Clermont Archives - Inside Lake

Clermont Police Officer Antonio Robinson PHOTO: Clermont Police Department

Clermont police officer puts “service above self” to help local family

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Fla.—A Clermont Police Department officer recently received a commendation letter for helping a family in need earlier this year, Inside Lake has learned.

Officer Antonio Robinson, a nearly three-year veteran of CPD, and a member of the agency’s Mobile Crisis Response Unit, had an interaction with a family in need in February—and when a gift card came up short, he paid for the remainder of their groceries out of his own pocket.

Sgt. Erin Razo said Robinson’s act was an “extraordinary demonstration of the agency’s core value of ‘Service Above Self.’ Officer Robinson recently went above and beyond in assisting a family in need, and his actions truly reflect the highest standards of compassion, integrity, and selflessness.”

The family has had prior involvements with CPD, and “Regardless of the familiarity, Officer Robinson did not become complacent or treat them as if they were a nuisance. He treated them with dignity and respect.”

Robinson was provided with what he believed to be a $100 gift card to assist the family with their food needs. When Robinson attempted to use the card at a local store, he discovered it only had a $75 balance, so he personally covered the remaining $40 of the grocery bill.

“Officer Robinson’s willingness to act selflessly to help those in need is an inspiring example to all of us,” Razo said

Robinson has been a member of the Mobile Crisis Response Unit (MCRU) for more than a year. The MCRU unit pairs a sworn officer with a licensed mental health clinician, CPD Capt. Malcolm Draper told Inside Lake. “The purpose of this unit is to respond to calls for service or case referrals dealing with residents in a mental health crisis. However, in this case, Officer Robinson went even a step further by paying with his own money without hesitation to assist a family in need.”

Clermont police officer puts “service above self” to help local family Read More »

Clermont man killed near Orlando after crashing into parked SUV Tuesday

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.—A 78-year-old Clermont man was killed Tuesday after crashing into a parked vehicle shortly after 7 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The man was driving a 2012 Ford Escape eastbound on 18^th Street west of Woods Street, near Orlando, when he crashed into the front of a parked Chrysler Pacifica facing westbound; the Pacifica was unoccupied, FHP said.

The Clermont man was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. The crash remains under investigation.

Clermont man killed near Orlando after crashing into parked SUV Tuesday Read More »

6th Annual Lake County Back the Blue & Red Walk scheduled for Saturday

Around the County, Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, Features, Fruitland Park, Groveland, Howey-in-the-Hills, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mascotte, Minneola, Montverde, Mount Dora, Tavares, Umatilla, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—For the sixth year running, public safety and its supporters will join forces for the annual Lake County Back the Blue & Red Walk.

Scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at Wooton Park in Tavares, this is one of many law enforcement-related events around Lake County held in May during Law Enforcement Appreciation Month and last year, Organizer Shannon Cook added firefighters to the appreciation walk.

The walk began in 2019 to show support for law enforcement during a time when the “defund the police” movement was making its way across the country, Cook said, representatives from several law enforcement agencies and numerous public officials are expected to be in attendance.

“The good ones needed to know they were appreciated,” Cook said in an earlier interview, and this year the walk is especially important to Cook for several reasons – remembering Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link who was killed in an ambush attack in August 2024, and honoring Master Deputy Harold Howell and Deputy Stefano Gargano who were shot in the same attack. This year also marks 20 years since Deputy Wayne Koester was killed in a separate ambush attack 20 years ago.

PHOTOS: Bonnie Whicher/Inside Lake

Koester was Cook’s close friend, and was killed in the line of duty Feb. 9, 2005. Koester, who was 33 at the time, and two other deputies were ambushed while responding to a domestic violence call. All three deputies were shot, and Koester succumbed to his injuries; the other two deputies recovered. Jason Wheeler was shot and paralyzed during his capture and convicted in Koester’s death. Cook was also close to Chris Daniels, who was serving as Lake County Sheriff when he was tragically killed in a charity bus race in 2006, on his birthday.

Participants will meet at 9 a.m. at Wooton Park, 100 East Ruby Street, Tavares. The first stop will be the Lake County Administration Building, then a stop at the Tavares Public Safety Complex and the walk will end at Kalua Beach Bar with lunch, provided by owner Randy Connor; come a little early to enjoy donuts and coffee.

Shirts, provided by every year by Turf Tech Professional Lawn Maintenance, will be for sale for $10 each at the walk. The money will be used for Lake County Back the Blue & Red’s quest to become a non-profit organization.

6th Annual Lake County Back the Blue & Red Walk scheduled for Saturday Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: Man shot and killed by deputy after producing handgun in Clermont early Saturday

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Fla.—A man is dead after being shot by a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy shortly after midnight, according to LCSO.

Just after 12:15 a.m. LCSO responded to a report of a suspicious person standing in the road yelling at passing vehicles in the area of Via Roma Circle in Clermont, and a second call came in reporting the man was beating on a resident’s door, LCSO Sgt. Jim Vachon said in an email.

When they arrived, they asked the man, later identified as 39-year-old Eric Escobar, to show his hands; Escobar refused.

“While trying to communicate with the individual, he produced a handgun, forcing one of our deputies to fire his service weapon,” Vachon said.

Escobar was pronounced deceased on the scene. No deputies or residents were injured in the incident.

The deputy, whose name has not been released, has been placed on administrative leave, pending a review by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, standard procedure in a deputy-involved shooting,

BREAKING NEWS: Man shot and killed by deputy after producing handgun in Clermont early Saturday Read More »

Head-on crash kills Clermont woman Tuesday afternoon

Clermont, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Fla.—A Clermont woman was killed Tuesday afternoon after veering into the path of a pickup truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 56-year-old Clemont woman was driving a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLA-Class westbound on Schofield Road near Five Mile Road outside of Clermont when she veered into the eastbound lane and struck a 2023 Ford F-150 head-on shortly before 5:45 p.m., FHP said.

