Eustis

Tipster, “alarmed” by threats against officers, alerts Tavares police

TAVARES, Fla.—A transient Mount Dora woman is in the Lake County Jail on no bond after making multiple threats against three Tavares Police Department officers and one Mount Dora Police Department officer on Facebook Wednesday.

A tipster reached out to TPD on its Facebook page just before 9:45 p.m. Wednesday and stated, “Someone I know has made some alarming threats against your officers on Facebook. I would like to remain anonymous, but here are the threats on Facebook. Her name is Ernesta Presy.” The tipster followed the message with 11 screenshots from Presy’s Facebook page. A tip also came into Crimeline not long after, according to a report.

TPD notified MDPD of the threat against its officer and the department said it was familiar with Presy from previous contacts and confirmed she is a “homeless transient” in their area, the report states.

Presy, 27, is apparently upset about a March incident involving TPD; the type of incident is redacted from TPD’s report, but according to a lawsuit Presy filed against TPD, she was taken into custody under a Baker Act. Presy is   representing herself “pro se,” without the assistance of an attorney. “Pro se” is a Latin term meaning “for oneself” or “on one’s own behalf.”  Presy is also representing herself in a lawsuit against Lifestream.

Inside Lake obtained copies of the Facebook posts and the posts included a sticky note with the names and identification numbers of three TPD officers. The note was provided to Presy by an on-duty road patrol officer when she stopped by the department on Tuesday to inquire about the names of the officers involved in her Baker Act in March. In addition to the sticky note with the officer’s names, she posted one TPD officer’s photo three times, including updating her profile photo to a photo of the officer and on another post, she provided a link to the officer’s personal Facebook page. Presy posted numerous threats and concerning statements including:

“I don’t know about y’all but only I can die standing up for my rights! I said what’s up and what it’s gone be..”

“If Hitler went to heaven so will I for killing these mutha (expletive) who unlawfully arrested me –as soon this case shut down I’m turning off the tracker.”

“I’m getting a gun, and it will be used for those who unlawfully arrested me in March and those who held me hostage. I have to stop caring so much.”

“5 people will die.”

“After I shoot her I will stab u multiple times for all the times you made me cry and plead!!!”

“if ur innocent and you get in the way u will die too.”

               

Screenshots taken from Ernest Presy’s Facebook page. 

TPD searched Facebook for Presy’s page and confirmed the posts that were sent in by the tipsters. A warrant was issued for her arrest for written or electronic threats to kill, and she was picked up by MDPD Thursday morning. She was transported to LCJ, where she is being held on no bond.

Presy was arrested in 2020 after being accused of striking her child’s father with a vehicle and driving through Eustis with him hanging onto the hood. He was able to jump off when Presy stopped at a traffic light. That charge was later dropped due to video evidence in the case creating reasonable doubt.

Previous story: Victim tells Eustis Police his child’s mother took him on a wild ride on the hood of her car – Inside Lake 

Tipster, “alarmed” by threats against officers, alerts Tavares police Read More »

Affidavit: Man accused of child sex crimes admits misdeeds in texts, controlled phone call and interview

UMATILLA, Fla.—A 29-year-old man who has ties to Eustis and Umatilla is in the Lake County Jail on no bond accused of multiple sex crimes against children.

Arsenio Quinones, who lives in Umatilla, but has a Eustis mailing address, was arrested by a Lake County Sheriff’s detective Thursday after agreeing to meet with the detective at a home in Umatilla and admitting he committed sex crimes against two separate juvenile victims, according to a heavily redacted arrest affidavit.

Both victims’ names, ages and addresses are redacted from the affidavit to protect their identities.

In October 2023, victim one reported Quinones had touched her in a sexual manner at least six years ago and she had text messages between her and Quinones proving her allegations. She showed law enforcement the messages where she asked Quinones why he had manipulated her into doing sexual things with him. He reportedly responded, “There’s no reason or excuse…I’m telling you this stays in my head about wtf happened. I don’t just live myself forgetting and leaving it in the past…I hate who I was and I wish I can either end it or do whatever it is I need to do to make it better. I know you don’t care about me and what I have to say. But I am genuinely sorry for putting you through that and destroying any time of image you have of me and life. You didn’t deserve it and shouldn’t have been taught…”

The victim told her family what allegedly happened, and she gave a second victim a case number to contact law enforcement. Victim one told the detective there may have been a witness to the abuse of victim two.

