Clermont

Armed Robbery Suspect and Nephew Charged in 2022 Tavares Murder

TAVARES, Florida—Last August, only Inside Lake uncovered a man accused of multiple armed robberies across Lake County was suspected in the murder of Alejandro “Alex” Garcia.

On Thursday, Dustin “Chico” Perdue was charged with his murder; and on Monday night his nephew, Octavious Marquis Reed was nabbed by U.S. Marshals and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit, Tavares Police Detective Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake.

Perdue, 27, and Reed, 23, are accused of shooting Garcia, 29, and Darnell Lester, 31, April 8, 2022 at Caroline Court Apartments, 1000 East Caroline Street in Tavares. Garcia, of Mount Dora, succumbed to his injuries and died and Lester—shot multiple times—attempted to drive himself away from the scene but crashed the bullet-ridden vehicle he was driving, Sullivan told Inside Lake the night of the incident. Sullivan is also TPD’s public information officer (PIO.)

Neither Garcia nor Lester lived at the complex but were known to hang out there and are related to each other, Sullivan said. Lester’s last known is address is Apopka.

TPD is not releasing much information in the case, including a motive and the probable cause affidavits in the case are sealed.

Perdue, who was already in the Lake County Jail on no bond facing 14 charges related to multiple armed robberies in Clermont, Mount Dora, Tavares and unincorporated Mount Dora, has been in LCJ since August 2022, when he was arrested on a traffic stop following an armed robbery in Clermont. His alleged accomplice in the robberies, Patrick Antonio Brown, 22, was also arrested and is being held on no bond. Brown is not a suspect in Garcia’s murder and Lester’s shooting in April, Sullivan said.   

In Garcia’s murder, Perdue and Reed are both facing one count each of first degree murder, attempted murder and discharging a firearm on residential property; Perdue is facing an additional charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. When Reed was taken into custody Monday, he was carrying a concealed firearm and marijuana and is facing two additional charges.

They are both being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

Two People Shot, One Killed in Tavares Friday Night
Tavares Police Release Shooting Victim’s Names, Urging Witnesses to Come Forward
Pair of Armed Robbers Suspected in Multiple Crimes Arrested, Police Say
Pair of Accused Robbers Facing More Charges, One Suspected of Tavares Murder, Police Say
More Charges For Armed Robbery Duo

Armed Robbery Suspect and Nephew Charged in 2022 Tavares Murder Read More »

2 Killed in 6-Vehicle Crash on Turnpike Friday Morning

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Florida—The crash that shut down the southbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike most of the day Friday resulted in the deaths of two people, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

At 7:15 a.m. Friday, a 2020 Toyota Corolla being driven by a 23-year-old Tallahassee woman was traveling southbound on Florida’s Turnpike in the inside lane near mile marker 286 when she failed to stop for traffic ahead. She rear-ended a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox being driven by a 69-year-old Ocala man. The Chevrolet left the roadway and the right rear of the Chevrolet struck the left rear of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee being driven by a 67-year-old woman of Port Richey, FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said.

The Chevrolet then struck a guardrail, rotated and struck a Dodge Ram 2500 head-on being driven by a 31-year-old Inverness man; the Chevrolet continued southbound and became wedged underneath the trailer of a 2018 tractor-trailer being driven by a 35-year-old Dunnellon man. The driver of the Chevrolet and his passenger, a 68-year-old Ocala woman, were both pronounced deceased on the scene.

After the initial impact between the Toyota and the Chevrolet, the Toyota rotated and struck a 2020 tractor-trailer being driven by a 34-year-old Anthony man. The Toyota became engulfed in flames, Crescenzi said.  

The driver of the Toyota and the Jeep were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries; the driver and passenger of the Dodge and the drivers of the two tractor-trailers were not injured. Everyone involved in the crash stayed on scene and the crash remains under investigation, Crescenzi said.

2 Killed in 6-Vehicle Crash on Turnpike Friday Morning Read More »

Leesburg Woman Accused of Keeping Loaner SUV for More than a Month

CLERMONT, Florida—A woman who police say kept a loaner vehicle for more than a month, turned herself in at the Lake County Jail Thursday on a warrant for failure to redeliver a hired vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit.

Tamera Shania Pollard, 26, of Leesburg, dropped off her vehicle, a silver 2014 Mazda 6 for service at Headquarter Mazda, 17500 State Road 50, Clermont, and was given a white 2022 Mazda CX-30 as a loaner vehicle on July 15, 2022, a representative of the dealership told Clermont Police Department on Aug. 19, 2022.

Tamera Pollard PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office

Pollard failed to return the vehicle and the dealership attempted to contact her by phone, email and certified mail to no avail. The crossover SUV was entered as stolen and on Aug. 21, 2022 it was pulled over by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Pollard was in the vehicle, but she was not arrested and the SUV was impounded. The LCSO deputy told CPD he did not arrest Pollard because she was cooperative and he did not see a warrant for her arrest.

