Inside Scoop

EUSTIS, Florida—A man was arrested Saturday after walking into Eustis Police Department and emptying his pockets of the methamphetamine he was carrying, according to an arrest affidavit. Eustis Police officers responded to EPD, 51 East Norton Avenue, shortly before 11:30 a.m. on a report of a suspicious person. When the first officer arrived, he found Anthony Maurice Bales, 25, of Eustis, in the lobby. On the bench next to where Bales was standing, the officer observed two small bags of a substance, later identified as methamphetamine, a pack of Swisher Sweets cigarillos and a blue pen, according to the affidavit.

EUSTIS, Florida— The man who went missing on Lake Yale Saturday afternoon still has not been found. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) began searching for the man at daybreak Sunday, FWC Public Information Officer Chad Weber told Inside Lake Sunday afternoon. The afternoon storms hampered their efforts, but several boats were still on the water searching around 4:30 p.m., Weber said. “We’re still continuing search and rescue efforts,” he said. Officers will continue to stay on the water unless the weather gets too bad, or lightning becomes an issue. FWC

EUSTIS, Florida—The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) are searching for a boater who went missing on Lake Yale Saturday afternoon. Officers and deputies are searching for an adult male and it is unknown if he was wearing a life vest. Numerous boats from FWC and LCSO, along with Lake EMS have been staged at Marsh Park off County Road 452 for several hours. LCSO received the call about the missing boater from an individual who was on the same boat and LCSO notified FWC around 3:15 p.m., FWC Public Information Officer

EUSTIS, Florida—A man who has been on the run for over a month for a shooting in an apparent feud over a woman in early May was picked up earlier this week on multiple charges stemming from the shooting. On May 7, Eustis Police Department responded to El Sereno Apartments, 600 North Grove Street on a report of a shooting. The victim told police he was walking to his apartment when he felt like someone was behind him; he turned around and saw a man he recognized as Cameron Deon Blair, 19, pointing a gun at him. Blair fired three

EUSTIS, Florida—A police support coordinator accused of defrauding Eustis Police Department of $6,665 worth of gift cards, abruptly resigned and she is facing a criminal charge, according to an internal investigation obtained only by Inside Lake. Pam Gordon, who has worked at EPD for 19 years, is alleged to have altered invoices submitted to the City of Eustis finance department to hide complimentary gift cards from a marketing company, the report states. In early May, an EPD sergeant opened a package containing promotional materials for EPD and found an envelope containing nine $25 Amazon gift cards. The sergeant thought it

EUSTIS, Florida—A fire inspector for Eustis Fire Department has been arrested for domestic violence, according to an arrest affidavit. The affidavit states, on Tuesday, a member of Eustis Police Department’s command staff accessed a former employee’s computer and observed messages between the former employee and her husband, Adam John Gordon, 50, on June 5. In the messages, Gordon tells the victim he is leaving her, and she accuses him of hitting her at least 10 times and in turn, he accuses her of biting him and pushing him. The messages also included several photos of the victim that included swelling,

EUSTIS, Florida—A 62-year-old woman suspected of DUI caused a three-vehicle crash, fled the scene and was captured by Eustis Police after a witness followed her May 31, according to an arrest affidavit. Elfriede Schafer Stewart is accused driving a dark-colored Porsche and rear-ending a white GMC that caused another collision with a gold Chevy shortly before 1:15 p.m. near County Road 19A and U.S. Highway 441 last Tuesday, according to the affidavit. Stewart, of Eustis, fled the scene with the Porsche’s hood up obstructing her view, and a witness followed her to Eustis Plaza, less than a mile away. The

EUSTIS, Florida—A man with 11 felony convictions and a prior arrest for grand theft auto stole a running car out of the parking lot of a local restaurant May 27, according to Eustis Police Department. Robert Eugene Marks Sr., 47, who is listed as homeless, went into Double Take Pizza, 403 North Grove Street, shortly before 9:30 p.m. demanding free food and claiming he had $847 million in the bank while he moved the restaurant’s tip jar closer to him, according to an arrest affidavit. An employee took the tip jar and told Marks to leave. Witnesses told police Marks

EUSTIS, Florida—A prank phone call turned into a felony charge for a 14-year-old Tavares boy Tuesday when he was arrested for making a false bomb threat last month. Inside Lake is not naming the boy due to his age and the nature of the charge. Around 5:45 p.m. April 9, Eustis Police Department responded to Wendy’s, 2827 South Bay Street on a report of a bomb threat. Officers evacuated the building and parking lot and spoke with the manager who said he received a call on the restaurant’s main line around 5:30 p.m.; the caller asked, “Is this Wendy’s?” and

EUSTIS, Florida—A traffic stop for a missing tag landed a Eustis woman in jail Tuesday night after Eustis Police found 50 counterfeit bills, several smoking devices, printers, laptops and methamphetamine in her car, according to an arrest affidavit. Kimberley Renee Rappoccio, 40, was pulled over near her home in Eustis around 9: 30 p.m. because the car she was driving did not have a tag. Rappoccio told EPD she had bought the car two months prior and was returning home from trying to sell the car. She was able to provide a title signed by the seller, according to the