Both drivers were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the Clemont woman was pronounced deceased. The driver of the Ford, a 43-year-old Clermont man, suffered minor injuries; the crash remains under investigation.

Head-on crash kills Clermont woman Tuesday afternoon Read More »

Davenport motorcyclist killed in crash near Clermont

Clermont, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that killed a Davenport woman late Saturday night.

Around 11:20 p.m., a 78-year-old Clermont man was driving a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis northbound on U.S. Highway 27 approaching Sawgrass Bay Boulevard near Clermont, when he failed to see a 2024 Yamaha motorcycle ahead of him, according to FHP.

The Mercury struck the motorcycle, and a 2023 Telsa Model Y being driven by a 48-year-old Clermont man, then rear-ended the Mercury. The motorcyclist, a 39-year-old Davenport woman, was transported to AdventHealth – Four Corners Emergency Room, where she was pronounced deceased.

The driver of the Mercury, and his passenger, an 80-year-old Clermont woman, and the driver of the Tesla, and his passengers, a 40-year-old woman, and an 80-year-old man, both of Clermont, were not injured. The crash remains under investigation.

Davenport motorcyclist killed in crash near Clermont Read More »

One killed, one airlifted in wrong-way crash near Clermont Wednesday

Clermont, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that killed a Wesley Chapel woman early Wednesday in unincorporated Clermont.

Just before 1 a.m., a 39-year-old man of Greensboro, North Carolina was driving a 2004 GMC Sierra the wrong way in the southbound lane of State Road 33, near County Road 474 when he slammed into a 2007 Hyundai Sonata being driven by a 27-year-old Wesley Chapel woman. The impact rotated the Sonata clockwise and flipped the Sierra, FHP said.

The Wesley Chapel woman was transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center and pronounced deceased; the North Carolina man was airlifted to Osceola Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.

One killed, one airlifted in wrong-way crash near Clermont Wednesday Read More »

Still shot taken from a Clermont Police Department body cam as officers make entry to an apartment where two people were found dead.

Names and body cam released in deadly Clermont domestic incident

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Fla.—Clermont Police Department has released the names of the couple found dead after a domestic incident Wednesday.

Christian Steeler Filson, 28, and Sarah Dale, 29, were found dead after an unidentified caller reported Dale was screaming and being chased by a man at Cottonwood Clermont, 1200 Hooks Street, shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

When officers arrived, they began searching for the victim and spotted blood near an apartment in building 12. Officers entered apartment 12202, and found Dale, with a mortal gunshot wound.

“When our officers arrived, they immediately observed what appeared to be blood and a spent bullet casing outside of an apartment,” CPD Chief Charles Broadway said. “They began to conduct a well-being check but received no response from inside.”

Officers attempted to conduct an assessment of the scene and the victim, who appeared to be deceased, and they were immediately met with gunfire, CPD Capt. Malcolm Draper said. They returned fire and Filson retreated back into the apartment building.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will conduct its own investigation, standard procedure when an officer fires a weapon.

Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the scene including Mid-Florida SWAT, comprised of officers from Leesburg Police Department, Mount Dora Police Department and Eustis Police Department, along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Groveland Police Department. Lake EMS, Clermont Fire Department and Groveland Fire Department also responded.

“This was truly a team effort and through this joint effort, a safe entry was made and no officers were injured,” Broadway said.

Officers attempted to make verbal contact with Filson and never got a response, Draper said. After using drones and a robot to gather intel, Mid-Florida SWAT made entry to the apartment and found Dale fatally wounded and Filson dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Draper said CPD had one previous call for service to the apartment in October 2024 after an anonymous tipster reported someone was acting “erratically.” Officers responded and were unable to find anyone, Draper said.

Filson was arrested in Lebanon, Tennessee in 2017 for aggravated robbery and reckless endangerment after being accused of robbing two men in a Kroger grocery store parking lot of $15 and firing a shot as the victims followed him out of the parking lot, according to local media reports. The victims called police and continued to pursue Filson down West Main Street in Lebanon, where he purportedly fired a second shot. He was taken into custody by police and released on bond. The disposition of the Tennessee case was not available at press time.

Names and body cam released in deadly Clermont domestic incident Read More »

Man killed in hit-and-run while standing near his disabled vehicle outside Clermont Monday

Clermont, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for an SUV that hit and killed an Auburndale man Monday near Clermont and fled the scene.

A tow truck was stopped partially in the outside southbound lane and shoulder, assisting a driver with a disabled vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, a 37-year-old Auburndale man, was standing in the outside southbound lane of U.S. Highway 27 waving traffic around his disabled vehicle, the tow truck and its driver, near the Sienna Ridge community shortly before 7 p.m., according to FHP.

An unidentified white SUV was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 27, failed to move over and struck the Auburndale man, propelling him into the driver’s side mirror of the tow truck. The unidentified vehicle turned right onto Margaux Drive, hit a rock in the median and then fled southbound on U.S. Highway 27. The Auburndale man was pronounced deceased on the scene.

A witness told troopers the SUV was a white Kia Soul with an Indiana license plate. If you have information on the crash, call FHP at 407-737-2213 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

January marks the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ annual “Move Over” Public Safety Campaign, promoting roadside safety awareness. “Florida law requires you to “Move Over” a lane, when you can safely do so, for stopped law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, utility service vehicles, tow trucks or wreckers, maintenance or construction vehicles with displaying warning lights, and any disabled vehicle on the side of the road. If you can’t move over, or when on a two-lane road, slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit,” said FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi.