Inside Scoop

Leesburg Woman Arrested for Attempted Murder Held on No Bond

LEESBURG, Fla.—A Leesburg woman is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond after she admitted she stabbed another woman, according to an arrest affidavit.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call early Wednesday morning stating a person had been stabbed at home in unincorporated Leesburg. The address where the stabbing occurred is redacted from the affidavit, but sources told Inside Lake it occurred on Kaylee Way, near Radio Road. The victim, whose name is also redacted from the affidavit, had approximately seven injuries “consistent with being stabbed with a knife or other edged implement,” and was “bleeding profusely.” She told police Jillian Joan Viccaro, 24, stabbed her.

The relationship between the victim and Viccaro is also redacted from the affidavit, but LCSO Public Information Officer Chanel Martin told Inside Lake, the crime “is domestic in nature.” The victim was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition, Martin said.

Deputies located Viccaro, who had no visible injuries, and she admitted to the stabbing, but said the victim attacked her first by “lunging at her,” the affidavit states. Viccaro was arrested for attempted domestic murder and aggravated domestic battery and transported to the Lake County Jail.

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BREAKING NEWS: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—At press time Christmas Eve, the jolly fellow best known as Santa Claus was last spotted in Greenland and had delivered more than 5 billion gifts, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD.)

Little boys and girls (who should be in bed) can track the big guy’s movements online as he makes his way across the world with his trusty reindeer crew, by visiting NORAD Tracks Santa.

NORAD began tracking Santa in 1958 after taking over the duty from the U.S. Air Force.

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Villager, 76, Killed in Marion County Crash Saturday

MARION COUNTY, Fla.—A 76-year-old woman of The Villages was killed Saturday morning after she pulled out in front of a pickup truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The woman was driving an SUV east on Northwest 85th Loop at U.S. Highway 441 and attempted to make a lefthand turn onto U.S. Highway 441, around 9:30 a.m. She pulled out in front of a pickup truck traveling in the outside southbound lane and the front of the truck collided with the left side of the SUV. FHP said.

The woman was transported to HCA Ocala Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. The driver of the truck, a 38-year-old Ruskin man, was seriously injured, along with a male passenger of Kennett Square, Penn. Two other passengers in the truck, a male and female, also of Kennett Square, suffered minor injuries.

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Man Accused of Exposing Himself in Mount Dora Store Tackled and Arrested

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—A Sanford man already on probation for upskirting women at a Sanford Walmart last year is accused of masturbating in a busy Mount Dora store, fleeing and being tackled in the parking lot by Mount Dora Police Department Sunday afternoon.

According to an arrest affidavit, MDPD responded to Dollar Tree, 16930 U.S. Highway 441, around 4:45 p.m. on a report of a man exposing himself. The victim told an officer she saw a man, later identified as Jensen Alexander, 35, exposing himself and recording himself masturbating as she stood in the background reaching for items on a shelf. She said Alexander was still in the store and described the clothes he was wearing, including a black knit hat.

The officer began looking through the store and as he approached the checkout, customers began telling him Alexander ran and pointed to the west side of the store. The officer walked toward that side of the store and spotted the “top of a tall person’s head over the aisle shelving, which was black in color like a knit hat,” the affidavit states. According to booking records, Alexander is 6 feet, 4 inches tall.

The officer told Alexander he was being detained and as he tried to secure Alexander, he began resisting, broke free and “sprinted” toward the exit. The officer struggled with Alexander as they went through the door, and he tackled Alexander in the parking lot. They continued to struggle, and a second officer pulled up and assisted the first officer with getting Alexander cuffed, according to the affidavit.

After being taken into custody, Alexander told the victim he “was just trying to pee,” and she reportedly said, “That’s what you get for showing me your penis,” the affidavit states.

Both Alexander and the responding officer were treated for their injuries at a local emergency room and after Alexander was cleared, he was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on $10,000 bond.

In August 2022, Alexander was arrested by Sanford Police Department after Walmart video surveillance captured Alexander upskirting women in two different areas of the store. In January of this year, he pleaded guilty to video voyeurism and was sentenced to 18 months probation, a psycho-sexual evaluation and recommended treatment, and 50 hours of community service. He also agreed to allow probation to search any electronic device he has access to at any time, without a warrant, according to Seminole County Clerk of Court online records.

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Motorcyclist Struck by 8 Vehicles after Falling from Bike near Clermont, FHP Says

CLERMONT, Fla.— A 26-year-old Kissimmee man was killed Sunday night after he fell from his Kawasaki motorcycle and was struck by eight vehicles on U.S. Highway 27, near Clermont, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Around 6:20 p.m. Sunday, the motorcyclist was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 27 near Frank Jarrell Road when he lost control, fell from the bike, and landed in the center lane, FHP Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said in a press release.

The rider was then struck by eight vehicles that were traveling behind him, including a Chevrolet Trax, a Nissan Armada, a Toyota Camry, a Chevrolet Silverado, a Ford Escape, a Toyota Corolla, a Nissan Pathfinder and a Dodge Challenger. The drivers of all eight vehicles did not see him, Garcia said.

The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased on the scene; none of the occupants of the eight vehicles that struck him were injured, Garcia said. FHP originally stated the crash involved the motorcycle and two vehicles, but the investigation later revealed the crash involved a total of nine vehicles.

