and Lands Leesburg Man in Jail

LEESBURG, Fla.—A Leesburg man is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond after shooting another man in unincorporated Leesburg late Monday night.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home on County Road 452 shortly before 11:30 p.m. Monday on a report of an argument between Brandon Saunders and Mike Ford, according to an arrest affidavit.

When deputies arrived, they found Ford lying on the ground suffering from two gunshot wounds and they began rendering aid to Ford, who was in and out of consciousness. He told deputies Saunders came after him and Ford “laid him out.” As he made his way back to his truck, Saunders began shooting at him.; Ford said he believed Saunders was trying to shoot him in the head. He was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center and is in stable condition, according to the affidavit.

While deputies were aiding Ford, Saunders came out of a tree line and “spontaneously” uttered he shot Ford, the affidavit states. Saunders, 41, was then searched and placed in the back of a patrol car.

A witness told deputies Ford came to the home upset and looking for his girlfriend and the witness was inside when the pair started arguing. The witness went outside, and Saunders handed her the gun, which she hid in the backyard. She gave deputies permission to enter the property and they located the gun. Two shell casings were also found at the scene. Ford’s girlfriend told deputies the couple had argued earlier and she went to the home on County Road 452 to stay with her friend.

Saunders, who was holding a beer can at the time of the incident and had the smell of alcohol on his breath, invoked his right to remain silent. Saunders is a three-time convicted felon and was arrested for attempted felony murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he remains on no bond.

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Man who Killed French Bulldog in 2021 Clermont Botched C-Section Headed to Prison

CLERMONT, Fla.—One of the men arrested after a botched C-section killed Lyla the French bulldog in Clermont in 2021, is headed to prison after pleading no contest to numerous charges last week, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records.

Frankie Huertas Rivera, 36, pleaded no contest Friday—exactly three years to the day Lyla lost her life. In 2021, Larry Colon, then 50, paid Rivera $650 to perform a C-section on Lyla in Colon’s living room and Colon’s daughter filmed the horrific surgery and posted it to TikTok Feb. 9, 2021.

According to a probable cause affidavit in the case, the video showed Colon holding Lyla down while Rivera cuts her open and she is seen squirming and shaking in pain as Rivera removes puppies from her. After the surgery Colon took Lyla — after she was already dead — to a local vet and an employee performed chest compressions on the French bulldog for 15 minutes in an attempt to save her life. Lyla was found with two dead puppies still inside her and was believed to have died from septic shock secondary to contamination and additional puppies left in her uterus.

The veterinarian told a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy Lyla and her two dead puppies “suffered unjust cruelty and suffering due to unethical medical services performed,” the affidavit states.

Colon was later arrested on a warrant for animal cruelty and Rivera was picked up in Hernando County for on a warrant for practicing veterinary medicine without a license, conspiracy to commit animal cruelty and seven counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

River pleaded no contest to all of his charges and was sentenced more than two years in prison, followed by five years of probation; he was also ordered not to have contact with animals and must take an eight-week class on animal cruelty with the Humane Society.

Colon’s case remains open.

Previous story: “Lyla” The Dog Dead Following Botched Amateur C-Section In Clermont Home – Inside Lake

Man who Killed French Bulldog in 2021 Clermont Botched C-Section Headed to Prison Read More »

Man Writes 4-Page Apology Letter after Carjacking Elderly Relative

OKAHUMPKA, Fla.—A 27-year-old man is behind bars after an elderly woman he is related to reported he stole her car and battered her Tuesday.

Around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, the 77-year-old woman told deputies Alan Aspinwall wanted her to unlock her 2018 Toyota Corolla so he could get something out of the trunk in Okahumpka, according to an arrest affidavit.

As she walked outside, Aspinwall grabbed the key from her, cutting her left hand, and then forcefully pushed her to the ground. He then jumped into the Corolla and fled the scene. She identified Aspinall as her relative, but the exact relationship is redacted from the affidavit.

On Wednesday morning, Leesburg Police Department located the car in the 2100 block of Johns Avenue and around 2:15 p.m. officers located Aspinwall and took him into custody, the affidavit states.

Aspinwall denied taking the car, but said he felt “remorseful” for what happened and wrote a four-page apology letter to the victim, according to the affidavit.

Aspinwall, who is designated as a violent felony offender due to prior convictions, was arrested for unarmed carjacking, battery on a person over 65 and theft from a person over 65. He is also facing an added charge of exposure of sexual organs in a separate incident, but details of that case were not available at press time.

Aspinwall is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

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Deputies Searching for Sorrento Man Last Seen Thursday

Update: Bernard Jeanty has been found in Volusia County. 

SORRENTO, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who was last seen Thursday at his home in Sorrento.

According to an LCSO social media post, Bernard Jeanty, 51, left his home sometime during the day in his black 2019 Nissan Pathfinder, along with his dog.

Jeanty is described as a black male, 5 feet 11 inches tall and approximately 150 to 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing pink sweatpants and a black shirt.

If you have information on Jeanty’s whereabouts, call LCSO Det. VanBuskirk at 352-343-9529 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Deputies Searching for Sorrento Man Last Seen Thursday Read More »

Deputies Searching Missing Sorrento Woman Suffering from Dementia

Update: Linda Billig was found in Winter Springs, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

SORRENTO, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance with locating an 80-year-old Sorrento woman reported missing Monday morning.

Linda Derr Billig, 80, was reported missing from her home on PGA Drive in Sorrento shortly before 8:45 a.m. and suffers from dementia, LCSO Public Information Officer Chanel Martin said.

A Silvert Alert has been issued for Billig, and she is described as a white female, 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with gray hair, brown eyes and weighs approximately 175 pounds.  She is believed to be driving a 2004 white Toyota Highlander with a specialty tag, “Helping Sea Turtles Survive” RLM259 and may be wearing pajamas.

If you see Billig or know her whereabouts, call LCSO 352-343-2101.

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Mom Accused of Kidnapping 2 Daughters Fled from Louisiana State Police Before Capture

LINCOLN PARISH, La.—The mom accused of kidnapping her two daughters from a Lake County foster home fled from Louisiana State Police (LSP) when they attempted stop her Friday and is now facing additional charges.

LSP troopers received information from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office that Dixie Williams, 41, may be traveling on Interstate 20 in a silver Nissan Rogue and troopers spotted the Nissan and initiated a traffic stop, just before 12:15 p.m. local time. Williams came to a brief stop on Interstate 20 westbound, east of LA-145 and then fled from troopers, according to LSP.

After a brief pursuit by LSP and Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, a “tire deflation device” was deployed and Williams came to a stop, LSP said.

Williams was taken into custody and Tilli, 5, and Natalia, 18 months, who were not in child safety seats, were safely recovered by law enforcement. They were turned over to the Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services.

Williams is now facing two counts of kidnapping in Lake County, and numerous charges in Louisiana, 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.

Previous stories: FOUND SAFE: Missing Lake County Sisters Found in Louisiana – Inside Lake

VIDEO: Suspect in Sorrento Missing Children Case Arrested in ’22, Claimed She was “Traveling” and Did Not Need a License – Inside Lake

Amber Alert Issued for Girls Missing from Sorrento – Inside Lake

Deputies Searching for Sisters Who Disappeared from Sorrento Foster Home – Inside Lake

Mom Accused of Kidnapping 2 Daughters Fled from Louisiana State Police Before Capture Read More »

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