The following day Pollard called the dealership to inquire about her vehicle she had dropped off for service more than a month prior, but it is unclear in the affidavit whether Pollard ever picked the car up.

A warrant was issued for Pollard on Aug. 24, 2022, and she turned herself in Thursday at LCJ, where she was released on $5,000 bond.

Leesburg Woman Accused of Keeping Loaner SUV for More than a Month Read More »

FHP: Multivehicle Crash Kills 2, Shuts Down Southbound Turnpike Lanes, Delays Expected for Hours

LEESBURG, Florida—Two people are dead following a multivehicle crash that shut down the southbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike, according to Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Channing Taylor.

The crash involves four passenger vehicles and two tractor-trailers and two people were pronounced dead at the scene, Taylor said.

Southbound traffic is being diverted at mile marker 289 and travelers should expect heavy traffic and delays for several hours, according to Taylor.

FHP: Multivehicle Crash Kills 2, Shuts Down Southbound Turnpike Lanes, Delays Expected for Hours Read More »

Separate Crashes Shut Down 2 Major Roads in Groveland Wednesday

GROVELAND, Florida—Two major roads were shut down Wednesday as both Groveland Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol simultaneously worked traffic crashes.

GPD shut down State Road 19 between Bible Camp Road and Laviance Boulevard due to a crash at State 19 and Cherry Lake Road around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Cherry Lake Road was also shut down at Cherry Lake Landing, according to a GPD social media post. No other details were available at press time.

FHP shut down State Road 33 north of Double H Lane following a fatal crash that occurred at 11:20 a.m. Wednesday. A man driving a 2014 Mazda 3 entered the southbound lane of State Road 33 and hit a 2014 Volvo semi-truck head-on. The semi, being driven by a 32-year-old man from Duluth, Georgia, then hit a 2018 Hyundai Elantra, being driven by a 34-year-old Clermont woman, according to FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi.

The driver of the Mazda was pronounced dead on the scene and troopers were attempting to locate his next of kin, Crescenzi said. The driver of the semi was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the Clermont woman was not injured.

Both crash scenes are active investigations.

Separate Crashes Shut Down 2 Major Roads in Groveland Wednesday Read More »

Witnesses: Man Slapped Woman, 68, During Altercation on Clermont Lake

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

Witnesses: Man Slapped Woman, 68, During Altercation on Clermont Lake Read More »

Clermont Woman Accused of Diverting Thousands of Dollars Intended for Her Employer to Herself

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.

Clermont Woman Accused of Diverting Thousands of Dollars Intended for Her Employer to Herself Read More »

Man Accused of Ramming Deputies, Carjacking and Crashing into School Bus Earlier this Month Facing More Charges 

GROVELAND, Florida—The man who deputies say rammed three patrol vehicles in a stolen truck, carjacked a citizen and crashed into a school bus is facing five new charges, including three counts of felony criminal mischief, according to a new arrest affidavit.

Joseph Anthony Dale Crawford, 23, of Clermont is in the Lake County Jail on no bond after his two-county crime spree on Feb. 3 ended with him crashing a stolen Ford Bronco into a Lake County Schools bus.

PHOTO: Groveland Police Department

Around 6 a.m. Feb. 3, a woman called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and reported her white 2019 Ford F-250 had been stolen overnight. She provided GPS coordinates to LCSO, and deputies tracked to truck to a gas station near Hartle Road in Clermont, LCSO Lt. Fred Jones said earlier this month.

They found Crawford pumping gas in the stolen truck and he fled when he saw deputies, ramming two patrol cars, disabling one. He was later boxed in at a construction site, where he rammed a third patrol car, Jones said. LCSO successfully deployed stop sticks and Crawford continued into Oakland in Orange County. The truck became stuck and he fled on foot. He attempted to carjack a vehicle, but was unsuccessful. He then carjacked a Ford Bronco as the driver was exiting the SUV and then fled back to Lake County.

Joseph Crawford was sentenced to three years in prison for false imprisonment and leaving the scene of a crash. He was released in March 2022. PHOTO: Florida Department of Corrections

He continued fleeing into Groveland, where he crashed into a school bus carrying three children and two adults. None of the occupants on the bus were injured, according to Jones.

Groveland Police Department took Crawford into custody and he was transported to an Orlando hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was arrested that day for three counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, grand theft, and resisting in Lake County, Jones said. He is facing additional charges in Orange County, but those charges had not been filed with the Orange County Clerk of Court at press time.

PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office

On Thursday, six days after the crime spree, Crawford was slapped with five additional charges. Video surveillance showed he used the stolen truck to steal a toolbox from truck parked outside a home on Moonflower Court in Clermont and a glasses case from a vehicle on Silver Leaf Circle in Clermont. He is facing a grand theft and petit theft charge for those crimes.

