Eustis

Father of young girl found dead in Montverde last month arrested on unrelated charges

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Montverde, Tavares / By

TAVARES, Fla.—The father of a young girl found dead in Montverde last month was arrested last week on unrelated charges out of Polk County, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.

Lojuan Jamario Sessions, 26, father of 9-year-old Jamaria Sessions, was picked up at his job in Eustis Wednesday by Eustis Police Department on two warrants for violating probation, stemming from a 2019 Polk County case.

In January 2019, Sessions was accused of fleeing from a Haines City Police Department officer after the officer found a bag of drugs, later determined to be amphetamine, in plain view in the vehicle Sessions was driving during a traffic stop, according to an arrest affidavit.

The officer put the bag of suspected drugs on the roof of Sessions’ vehicle, and asked Sessions to step out. Sessions put the vehicle in drive, took off, struck a vehicle being driven by an undercover Polk County deputy and then crashed into a palm tree. Sessions’ current girlfriend was in the passenger seat with a small unrestrained child in her lap, and three young girls were in the back seat—not wearing seatbelts.

Sessions was arrested for four counts of child neglect, possession of amphetamine with intent to sell, trafficking in amphetamine, possession of a vehicle while trafficking drugs, possession of marijuana, fleeing a law enforcement officer a at high speed, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license.

He later pleaded guilty, according to Polk County Clerk of Court records, and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by five years of probation. He is accused of violating his probation, but details of the violations were not available Monday evening.

Sessions was released from prison in August 2023, and according to Jamaria’s uncle, Joseph Robinson, Jamaria and her younger sister, 5, had been living with their father since October 2023. Before that, the sisters were living with their grandmother, Althea Chenault, following the death of their mother, Tadrina Dort. Dort died from congestive heart failure in 2022 after beating leukemia; she was just 24 years old.

Jamaria Sessions. Photo courtesy of Joseph Robinson and Althea Chenault

The girls began living with Sessions after he picked them up from school without Chenault’s knowledge or consent in October 2023 and they lived with him until Jamaria’s death on June 17. Jamaria’s 5-year-old sister, who Inside Lake is not naming, is staying with another family member.

No arrests have been made in Jamaria’s death and LCSO has released few details, only calling her death a “homicide investigation.”

“The death investigation is being treated as a homicide until the results are retrieved from the autopsy by the Medical Examiner’s office,” LCSO Cpl. Chanel Martin told Inside Lake last month.  “When the cause and manner are returned explaining the death, a determination will be made on proceeding forward.”

LCSO online records show Sessions was released from the Lake County Jail Monday and Martin told Inside Lake he was turned over to Polk County Sheriff’s Office. At press time, Sessions had not been booked into the Polk County Jail.

Previous stories: Death of 9-year-old girl being treated as a homicide investigation, maternal family says – Inside Lake

Child found deceased at Montverde home, Medical Examiner to determine cause of death – Inside Lake

Father of young girl found dead in Montverde last month arrested on unrelated charges Read More »

PHOTO: Florida Highway Patrol

Astatula man killed Friday morning after rear-ending dump truck in Orange County

Astatula, Eustis, Inside Scoop / By

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.—A 30-year-old Astatula man was killed before daybreak Friday morning after he rear-ended a dump truck near Zellwood, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Shortly after 5:30 a.m., the Astatula man was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado westbound on Jones Avenue near Jewel Foliage Road when he entered the eastbound lane, traveling above the posted speed limit, to pass another vehicle, FHP said.

He reentered the westbound lane, failed to slow down and rear-ended a 1985 dump truck being driven by a 38-year-old Eustis man. The Astatula man was transported to AdventHealth Apopka and pronounced deceased; the Eustis man was not injured.

Astatula man killed Friday morning after rear-ending dump truck in Orange County Read More »

Accused murderer back in Lake County

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By

TAVARES, Fla.—The man police believe is responsible for the murder of a Leesburg store owner was booked into the Lake County Jail Friday morning.

Alex Lopez, 25, is facing charges of premeditated murder, armed robbery and two other weapons offenses, and is being held on no bond.

Lopez was on the run for nearly a month, while Leesburg Police Department worked with state, federal and local agencies to track him down and finally located him at a motel in Kissimmee around 7 p.m. Wednesday, Leesburg Police Department Sgt. Shannon Walsh said. He was taken into custody by the FDLE/Orlando – Violent Crime Task Force.

“We located him using collaborative investigative measures,” Walsh told Inside Lake.

Lopez is accused of gunning down father of five, Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, 51, at Fast Stop Superette, 3702 Picciola Road, on May 30 during an armed robbery of the store. LPD will not confirm how much money was taken in the robbery, but a post created by Shihadeh’s wife, Monique, on a fundraising platform states it was less than $100. In the same post, Monique also stated her husband was killed on their daughter’s 16th birthday, making an already tragic situation much more heartbreaking.

Raied “Ray” Shihadeh. Photo courtesy of Monique Shihadeh

Inside Lake spoke with Monique by text Thursday and she said, “Our family is happy about his capture. We are preparing for this continuous and long journey that we will be on but praying for strength.”

Monique posted about her husband in numerous Facebook groups throughout the last few weeks asking for help locating Lopez and informing the public of a reward offered by Crimeline, in addition to money raised and added to the reward by her family.

Lopez grew up in Eustis and Sorrento, several sources have told Inside Lake. His next court date is scheduled for July 22.

Previous story: Leesburg murder suspect captured in Kissimmee – Inside Lake

Photos courtesy of Monique Shihadeh

Accused murderer back in Lake County Read More »

Raied “Ray” Shihadeh

Driver who caused crash that shut down Grove Street Monday night arrested for DUI

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By

EUSTS, Fla.—The driver of the truck that took out an electrical pole, a fire hydrant, and shut down Grove Street for more than 10 hours Monday has been arrested for DUI.

Tyler G. Cook, 29, of Eustis, was arrested early Tuesday morning after being released from the hospital, where he refused a blood draw, according to an arrest affidavit.

Around 6:30 p.m. Monday, EPD responded to a crash one Grove Street near North Eustis Street and found a power pole lying across the road, a fire hydrant spewing water and a blue Chevy truck on its roof, with an open 18-pack of Bud Light hanging out of the rear window. An officer spoke with Cook, who admitted he was driving the truck, and he said he did not remember what happened while struggling to keep his balance and slurring his words with the smell of alcohol on his breath, the affidavit states.

As police photographed the scene, an officer observed the 18-pack of Bud Light and it only contained 11 beers, still cold to the touch. The other seven beers missing from the 18-pack were not found, but two unopened cans of Corona Extra were found in the truck.

A witness told police he noticed the blue Chevy truck swerving in and out of traffic prior to the crash. The truck cut him off and then he saw the truck having a verbal altercation with another vehicle near City Hall at Grove Street and Orange Avenue; a second witness said he observed the truck drifting around the corner near Wilt Avenue and saw the truck lose control at a “high rate of speed.” The speed limit in that area is 30 miles per hour.

Lake EMS arrived on scene and transported Cook, and his passenger, Chase Rimes, to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares for treatment. While at the hospital, Cook was “combative” with staff and officers while handcuffed to a bed and he refused a blood draw, the affidavit states. Officers informed Cook they were conducting a DUI investigation and he refused to answer questions while trying to “entice” an officer into a verbal altercation. He spilled a cup of urine and continued to slur his words while being combative.

Rimes, his passenger, told police Cook popped the clutch on the truck and “took off.” He lost control and struck the curb while trying to correct the vehicle. He said he did not believe Cook was drunk at the time of the crash, but it was unusual for him to slur his words and be combative, and agreed that he was driving carelessly, the affidavit states.

Cook was released from AdventHealth Waterman and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he refused a breath test. The officer who was attempting to conduct the breath test noted he could still smell alcohol on his breath, nearly eight hours after the crash.

Cook was arrested for DUI with property damage and released on $1,000 bond late Tuesday morning.

Previous story: Truck takes out electrical pole, fire hydrant, flips over and shuts down Grove Street in Eustis Monday night – Inside Lake

Driver who caused crash that shut down Grove Street Monday night arrested for DUI Read More »

Courtesy photo

Truck takes out electrical pole, fire hydrant, flips over and shuts down Grove Street in Eustis Monday night

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By

EUSTS, Fla.—A state road is shut down Monday night after a speeding truck took out an electrical pole, a fire hydrant, and flipped over; and the driver may have been drunk, according to Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri.

An adult male, who has not been publicly identified, was traveling northbound on Grove Street near North Eustis Street at a “high rate of speed” in a pickup truck around 6:30 p.m. when he lost control, hit the pole, the fire hydrant and flipped over, Capri told Inside Lake.

The driver and his passenger were transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with non-life-threatening injuries, Capri said.

“Based on evidence found at the scene, this is a possible DUI investigation,” Capri said.

The fire hydrant spewed water all over Grove Street also known as State Road 19, and a sinkhole has possibly formed, Capri said. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is on the way to the scene to assess the damage. Grove Street will be shut down indefinitely until authorities make their assessments and repair the damage, Capri said.