Victim one was contacted at a “later date” by an LCSO detective, and she described the abuse in detail; Inside Lake is not including the details in this story, due to their graphic nature.

Victim one made a controlled phone to Quinones Wednesday, and she confronted him about the abuse she said lasted four to five years. Quinones apologized multiple times and victim one mentioned victim two and Quinones reportedly stated the abuse was “not forced.” A controlled phone call is an arranged call made between a victim and a suspect, monitored and recorded by law enforcement.

Victim two told the detective two different abuse incidents occurred at two different homes, and the first incident occurred in either 2016 or 2017. She said Quinones asked her if she would be his girlfriend and then touched over and under her clothes. During the second abuse incident, Quinones took the abuse much further, she told the detective in detail.

Following the interviews with both victims and the controlled phone call, the LCSO detective went to the home of Quiniones’ mother and gave his number to her so Quinones could contact him. He called the detective a brief time later, and the detective went to a home in Umatilla to speak with him in person and, according to the affidavit, Quinones told the detective victim one was curious, so they engaged in sexual activity. He said he did not think it happened as much as victim one said it did, but she “may have been correct.”

Quinones then admitted to sexual activity with victim two, and said he did not force either victim. Quinones was arrested for two counts each of sexual battery on a victim under 12 and lewd or lascivious battery, victim 12 to under 16: three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim 12 to under 16, sexual battery on a victim 12 to under 18 and lewd or lascivious molestation, victim under 12. He was transported to the LCJ, where he remains on no bond.

Affidavit: Man accused of child sex crimes admits misdeeds in texts, controlled phone call and interview Read More »

Eustis police sergeant OK after suspect slams into marked patrol truck

EUSTIS, Fla.—A Eustis Police Department road patrol sergeant is OK after a suspect slammed into his marked patrol truck while he was at a stop sign early Sunday morning.

An EPD road patrol officer was patrolling the area of Center Street and Orange Avenue at 12:50 a.m. Sunday when he spotted a white Ford speeding and driving recklessly eastbound on Orange Avenue, according to an arrest affidavit. The officer notified his sergeant, L. Arnold, the vehicle was traveling toward Abrams Road and the officer lost sight of it around Glover Street, according to an arrest affidavit.

Arnold was traveling on Abrams Road and after he stopped at the stop sign at Abrams Road and Orange Avenue, also known as State Road 44, the white Ford made a sharp turn onto Abrams Road and slammed into the left front fender of his truck, causing Arnold’s head to smack against the driver’s side window and shatter it, EPD Chief Craig Capri told Inside Lake.

 

The window of EPD Sgt. L. Arnold’s truck after his head shattered it when a car slammed into him at a stop sign early Sunday. The crash also damaged the left, front fender of the truck. PHOTOS: Eustis Police Department

 

Arnold called out on the radio he had been involved in a crash, exited his patrol truck and drew his firearm because he did not know if the driver struck him intentionally, the affidavit states. The driver, identified as Davonta Carter, 29, of Mount Dora, then got out of the vehicle and began running westbound on Orange Avenue.

Arnold gave chase and the first officer who spotted Carter speeding, pulled up and began chasing Carter at gunpoint too. After several commands to “stop,” Carter laid down in the middle of Orange Avenue and surrendered, the affidavit states. He was placed in the back of a patrol car that was parked in the middle of Orange Avenue and the officer moved the car to a nearby gas station.

Carter, covered in sweat, requested EMS to check him out, Lake EMS responded, and Carter refused transport; his passenger, Miavohni Wright, 23, of York, Penn., was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers searched the vehicle and found a black and white Adidas bag with a 9mm handgun, two plastic bags containing crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana.

Carter was arrested for leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, driving while license suspended, reckless driving, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance, driving while license suspended and resisting without violence. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where staff advised he needed to be checked out by the hospital before being booked, due to being involved in a crash. He was transported to AdventHealth Waterman, where he was medically cleared, and transported back to LCJ, where he is being held on $41,000 bond.

