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FHP finds driver who caused deadly crash outside Eustis, charges pending

EUSTIS, Fla.—A tractor-trailer driver who caused a deadly crash Wednesday and left the scene told the Florida Highway Patrol he did not know he hit anyone, according to a press release. Just after 1:45 p.m., a 58-year-old Miami man was driving a 2017 Volvo tractor-trailer eastbound on State Road 44 and attempted to slow down for traffic. The driver lost control of the trailer, causing it to veer into the westbound lane of State Road 44 near Forest Ridge Road in unincorporated Eustis. The trailer struck a 2014 Nissan Sentra being driven westbound by an 89-year-old Eustis woman, and the […]

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Hit-and-run crash causes head-on collision, kills woman, and shuts down SR 44 Wednesday

Update: FHP finds driver who caused deadly crash outside Eustis, charges pending – Inside Lake   EUSTIS, Fla.—A hit-and-run driver caused a chain reaction crash that killed a woman Wednesday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Just after 1:45 p.m., a tractor-trailer with a blue cab and silver trailer was eastbound on State Road 44, and attempted to slow down for traffic. The driver lost control of the trailer, causing it to veer into the westbound lane of State Road 44 near Forest Ridge Road in unincorporated Eustis. The trailer struck a 2014 Nissan Sentra being driven by a

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BREAKING NEWS: Suspected Eustis triple shooter in custody

EUSTIS, Fla.— The man suspected of shooting three people in Eustis Friday night is in custody, Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri said. Gary “Pookie” Davis, 46, was apprehended by EPD, just before 1 p.m. Saturday, following a press conference. EPD responded to a report of a shooting in front of 604 Kensington Street around 10 p.m. Friday and found three people shot. Delmetrius Brown, 41, was shot multiple times and airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center; he underwent surgery and is expected to survive. Rashida Henderson, 47, was shot in the upper right leg and transported to AdventHealth Waterman in

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Suspect in Mount Dora slayings mentally incompetent, judge rules

TAVARES, Fla.—The woman suspected of brutally murdering an elderly Mount Dora couple “is incompetent to proceed” to her murder trial due to her mental illness, Lake Circuit Judge Cary Rada ruled earlier this week. Vickie Lynn Williams, 51,  is accused of stabbing Darryl Getman, 83, and Sharon Getman, 80. The married couple was murdered in their Waterman Village home sometime between the hours of 11 p.m. Dec. 30, 2022, and 2 a.m. Dec. 31, 2022. After murdering the couple, Williams stole their green Kia Soul and was still driving it when she was apprehended by a Savannah Police Department officer

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Orlando Health South Lake Hospital receives 12th consecutive “A” grade for patient safety

CLERMONT— Orlando Health South Lake Hospital has earned its 12th consecutive ‘A’ grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety and transparency in the U.S. health system. “Providing a safe, quality experience for patients is at the core of what our team does every day, no matter the unit or department,” said Lance Sewell, senior vice president, Orlando Health North Central Region and president, Orlando Health South Lake Hospital. “To achieve 12 ‘A’ grades in a row is a gratifying recognition of the seamless collaboration and teamwork that occurs between our providers, clinicians and

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Potentially Contaminated Gas Sold in Lady Lake and Umatilla, Officials Warn

LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) is warning consumers of potentially contaminated gas sold at numerous gas stations, including two different Lake County locations over the weekend. “The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has identified a potentially widespread fuel contamination caused by human error at the Port of Tampa. Fuel purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, at stations supplied by CITGO from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of being contaminated,” it said in a press release. The gas stations impacted in Lake County are BJ’s Wholesale, 13585 Northeast

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Accused Fraudsters Scam Elderly Man and Sell His Clermont Home, According to Police

CLERMONT, Florida—After a months-long investigation by Clermont Police Department, two men were arrested this week after scamming an elderly man out of his home and selling it late last year. According to a probable cause affidavit, in November 2022, the victim’s niece filed an online complaint with Clermont Police Department stating she believed her uncle was a victim of foreclosure fraud and she found his house was for sale, which was impossible because he is mentally and physically impaired and was admitted to a rehabilitation facility. She also stated she and her husband had power of attorney (POA) over most

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Florida Women and Children Fought in Busy Intersection Because of Past Problem, Suspect Tells Police

EUSTIS, Florida—A fight between two women spilled out into the street and small children joined in the brawl at a busy Eustis intersection Thursday morning, according to an arrest affidavit.   Santana Potts, 35, of Leesburg, is accused of arguing with a woman near the intersection of Bay Street and Orange Avenue around 8:30 a.m. Thursday and then using her red Hyundai SUV to block the woman’s grey Toyota Camry. Both women exited their vehicles and began fighting each other in front of numerous witnesses, including a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent. A small child exited each vehicle and

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Crash Claims Life of Groveland Man, CR 33 Remains Closed Friday Night

UPDATE 9:36 p.m.: County 33 has reopened. GROVELAND, FLORIDA—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a single-car crash that killed a Groveland man Friday afternoon. The 23-year-old man was southbound on County Road 33 around 5:30 p.m. near Odom Lane when he ran off for the road for unknown reasons, FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said in a press release. The 2004 Monte Carlo he was driving collided with a utility pole and he was transported to Blue Cedar Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was wearing a seatbelt. County Road 33 remained closed at 9 p.m. Friday between Simon Brown

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Man Accused of Pointing Gun at Trio, “I’m Going to Cap All 3 of Y’all!”