 

Truck takes out electrical pole, fire hydrant, flips over and shuts down Grove Street in Eustis Monday night Read More »

PHOTO: Florida Highway Patrol

Dump truck driver swerves and hits pickup head-on, killing DeLand man Friday morning

Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By

DeLAND, Fla.—A 35-year-old DeLand man was killed Friday morning after a dump truck swerved and hit the pickup truck he was driving head-on, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Around 7:15 a.m., a 23-year-old Deltona man was driving a 2018 Kenworth dump truck eastbound on State Road 44, approaching Misty Lane in the DeLand area of Lake County, when he swerved left to avoid stopped traffic, FHP said

The dump truck crashed head-on into a 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 traveling westbound, killing the Ram’s driver. The dump truck driver was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with minor injuries.

Earlier reports stated a 2024 Toyota Camry was involved in the crash, but the investigation determined it was involved in a separate hit-and-run crash, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia told Inside Lake.

The crash shut down State Road 44 for several hours and remains under investigation.

Previous story: Fatal crash shuts down SR 44 Friday morning – Inside Lake

Dump truck driver swerves and hits pickup head-on, killing DeLand man Friday morning Read More »

Fire crews battle a mobile home fire on Old Chisholm Trail in unincorporated Eustis just after midnight Monday. The family dog died in the fire and the home was a total loss.

Eustis family trying to rebuild their lives after loss of home and dog to devastating fire

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By

EUSTIS, Fla.—A Eustis family is trying to rebuild their lives after losing their home and beloved dog to a devastating fire around midnight Monday.

Amanda and Joe Mitchem and their son, Joey, 16, were able to escape the blaze, but lost everything they owned and their pup “Bitty Dog,” in the fire. Their daughter, Joni, 18, did not live at the home but was storing most of her belongings there, Amanda told Inside Lake.  The Mitchem family does not have insurance.

 

Joe and Amanda heard their breaker box making a “buzzing” sound late Sunday night and when Joe opened the box to inspect it, “It burst into flames,” Amanda said.

Joe used two fire extinguishers in an attempt to put out the fire at the mobile home on Old Chisholm Trail, but they were no match for the blaze. Authorities confirmed to the Mitchem family it was an electrical fire that started in the breaker box, she said.

The Mitchem family.

Losing “Bitty Dog” has left the family heartbroken. They adopted him when he was just 6 weeks old and he was part of the Mitchem family for more than five years, “He was our everything!” Amanda said. Joe desperately tried to save the pup, running into the fire three times to rescue him and severely burning his hands, Amanda said.

The Mitchems are currently staying with family while they try to rebuild their lives and move forward. Since the family did not have insurance, they have to replace everything they lost on their own. They have started a fundraising campaign to help with expenses; to donate to the Mitchem family, click here.

Eustis family trying to rebuild their lives after loss of home and dog to devastating fire Read More »

Lake County jury convicts man of shooting woman in Mount Dora last year

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Tavares / By

TAVARES, Fla.—A man accused of shooting a woman twice in Mount Dora last year was convicted by a Lake County jury Wednesday, according to the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.

In March 2023, Mount Dora Police Department responded to the 1500 block of Pine Avenue on a report of a shooting and when they arrived, they found a woman in a 2010 Nissan passenger vehicle suffering from two gunshot wounds. The victim told police “Jason,” later identified as Jason Jameel Ganga shot her while she was attempting to leave, and he was inside. There were two bullet holes through her driver’s side window, an affidavit in the case states.

MDPD found Ganga, who showed signs of alcohol intoxication, underneath a bed. Officers grabbed his legs and pulled him out, and as they pulled him out, they saw he was holding a .40 caliber semi-automatic Smith & Wesson handgun to his temple and actively pulling the trigger; the gun did not have a magazine. The gun was secured, and Ganga was taken into custody. He refused to cooperate with MDPD’s questioning and a search of the home revealed multiple firearms, including handguns and rifles, with ammunition scattered throughout the premises. He was arrested on multiple charges and has been held in the Lake County Jail since his arrest.

Ganga was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and aggravated battery. He was represented by Spencer Rhodes of Orlando and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Gabriel Lozano and Eddie Moffitt. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Previous story: Mount Dora Police Arrest Armed Man Accused of Shooting Woman Twice Sunday Night – Inside Lake

Lake County jury convicts man of shooting woman in Mount Dora last year Read More »

File photo

Sorrento man accused of taunting friend after running him over last week in Eustis, victim airlifted

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By

EUSTIS, Fla.—A man was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center last week after his friend ran him over—and Eustis Police say it was intentional.