Eustis police sergeant OK after suspect slams into marked patrol truck Read More »

Fatal motorcycle crash shuts down SR 44 outside of Eustis Saturday

EUSTIS, Fla.—A motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon after striking a concrete mailbox, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The man was riding a 2020 Harley-Davidson FXLRS on State Road 44 when he failed to negotiate a curve, ran off the road, and hit the mailbox near Bottany Woods Drive, in unincorporated Eustis, shortly after 5 p.m.

He was transported to AdventHealth DeLand, where he was pronounced deceased, FHP said. The crash closed State Road 44 and it was still closed nearly three hours after the crash.

Fatal motorcycle crash shuts down SR 44 outside of Eustis Saturday Read More »

Police on the hunt for Eustis triple shooting suspect

EUSTIS, Fla.—A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the man who police say shot three people Friday night.

Gary “Pookie” Davis, 46, is wanted for attempted murder, three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in public, EPD Chief Craig Capri said.

EPD responded to a report of a shooting in front of 604 Kensington Street around 10 p.m. 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 Tavares for treatment, Nyjah Lowe, 26, was struck by fragmentation and received minor injuries, Capri said.

Gary “Pookie” Davis is seen here in a 2021 mugshot. PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office

EPD detectives responded to the scene and developed information that Davis was the culprit and quickly got a warrant for his arrest, according to Capri. Capri said Davis is not in custody and police are asking anyone with information of Davis’ whereabouts to contact them.

In 2021, Davis was arrested for another shooting at the same house on Kensington Street. In that incident, Davis was accused of shooting Jarvis Griffin in an altercation involving a puppy. At the time, EPD said Davis and Griffin had been in a monthlong dispute. Davis was arrested in that case and was found not guilty by a Lake County jury in August 2023.

If you have information of Friday’s shooting, or Davis’ whereabouts, call EPD at 352-357-4121 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Previous stories: BREAKING NEWS: 2 shot in Eustis Friday night – Inside Lake

Eustis Shooter Released On $12,000 Bond — Airlifted Victim Has One Bullet Removed, Second Remains – Inside Lake

Police on the hunt for Eustis triple shooting suspect Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: 2 shot in Eustis Friday night

EUSTIS, Fla.—Eustis Police Department is investigating after two people were shot Friday night.

EPD responded to the area of Kensington Street around 10 p.m. and found a male and a female suffering from gunshot wounds, EPD Chief Craig Capri told Inside Lake.

Capri said the scene was “active and fluid” and little information was available late Friday night. The victim’s names and the extent of their injuries have not been released, but at least one person was airlifted for treatment, he said.

Units were still on scene around 11:30 p.m., “They are canvassing the area for evidence,” Capri said.

No arrests had been made at press time and police did not release any information on a suspect.

This is a developing story.

 

BREAKING NEWS: 2 shot in Eustis Friday night Read More »

Umatilla motorcyclist killed, another seriously injured after wrong-way driver causes late night crash

EUSTIS, Fla.—A wrong-way crash killed a 20-year-old man and sent a 41-year-old man to the hospital shortly before midnight Saturday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A 49-year-old Eustis man was driving a 2017 Dodge Ram 2500 westbound in the eastbound lane of State Road 44 when he struck a 2024 Harley-Davidson Sportster head-on, near Hammond Lane. The 20-year-old rider was killed; a second motorcyclist, a 41-year-old man riding 2003 Suzuki VL800K, swerved and laid the bike down on the roadway, FHP said.

The 20-year-old Umatilla man was pronounced deceased on the scene, the 41-year-old man, also of Umatilla, was transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Ram was not injured. The crash remains under investigation.

Umatilla motorcyclist killed, another seriously injured after wrong-way driver causes late night crash Read More »

Mom accused of Sorrento kidnapping extradited to Lake County

TAVARES, Fla.—The mom accused of kidnapping her two daughters from a Sorrento foster home in January is back in Lake County to face her charges.