Previous story: Motorcyclist Killed in 3-Vehicle Crash near Clermont Sunday Night – Inside Lake 

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Motorcyclist Killed in 3-Vehicle Crash near Clermont Sunday Night

CLERMONT, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is on scene of a fatal crash at U.S. Highway 27 and Frank Jarrell Road, near Clermont.

A 26-year-old Kissimmee man riding a 2024 Kawasaki motorcycle was involved in a crash with 2020 Chevrolet Trax and a 2023 Dodge Challenger around 6:20 p.m. Sunday. The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased on the scene. There is a roadblock in the area and motorists are asked to use caution.

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Tavares Police Identify Pedestrian Killed on U.S. Highway 441 Friday Night

TAVARES, Fla.—Tavares Police Department has identified the man killed on U.S. Highway 441 Friday night.

According to witnesses and TPD’s preliminary investigation, around 8 p.m., Renald Guay, 67, of New Hampshire, was standing in the median of U.S. Highway 441, also known as Burleigh Boulevard, near Lake Eustis Drive, when he began to jaywalk across the highway, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said.

He was struck by a white 2014 Lincoln SUV traveling in a southbound lane and being driven by Merle Somers, 50, of Tavares. Somers and her passenger were not injured.  “The vehicle occupants remained on scene and cooperated with investigators,” Sullivan told Inside Lake.

Guay was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. The crash closed the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 441/Burleigh Boulevard for several hours.

Previous story: Pedestrian Struck and Killed on U.S. Highway 441 in Tavares Friday Night, Southbound Lanes Shut Down – Inside Lake

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Pedestrian Struck and Killed on U.S. Highway 441 in Tavares Friday Night, Southbound Lanes Shut Down

Update: Tavares Police Identify Pedestrian Killed on U.S. Highway 441 Friday Night – Inside Lake

TAVARES, Fla.—Tavares Police Department is investigating a crash that killed a pedestrian and the southbound lanes of Burleigh Boulevard also known as U.S. Highway 441 are closed.

A male was struck near the intersection of Lake Eustis Drive and Burleigh Boulevard around 8 p.m. Friday and was transported to a local hospital, where he later died, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake.

Details about how the crash occurred were not available at press time and the man has not been publicly identified.

All southbound lanes of Burleigh Boulevard are closed, and officers are re-routing traffic through turn lanes, Sullivan said. Motorists are being asked to avoid the area while TPD completes its investigation.

Pedestrian Struck and Killed on U.S. Highway 441 in Tavares Friday Night, Southbound Lanes Shut Down Read More »

Feds: More than 2 Dozen Child Porn Images and Videos Found on Phone Seized in Missing Mount Dora Mom Case; Husband Planned to Move to North Carolina

OCALA, Fla.—A cell phone seized from Brett Baldwin in the case of his missing wife Nicole Baldwin contained 31 images and videos of naked children and children being sexually abused, according to a federal criminal complaint obtained by Inside Lake.

Neighbors awoke to the sound of flashbangs before daybreak Thursday morning as authorities swooped in on his mother’s house on County Road 134B near Wildwood in Sumter County and took him into custody on a federal warrant for possession of child pornography. He was later booked into the Marion County Jail, where he is being held on no bond.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office

According to the complaint, “On November 28, 2023, detectives with the Mount Dora Police Department seized an iPhone 14 cell phone…from the person of its owner Brett Baldwin while executing a search warrant at his residence in Mount Dora, Lake County, Florida. The phone was seized in furtherance of a missing person investigation.”

Numerous agencies have been involved in the case of Baldwin’s missing wife, including Mount Dora Police Department (MDPD), Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO,) Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE.)

Upon searching the phone, FDLE found 31 files containing child pornography that included children described as “less than 2 years old and less than 3 years old.” DHS took over the case and warrant for Baldwin’s arrest was issued.

MDPD has not commented on Baldwin’s arrest and has remained tight-lipped about its investigation into Nicole Baldwin’s disappearance. DHS believes he was preparing to flee Florida.

The DHS complaint states, “Baldwin has made it known that he is moving to Waynesville, North Carolina in the very near future. Baldwin has recently moved from Mount Dora, FL to his mother’s home in Wildwood, FL with his 11-year-old daughter and his 13-year-old son. He has yet to enroll his children in a school making it evident that this move out of the state of Florida will take place.”

Nicole Baldwin, 41, was last seen Nov. 2 and reported missing Nov. 5 from her home in Mount Dora. She is considered “missing endangered” and is described as a white female, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 135 pounds, with brown and (dyed) blonde hair, and hazel eyes. If you have information on Baldwin’s disappearance, call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. Crimeline callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.

Previous stories: Husband of Missing Mount Dora Mom Being Held on Federal Charges – Inside Lake

                               Husband of Missing Mount Dora Woman Taken into Custody Thursday Morning – Inside Lake

Nicole Baldwin

 

Feds: More than 2 Dozen Child Porn Images and Videos Found on Phone Seized in Missing Mount Dora Mom Case; Husband Planned to Move to North Carolina Read More »

Missing Kayaker Found Alive on Lake Eustis

EUSTIS, Fla.—The missing kayaker authorities were searching for on Lake Eustis has been found alive, according to Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri.

“His kayak capsized and the (Lake County Sheriff’s Office) Marine Unit found him floating in the middle of the lake,” Capri told Inside Lake. LCSO’s helicopter, Eagle One, also searched for the man, along with Eustis Fire Department.

Previous story: Authorities Searching for Missing Kayaker on Lake Eustis – Inside Lake

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