LEESBURG, Florida—The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating after the body of an adult male was found near an unmanned boat around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, FWC Public Information Officer Chad Weber told Inside Lake.
The name of the man has not been released pending notification of his next of kin, Weber said. There was no obvious cause of death, and the man was turned over to the medical examiner.
Weber responded to the scene along with Leesburg Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office marine unit.
“It’s an active investigation,” Weber said, and an update is expected Wednesday morning, he told Inside Lake.
LEESBURG, Florida—A Groveland woman has claimed a $1 million prize from a winning scratch-off ticket she purchased in Leesburg, the Florida Lottery announced Monday.
Cynthia Jackubowski, 56, bought the 500X THE CASH ticket for $50 at Quick Stop, 1200 West Main Street, Leesburg; the store will get $2,000 commission for selling the ticket, the Florida Lottery said.
Jackubowski claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Tallahassee, and chose to take her winnings as a one-time, lump sum payment of $820,000.
CLERMONT, Florida—A day on the water ended in a trip to jail for a St. Cloud man after a 68-year-old woman reported he slapped her across the face and witnesses backed her claim, according to an arrest affidavit.
Clermont Police Department responded to a report of a physical altercation shortly after 4:45 p.m. Sunday. The victim told police she was boating with her family on Lake Palatlakaha and a man, later identified as Juan Carlos Pareja, 45, drove a jet ski close to the boat. A verbal altercation ensued and multiple people on jet skis aggressively surrounded to boat, she told CPD, and Pareja slapped her on the right side of her face.
Juan Pareja PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
CPD questioned Pareja, who said the victim struck him in the face and ripped the jet ski key from his wrist and he pushed her away. However, multiple witnesses said Pareja slapped the elderly woman, the arresting officer noted in the affidavit. Pareja was arrested for battery on a person 65 or older and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $2,000 bond
THE VILLAGES, Florida—A man who was causing a disturbance at a popular town square resisted Lady Lake Police officers and tried to fight them as they took him into custody, according to an arrest affidavit.
LLPD responded to Main Street and Paige Place in Spanish Springs Town Square on a report of a man yelling and disturbing the peace around 11 a.m. Thursday. They found Eric Alan Feliciano, 29, at the scene and attempted to speak to him, the affidavit states.
Feliciano, of Oxford, refused to identify himself and began yelling at officers, causing patrons to stop and see what was happening, the arresting officer noted in the affidavit. A second officer spoke with the complainant, a property manager for The Villages, who stated Feliciano was playing loud music, smoking marijuana in public and entering numerous stores and screaming at the store owners, scaring them.
PHOTO: The Villages
Officers told Feliciano he was being arrested for disorderly conduct, and he immediately began resisting as an officer tried to handcuff him and tried to push back as officers walked him to a patrol vehicle. Once they arrived at the vehicle, Feliciano resisted officers while they tried to search him and kicked an officer in the leg, according to the affidavit.
On the trip to the Lake County Jail, he made “vague threats” that he would “find” officers and harm them after he was released from jail. The vague threats were not enough to add additional charges to Feliciano, the officer noted.
When they arrived at LCJ, Feliciano refused to get out of the patrol vehicle and resisted LCJ detention deputies as they attempted to search him and he was placed in a restraint chair, the affidavit states.
Feliciano is facing four charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting with violence, resisting without violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. He is being held in LCJ on $11,500 bond.
PASCO COUNTY, Florida—A Leesburg man was killed and his passenger seriously injured, after he lost control of the SUV he was driving on Interstate 75 Sunday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The 75-year-old man was driving northbound on Interstate 75, near mile marker 279, when he lost control, left the roadway, struck a fence and collided with a tree shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday, FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins said in a press release.
The Leesburg man suffered fatal injuries, and his passenger, a 73-year-old woman, also of Leesburg, suffered serious injuries. Her condition was unknown at press time.
EUSTIS, Florida—The crowds were large Saturday and the weather was beautiful for the 28th Annual Eustis African American Heritage Celebration.
Beginning with a parade of nearly 150 entries, paradegoers were treated to candy and appearances by Parade Marshal Verma Evans, the Eustis African American Heritage Festival Committee, Eustis Junior Panthers players and cheerleaders, Magic Boyz, along with Eustis City Commissioners, Eustis Police Department, Eustis Fire Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. For the second year running, Inside Lake participated in the parade.
PHOTO: City of Eustis
The fragrance of all the scrumptious food available at the festival wafted through the air during the parade enticing festivalgoers. Turkey wings, BBQ ribs, chicken, macaroni and cheese, collards and baked beans were being served up at many of the food tents and food trucks set up at the festival.
PHOTO: City of Eustis
There was a bounce house and snow cones for the kids and signups were available for Eustis Junior Panthers football and merchandise from numerous vendors was available for purchase. Darius Kerrison, organizer of the House of Laughter was out promoting his Eustis Hometown Comedy & Music Festival scheduled for April 1 in Ferran Park. Free tickets are available and VIP tickets are available for $25; for information and tickets, visit Eustis Hometown Comedy & Music Festival
Numerous vendors were at the Eustis African American Heritage Celebration Saturday. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
The Eustis African-American Heritage Celebration began in 1995 as UNITY—United Neighbors In Touch with the Youth, founded by Vivian “Carla” Mitchell, Patricia Wright and Kimberly Kelly Cameron in the wake of the tragic kidnappings and shootings of Dorothy Lewis and her daughters, Jamilya, 7 and Jasmine, 3. Dorothy survived her horrific injuries, the two sisters did not. Last month marked 30 years since one of Lake County’s most horrific crimes.
The tragic event shook the community to its core, Mitchell, who serves as president, told Inside Lake in 2022. “Our whole world stood still. The leaves weren’t even blowing on the trees. The community just stood still; we were in a state of shock.”
The trio of ladies came together and formed UNITY which included a parade down Bates Avenue and ended with a festival, celebrating the achievements of African-American residents of Eustis and nearly 30 years later, the core values and core events of the celebration are still in place today. In 1995, the celebration committee members began holding a banquet to commemorate the honorees and provide youth with the opportunity to attend a banquet. The youth ticket comes at a price, however, Mitchell said. Each child who wanted to attend the banquet is required to attend an etiquette class at Mitchell’s home.
Mitchell, who has lived all of her 79 years in Eustis, still carries the inspiring words her great-grandmother gave to her many years ago, “Be Strong, be educated and be a part of the decision-making process. I try to live up to that.”
Inside Lake participated in the Eustis African American Heritage Festival parade Saturday. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
CLERMONT, Florida—A woman already convicted of fraud and on federal work release is accused of diverting funds intended for her employer to various money exchange apps, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Jenifer Elizabeth Hoffman, 46, of Clermont, misrepresented herself as a partner in K&S Cleaning, the owner of the company told Clermont Police Department in August 2022. She told police Hoffman began working for her in September 2020 as an hourly employee and worked her way up to a marketing and networking associate. In June 2022, the owner discovered Hoffman had been embezzling money since March 2021 by introducing herself as a partner of K&S Cleaning and directing at least 25 residential customers to pay her directly through various apps, such as Cash App, Zelle, Venmo and Apple Pay, the affidavit states.
The owner was able to provide proof of more than $13,000 missing but told CPD she believes it was around $20,000.
The owner provided text messages to CPD that showed Hoffman “alluding to her guilt.”
“Jenifer (Hoffman) does not outright admit to the crime but alludes to her guilt by her comments on the texts,” the detective noted in the affidavit.
Hoffman is currently on work release for a fraud charge from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the detective stated in the affidavit; Inside Lake was unable to confirm details of the crime on that case.
CPD spoke with Hoffman’s caseworker, and she said Hoffman told her it was a misunderstanding. She was scheduled to released from work release on Oct. 17, 2022, but the warrant in the current case was issued Oct. 3, 2022.
Hoffman was arrested Thursday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee for scheme to defraud and grand theft; it is unclear what her status was a press time.
ORLANDO, Florida—A fundraiser has been created for the elderly man who was airlifted following a head-on collision in January at a Eustis intersection notorious for crashes.
Bernard Perry was left paralyzed after a head-on crash in Eustis in January. PHOTO: Damion Perry/gofundme
A 19-year-old Leesburg man was driving a Dodge Ram south on County Road 452 when he attempted to make a left turn on County Road 44 and turned into the path of a black Toyota sedan being driven by Bernard Perry, 71, of Zellwood around 6:30 a.m. Jan. 19. The front of the truck struck the front of the sedan, seriously injuring Perry and he was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, Eustis Police Department Capt. Jon Fahning told Inside Lake in January.
The driver of the Dodge told EPD he believed he had a green arrow when he made the turn, but a witness said it was a solid green light and the witness did not believe the driver of the Dodge had enough time to make the turn.
According to a gofundme organized by Perry’s son, Damion Perry, the crash left Bernard Perry paralyzed from the shoulders down.
First responders work a head-on crash in this photo from Jan.19. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
“Our family has created this page to raise funds to help support Bernard in his journey to rehabilitation. The funds raised from this page will help him receive additional medical, rehabilitation and other supports. Our family’s goal is to ultimately relocate my father back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he will be able to receive the more immediate attention of our family’s support,” Damion Perry stated on the fundraising page.
MOUNT DORA, Florida—For the second time in as many months a board member of a Lake County youth sports organization has been arrested for stealing funds meant to benefit the children.
Tamara Lamar Jones, 38, of Leesburg, is accused of stealing nearly $13,000 from Lake County Tigers Inc., a Mount Dora based youth softball organization, while she served as secretary, according to a probable cause affidavit.
From January 2022 through September 2022, Jones is accused of diverting $7,544 to her personal Venmo account and $5,274 to her Cash App account for a total of $12,818, the affidavit states.
The Lake County Sheriffs Office began investigating the thefts earlier this month when the Tigers’ president reported Jones has misappropriated the funds. The complainant reported Jones agreed to pay back the funds in full by Feb. 1 in a signed and notarized document but failed to pay back any of the funds. The president contacted Jones Feb. 2 to satisfy the contract and Jones reportedly said she could not pay it back.
A warrant was issued for Jones’ arrest for grand theft on Feb. 6 and she turned herself in on Valentine’s Day. She was released on $2,000 bond.
In December, the John Farley-Gleixner, 36, of Umatilla, who held the position of president of Umatilla Babe Ruth Inc., was arrested for stealing nearly $35,000 from his organization. He pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records.
De LEON SPRINGS— A Sorrento woman was killed Thursday afternoon after the car she was riding in rear-ended a Ford F-350 on U.S. Highway 17 in Volusia County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
A 2013 Hyundai Elantra being driven by a 41-year-old Eustis man, was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 17 approaching West Davis Street near De Leon Springs in Volusia County, when he failed to slow for a Ford F-350 pickup truck shortly after 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The Hyundai rear-ended the Ford, seriously injuring the Eustis man. His passenger, a 40-year-old woman from Sorrento, was transported to AdventHealth DeLand, where she was pronounced dead. The driver was airlifted to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with serious injuries. Neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt, FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said.
The two men in the Ford, both 22, one of Jacksonville and one of Orange Park, suffered minor injuries and were not transported. They were both wearing seatbelts, Crescenzi said.
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