Dixie Krista Williams, 42, is accused of kidnapping her two daughters, Tilli and Natalia, in the early morning hours of Jan. 25 from their foster home in Sorrento, triggering an Amber Alert and large law enforcement response. The girls were missing for more than a day, until Williams was captured in Louisiana on Jan. 26.

Tillie and Natalia Williams are seen here in this undated photo.

Through its investigation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office discovered information that Williams may be traveling in a silver Nissan Rogue on Interstate 20 in Louisiana with the girls who were 5 years old and 18 months old at the time of the kidnapping. Detectives relayed that information to Louisiana State Police (LSP,) and troopers spotted the Rogue and initiated a traffic stop around 12:15 p.m. local time. After a brief pursuit by LSP and Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, Williams was taken into custody, and Tilli and Natalia were found safe. The girls were turned over to Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services; it is unknown what their current status is.

Williams was arrested on a warrant for two counts of kidnapping and numerous Louisiana charges, including aggravated flight from an officer, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, resisting an officer, two counts of no child passenger restraint system and no seat belt use. Lincoln Parish Clerk of Court records were not available at press time, the status of Williams’ Louisiana criminal charges is unknown.

 

 

Williams spent more than eight months locked up in Ruston, Louisiana before being extradited back to Lake County on Oct. 6. In addition to her kidnapping charges, Williams must answer for failing to appear in court for five traffic-related charges stemming from an arrest by Eustis Police Department in December 2022. In that case, Williams was found driving without a license, allegedly resisted arrest and was ticketed for several driving offenses. On that traffic stop, Williams told the arresting officer she was “traveling” and “did not need a license,” a phrase commonly used by self-proclaimed sovereign citizens.

Williams is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond, and according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records, she waived her arraignment scheduled for Nov. 4 and pleaded not guilty. She is represented by Assistant Public Defender Mona Payne and Assistant State Attorney Gabriel Lozano is prosecuting the case.

Previous story: Mom Accused of Kidnapping 2 Daughters Fled from Louisiana State Police Before Capture – Inside Lake

Mom accused of Sorrento kidnapping extradited to Lake County Read More »

Police release name of motorcyclist killed early Monday

EUSTIS, Fla.—Eustis Police Department has released the name of the man killed while riding a motorcycle Monday morning.

Graman Matos Mangual, 38, of DeLand was riding a 2001 Suzuki motorcycle northbound on U.S. Highway 441, north of David Walker Drive around 6:30 a.m. Monday when a black GMC pickup truck struck the motorcycle as the truck attempted to turn left into Eustis Village plaza, EPD Capt. Ken Toler said.

Mangual was pronounced deceased on the scene, the driver of the truck, Anthony Campbell, 55, of Astatula was not injured. The crash remained under investigation at press time Wednesday.

Police release name of motorcyclist killed early Monday Read More »

Tempers and flames flare up in Eustis domestic incident Tuesday, according to police

EUSTIS, Fla.—A couple is in the Lake County Jail, accused of battering each other and police say one of them intentionally set an apartment on fire.

Shortly after 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Eustis Police Department responded to Crazy Gator, 402 North Bay Street on a report of a domestic battery in progress, according to an arrest affidavit. When they arrived, they found Ashlee Pringle, 35, crying with multiple injuries to her face and neck and she told police her boyfriend, Christopher Walantus, 42, hit her multiple times. She told police the altercation began Monday, and Walantus, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, was using “derogatory words” towards her. She said she left the apartment for the night, located at 623 North Bay Street, and returned Tuesday morning.

She told police when she returned, Walantus was sleeping on the couch, and she went straight to the bedroom. Walantus realized she was home and began smashing her belongings against a wall and dragged her into the living room. He picked her up, threw her to the ground, and put his hand on her head, putting all of his weight on her and said, “it felt like her skull was going to crack,” the affidavit states. According to Lake County Jail online booking records, Walantus is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 300 pounds, and Pringle is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.

Pringle, a local realtor, told police she got up and Walantus started hitting her with dishes and throwing items, resulting in holes in the wall. She said gathered her belongings and Walantus kept ripping them from her hands and stomping on them. She told police he took her phone, valued at $1,200 and destroyed multiple items including a television, a curling iron, makeup and a purse, valued at a total of $1,000.