UMATILLA, Florida—A man who allegedly threatened a group of people with a gun scaring a woman so much she urinated on herself, is being held in the Lake County Jail on $26,000 bond. Jeremy Forest Mitchell, 29, is accused of accosting the woman about some money she allegedly owed him Saturday, according to an arrest affidavit. The woman told a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy she was riding her bicycle with her friend on State Road 19 Saturday night when Mitchell came up on his skateboard asking about the money. Her boyfriend apparently saw the altercation, approached Mitchell, and asked, “Why

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Mount Dora Police Chief Resigns

MOUNT DORA, Florida—A local city that has been in turmoil for several years is without a police chief—again. Inside Lake obtained a copy of the resignation letter late Wednesday afternoon. Brett Meade tendered the resignation to Mount Dora City Manager Patrick Comiskey Wednesday, it stated in part, “It is apparent that you and I have different viewpoints, which requires a change in leadership.” Comiskey was named city manager in November 2021, after former City Manager Robin Hayes and the city “agreed to part ways” in April 2021. Meade plans to utilize vacation time until his last official day, June 10,

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CleanUp With A Cop Takes More Than A Ton Of Trash Off The Streets

EUSTIS, Florida—A little bit of everything, including the kitchen sink. More than two dozen people came out in the cloudy and humid weather to clean up just a small part of the community and their efforts took at least 2,370 pounds of trash off just one street in Eustis Tuesday afternoon during “CleanUp with a Cop.”   Beginning with a group photo in front of Palmetto Point Park with a display from “Card My Yard, Leesburg, FL” volunteers armed with grabbers and buckets made their way down Palmetto Street grabbing every piece of trash they saw, while Eustis Public Works

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Third Teenager Arrested In Gang-Related Shooting

EUSTIS, Florida—A 14-year-old has now been arrested for his involvement in one of a series of gang-related shootings in recent months. Kristine Moriel Morris, of Eustis, was picked up Monday on charges related to a drive-by shooting on Feb. 7 in the 1200 block of East Hazzard Avenue. Artavious “Kutt” Williams, 16, and Robert “Swag” Sharp, 16, were arrested last month and more arrests may be forthcoming. Eustis Police responded to the scene in February and found a bullet hit a home and a tree, along with four shell casings in the roadway, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police

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Middle School Student Arrested After Snapchat Post

UMATILLA, Florida—A 13-year-old girl was arrested Wednesday just four days before her 14th birthday for threatening a school shooting on Snapchat in apparent retaliation for getting in trouble for selling nicotine for vapes. The post stated, “Am shooting up umatilla (sic) middle scholl (sic) today bc all yopu (sic) 6, 7, and 8th graders are fake as (expletive) y’all (expletive) got me expelled for selling nic- – y’all (expletive)are going to pay on god.” Thea Stiles was interviewed at Umatilla Middle School and admitted to making the threat and said she made the post on the bus because she was upset. Stiles,

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Tavares Double Murder-Suicide: Police Release Names Of Victims Killed As They Slept

This article first appeared on Lake Legal News in February 2021. TAVARES, Florida — The two victims in Thursday’s double murder-suicide never saw it coming, according to Tavares Police Lt. Sarah Coursey. Wendy Higgins, 39, and James Delgiorno, 41, were found shot to death in bed shortly before 9:45 a.m. Thursday in the master bedroom of the home at 331 Lakecrest Drive and Joseph McGuirl, 47, was found slumped on the floor near Higgins with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. All three individuals worked together at Lake Port Square in Leesburg. “It appears that both Delgiorno and

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Foul-Mouthed “Pastor Pete” Arrested for Battery Upon a Deaf, Mentally Impaired Man

The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News. TAVARES, Florida — A local man known as “Pastor Pete” who runs a “quasi group home” in Tavares was arrested Thursday for allegedly battering one of his tenants and driving with a suspended license. Tavares Police Department responded to 1404 East Alfred Street Thursday afternoon after a man reported Pedro “Pastor Pete” Custodio, 50, battered him. The victim, who is deaf and has mental impairments, communicated to police he was lying on his bed and Custodio entered his bedroom, pulled him off the bed and hit him “all over,” according

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