Crawford has also been charged with three counts of felony criminal mischief for damaging three separate guide rail attenuators on Florida’s Turnpike while he was fleeing deputies in the stolen truck. The attenuators are valued at $30,000.

Man Accused of Ramming Deputies, Carjacking and Crashing into School Bus Earlier this Month Facing More Charges  Read More »

Suspect Rams 3 Deputies in Stolen Truck, Flees Across 2 Counties, Carjacks SUV and Crashes into School Bus in Groveland Friday  

GROVELAND, Florida—A man is facing a slew of charges in Lake and Orange counties after stealing a struck, ramming three Lake County Sheriff’s Office patrol cars, carjacking a citizen and crashing into a school bus Friday morning, according to LCSO Lt. Fred Jones.

LCSO received a call from the owner of the truck around 6 a.m. and she said her truck had been stolen in the middle of the night. She provided GPS coordinates to LCSO, and deputies tracked to truck to a gas station near Hartle Road in Clermont, Jones said.

They found Joseph Crawford, 23, of Groveland, pumping gas; he fled when he saw deputies, ramming two patrol cars, disabling one. He was later boxed in at a construction site, where he rammed a third patrol car, Jones said. LCSO successfully deployed stop sticks and Crawford continued into Oakland in Orange County. The truck became disabled and he attempted to carjack a vehicle, but was unsuccessful. He then carjacked a Ford Bronco as the driver was exiting the SUV and then fled back to Lake County.

Joseph Crawford was sentenced to three years in prison for false imprisonment and leaving the scene of a crash. He was released in March 2022. PHOTO: Florida Department of Corrections

 He continued fleeing into Groveland, where he crashed into a school bus carrying three children and two adults. None of the occupants on the bus were injured, according to Jones.

Groveland Police Department took Crawford into custody and he was transported to an Orlando hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He is facing three counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, grand theft, and resisting in Lake County, Jones said. He is facing additional charges in Orange County.

Crawford’s Lake County booking information and mugshot were not available at press time.

Suspect Rams 3 Deputies in Stolen Truck, Flees Across 2 Counties, Carjacks SUV and Crashes into School Bus in Groveland Friday   Read More »

Clermont Mom Arrested for DUI After Allegedly Driving Wrong Way Through School Pickup Line Drunk

CLERMONT, Florida—A Clermont mom was arrested Friday for DUI after driving drunk through the pickup line twice at Pinecrest Lakes Academy, according to an arrest affidavit.

Staff members at Pinecrest Lakes Academy, 14012 Old Highway 50, Clermont requested their Lake County Sheriff’s Office school resource deputy (SRD) assist with a parent they believed was intoxicated at the school around 2:45 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest affidavit.

A witness told the SRD Heather C. Tonnellier, 48, ran over a traffic cone and dragged it under her vehicle in the pickup line and when staff members approached her, they told her she had missed pickup time and she had to park and get her child from the front office.  Tonnellier then left the campus.

The witness also told the SRD a teacher called Tonnellier earlier to speak with her about being late picking her child up and missing a volunteer commitment. The witness said the teacher was concerned Tonnellier was under the influence due to her speech pattern, and the witness said Tonnellier had been escorted off campus on a prior occasion due to her being drunk, the affidavit states.

At 3:11 p.m., the SRD was notified Tonnellier had returned to the campus, driving the wrong way through the pickup line and “having great difficulty following the drive when curves and turns were present,” according to the affidavit.

The SRD watched Tonnellier exit a grey Hyundai, using the vehicle for support and as she made her way to the front office she was staggering and unsteady on her feet. She walked past the SRD and the SRD could smell alcohol, she noted in the affidavit.

Heather Tonnellier PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office

The SRD approached Tonnellier and asked her if she was experiencing a medical emergency, she said no, and the SRD explained people were concerned because she hit the cone and made numerous incorrect turns. Tonnellier seemed “confused” by what the SRD was saying.

The SRD asked Tonnellier if she had been drinking, which she denied and she agreed to perform field sobriety exercises. After the exercises, Tonnellier was taken into custody for DUI. The child was turned over to an emergency contact and Tonnellier was transported to the Lake County Jail, where she provided two breath samples, one .200 and one .198, both more than twice the legal limit. She was booked into LCJ and released on $1,000 bond.

In 2021, Tonnellier was arrested for DUI after being involved in a crash in the middle of the afternoon on State Road 50 in Clermont. At one point she told Clermont Police she believed her child was in the vehicle, but later said she dropped the child off at school. In that case, Tonnellier provided breath samples of .229 and .222, nearly three times the legal limit. According to Lake County Clerk of Court records she was sentenced to probation; she completed the probation and terms in May 2022.  

Clermont Mom Arrested for DUI After Allegedly Driving Wrong Way Through School Pickup Line Drunk Read More »

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