Pringle said she was able to leave, and she grabbed his car keys and left the apartment. She told police he followed her to the parking lot and threw her to the pavement before she ran across Bay Street to Crazy Gator. A neighbor later told police he witnessed the incident in the parking lot.

EPD canvassed the area, found Walantus and took him into custody. He told police Pringle battered him and provided officers with a video that showed “the residence in complete disarray with broken glass covering the floor of the apartment. Within the video (Pringle) is in the kitchen of the apartment, where they are observed arguing. (Walantus) throws a cardboard soda box onto the counter and approaches (Pringle) while recording. He verbally taunts (Pringle) at which point she (is) observed striking him with her hand on his side,” the arresting officer noted in the affidavit.

Walantus told police Pringle left the apartment early Monday morning and took his car without permission and did not return until Tuesday afternoon. He said when Pringle returned, she began yelling and throwing things, striking him in the head with a glass object. He said she broke a television in the living room and a television in the bedroom and threw a “barrage” of glass objects at him, including cups and bowls. He told officers he did not touch Pringle and the “markings and bruising” she had on her body were the result of a previous intimate encounter. Walantus, who is currently on Marion County felony probation, was arrested for domestic battery and criminal mischief and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond.

Around four hours later, just before 5:30 p.m. EPD responded back to Pendleton Apartments, 623 North Bay Street, on a report of a structure fire and loud explosion in an apartment, later identified as Walantus’ apartment.

A witness who lives near the apartment told EPD she heard a loud explosion and when she looked outside her door, she saw Pringle gathering items and quickly leaving in a grey SUV. She described Pringle’s clothing, and it matched what she was wearing when officers spoke to her earlier in the day, according to a report.

A second witness told police Pringle, and an unidentified female had been moving things out of the apartment for “quite a while” and between 5:15 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. she heard a “huge explosion” come from the apartment and observed a window and sliding glass door blown out. She saw Pringle coming down the stairs, carrying a fan. Pringle told the witness the explosion did not come from the apartment she was coming out of and the witness told her the explosion “did indeed come from (that) apartment,” the report states. Other neighbors came out of their apartments and screamed for Pringle to call 911 and she “quickly darted” to a grey SUV, jumped in the passenger side and the SUV sped off. The witness told police Pringle appeared to be “high” and under the influence of a narcotic.

A blown out window is seen here following an alleged arson at a Eustis apartment complex. Courtesy photo

Eustis Fire Chief Michael Swanson told officers he believed the fire was set intentionally and State Fire Marshal Will Murphy responded to the scene and confirmed the fire was intentional. Swanson told EPD the fire started in the bedroom, and furniture, clothing and electronics also sustained damage. Murphy estimated the total damage to the apartment is approximately $75,000.

The aftermath of an alleged arson at a Eustis apartment Tuesday. PHOTO: Eustis Police Department

Pringle was later located at Oasis Saloon, 23800 State Road 46, Sorrento, by Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies, still wearing the same clothes as described by witnesses at Pendleton Apartments. She was transported to EPD for questioning, and according to a report, she reiterated the story about the domestic violence earlier in the day. She told an EPD detective she found out Walantus was in custody and went to the apartment to pack up her belongings and some of Walantus’ belongings because she did not want them to go missing while he was in jail. She said she was walking downstairs and heard the explosion and she “didn’t want to believe” it came from the apartment and continued to walk to the apartment where her friend was waiting. She said a neighbor told her the explosion came from the apartment, but it was not her apartment, it was Walantus’ apartment, and she decided to leave.

Pringle denied knowing anything about the fire but later said she was filling up lighter fluid she wanted to take with her, and she spilled some on her hand but did not know if any spilled on the floor. She said she did light a lighter, and when asked if she dropped or thew the lighter somewhere near the lighter fluid, she reportedly said she was not sure. She denied starting the fire and said an aerosol can inside the apartment may have exploded but she was unsure about that too.

She denied hitting Walantus and said she was the victim of domestic violence. She refused to answer any more questions and was arrested for arson, domestic battery and criminal mischief. She was transported to LCJ, where she is being held on no bond.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tempers and flames flare up in Eustis domestic incident Tuesday, according to police Read More »

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