Around 6:30 p.m. May 19, EPD responded to the intersection of Clay Boulevard and Pine Grove Road on a report of someone being hit by a vehicle and when they arrived, they found Frederick Correll lying on the ground, bleeding, with road rash all over his body. His injuries were so severe he was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, according to an arrest affidavit. His condition at press time was unknown.

Correll’s friend was on the scene and told police he knew what happened but did not want anyone to get in trouble. He explained to police he, Correll and Derek Lamas, 35, of Sorrento, were having a boat day and when Lamas and Correll were putting the boat back onto the trailer, Correll accidently hurt Lamas’ hand. The pair argued as they traveled down the road and Lamas stopped at the intersection of Clay Boulevard and Pine Grove Road, prompting Correll to exit the truck.

Correll began walking down Clay Boulevard and as Lamas turned onto Pine Grove Road, he struck Correll, knocking him to the ground, the friend told EPD. The friend asked Lamas if he hit Correll, and Lamas reportedly said, “Yes, I ran him over!”

Lamas stopped the truck and they both ran over to Correll and Lamas began taunting him while he was lying on the ground, the friend told police. The friend yelled for Lamas to call law enforcement and Lamas allegedly said, “(Expletive) no,” and the friend struck Lamas, which resulted in a physical altercation, the affidavit states.

The friend “stressed” he did not have his phone because he dropped it in the lake and Correll’s phone was in the truck, and Lamas said he would call the police and he left the scene, according to the affidavit.

It is unclear from the information included in the affidavit, who called the police to that location, because while at the scene, EPD received a call regarding a battery from Lamas, who was several miles away at a restaurant on Orange Avenue. Additional officers responded to the restaurant and Lamas told police Correll hurt his hand while loading the boat onto the trailer and it caused a heated argument. He said Correll then jumped out of the truck at the intersection of Clay Boulevard and Pine Grove Road and was run over by the boat trailer. Lamas said their friend then began hitting him and he left the area for safety and went to the restaurant on Orange Avenue, more than 3 miles away. Eustis Police Department is located between the incident location and the restaurant.

Lamas was arrested for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of a crash with injuries; he was released from the Lake County Jail on $15,000 bond.

 

Sorrento man accused of taunting friend after running him over last week in Eustis, victim airlifted Read More »

Nine of the 13 recipients of the Lake County Golden Triangle Rotary scholarships left to right, Richard Guckenberger, club president; scholarship awardees Reyna Green, Bryan Schutte, Shepard Smith, Sierra Funderburk, Aeyden Bedard, Trinity Mathie, Alex Mancilla, Paris Chambliss and Hunter Taylor; Janet Westlake, youth services chair. PHOTO: Vickie Mackler Stockglausner.

Lake County Golden Triangle Rotary awards scholarships for 2024-25 school year

Eustis, Mount Dora, News Briefs, Tavares / By

MOUNT DORA—The Rotary Club of Lake County Golden Triangle awarded $26,000 in scholarships to 13 central Florida residents who are pursuing higher education degrees in the 2024-25 academic year.

The awards are based on criteria including scholastic ability, responsibility toward education and financial need with a special emphasis on community service

Morris W. Dunbar established a Nursing Scholarship in honor of his wife. The recipient is Reyna Green, a Mount Dora High School graduate, studying at the University of South Florida.

The Richard Earhart Endowment provides a scholarship to students from Mount Dora. The recipient is Kari Martinez, a Mount Dora High School graduate attending Advent Health University.

The Norma Jean Schloot Endowment funds a scholarship for students in education and agriculture. It is awarded to Hunter Taylor, a Eustis High School graduate studying at the University of Florida (UF.)

The Bill Bland Rotary Scholarship Fund helps students in finance and business, law enforcement, agriculture and technical training. College students receiving scholarships are Alysia Fritzke, University of Central Florida (UCF) and Shelby Mulholland, UF.

Eight graduating seniors also received Bland scholarships: Eustis High School graduates Reagan Baker, Auburn University; Aeyden Bedard, Florida State University and Sierra Funderburk, UCF. Mount Dora High School graduates Alex Mancilla, Lake Technical College (LTC); Trinity Mathie, UCF and Marissa Williams at LTC; Mount Dora Christian Academy graduate Bryan Schutte, Florida Institute of Technology and Hampton Dubose Academy graduate Shepard Smith, Brigham Young University.

The club funded scholarship was awarded to Paris Chambliss, a computer animation major at Ringling College of Art and Design.

“Rotary enjoys supporting our local students. Not only are they future leaders, but they are also making significant contributions in their schools and in our local community,” said Janet Porfilio Westlake, chair of the organization’s Youth Services Committee. “Observing their passion gives us hope.”

Lake County Golden Triangle Rotary awards scholarships for 2024-25 school year Read More »

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