Eustis

2 Schools in Eustis Placed on Brief Lockdown Wednesday Morning

EUSTIS, Fla.—Eustis Police Department investigated two separate incidents that happened within minutes Wednesday morning, one of which caused two schools to go into a brief lockdown.

Around 7:30 a.m. EPD responded to Little Oaks Apartments, 300 West Atwater Avenue, on a report of a possible stabbing. When officers arrived, they found no one had been stabbed but an altercation occurred between at least three family members, EPD said. One of the parties involved left the scene before officers arrived and they believed he ran from the scene toward Eustis Heights Elementary School and Lake Technical College.

EHES was locked down and an officer was positioned on campus throughout the duration of the lockdown. The man was located, detained and released, but the case remains under investigation. Students told Inside Lake that Lake Technical College was also placed on a brief lockdown.

In the second incident, just minutes later, a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle on Kurt Street near Lake Technical College. The bicyclist told police he rode the bike into the roadway and was struck by a vehicle he did not see. He suffered minor injuries, including road rash and superficial bruising and was released by Lake EMS on the scene, according to EPD.

2 Schools in Eustis Placed on Brief Lockdown Wednesday Morning Read More »

Eustis Rollover Crash Sends 2 to Area Hospitals

EUSTIS, Fla.—A rollover crash sent one person to the hospital by helicopter and another by ground Tuesday morning, according to Eustis Police Department.

Wilbert McMillian, 66, of Eustis, was driving a 1998 Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck westbound on East Barnes Avenue when he attempted to turn southbound on Bay Street, shortly before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

 

McMillian failed to yield to traffic traveling southbound on Bay Street and rear-ended a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox being driven by Brittany Weatherspoon, 30, of Umatilla. The impact caused the Equinox to strike the median and rollover three times before landing on its roof. Weatherspoon was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, and her passenger, a 4-year-old boy, was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares by Lake EMS. Their conditions were unknown at press time.

The crash occurred just minutes before school zone lights and speed limits were activated in that area.

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Barricaded Subject Forces Mount Dora Residents Out of Their Homes

Update: Incident with Barricaded Mount Dora Man Ends Peacefully – Inside Lake

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—At least three law enforcement agencies are on scene at a Mount Dora apartment complex due to a barricaded subject.

Mount Dora Police Department, Tavares Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to Hammock Oaks Apartments, 3550 Lake Center Drive, Mount Dora in reference to a subject having a “mental health crisis,” shortly before 5 p.m. TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake.

Some residents were evacuated from their homes,” City of Mount Dora Spokesperson Misty Sommer said.

“We believe he’s isolated, Sullivan said. “We’re ensuring the safety of the residents.”PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake

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VIDEO: Suspect in Sorrento Missing Children Case Arrested in ’22, Claimed She was “Traveling” and Did Not Need a License

EUSTIS, Fla.—Inside Lake has obtained body cam video from the 2022 arrest of a woman suspected of taking her children from a Sorrento foster home.

Dixie Williams, 41, was arrested Dec. 4, 2022, by Eustis Police Department after a sergeant spotted her not wearing a seatbelt and pulled her over. After stopping Williams, EPD found she did not have a driver license and she claimed she did not need one because she was ”traveling” and not “driving.” The Michigan license plate attached to the maroon Chevy truck she was driving was not registered and as officers took Williams into custody, she threw herself to the ground and resisted arrest.

EPD body cam footage of Dixie Williams’ 2022 arrest. VIDEO: Eustis Police Department

 

 

Williams was arrested for no valid driver license, no motor vehicle registration, attaching license plate not assigned, refusal to sign a summons and resisting arrest. She was transported to the Lake County Jail and released the following day on her own recognizance. The case is still open.

Williams is suspected of taking Tilli, 5, and Natalia, 18 months, from their Sorrento foster home late Thursday. At press time there was an active Amber Alert for the two girls. If you have information on their whereabouts, call 911.

Previous stories: Amber Alert Issued for Girls Missing from Sorrento – Inside Lake

Deputies Searching for Sisters Who Disappeared from Sorrento Foster Home – Inside Lake

VIDEO: Suspect in Sorrento Missing Children Case Arrested in ’22, Claimed She was “Traveling” and Did Not Need a License Read More »

Eustis Attempted Rape Suspect Serving 8 Year Sentence After Pleading No Contest

EUSTIS, Fla.—The man accused of attempting to rape a woman at a Eustis massage business last year pleaded no contest to most of his crimes and was sentenced to eight years in prison, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records.

Timothy Paul Taylor, 36, was accused of entering the back door of A-1 Massage and Spa, 1316 South Bay Street, and asking for a sex act on March 16, 2023. The female victim told Taylor they did not perform sex acts and he pulled his pants down, grabbed her by the hair, put a BB gun to her head, pulled his pants down and demanded the sex act. She told him no, he let go and told her he would come back and kill her if she called law enforcement, police told Inside Lake last year.

Florida Department of Corrections

The victim fled out the front door while Taylor fled out the back door to a black sedan. He popped the hood on the vehicle, closed it and then fled out of the parking lot onto Bay Street. Police said Taylor put the BB gun under the hood of the vehicle before fleeing and a citizen found it nearby.

Police, with the assistance and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, Eagle One, located Taylor later the same day in an area with heavy vegetation off Selleen Drive near the home he shared with his mother on Palmetto Street, and he was bitten several times and apprehended by an LCSO K9 and his handler.

Taylor was arrested for attempted aggravated sex battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and resisting arrest. He was held in the Lake County Jail, and in October 2023, the possession of a firearm charge was dropped, and he pleaded no contest to the remaining charges. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, with credit for 222 days time served in jail. Taylor was adjudicated a habitual offender and is designated as a sexual predator.

Previous story: Hours After Alleged Crime, Eustis Attempted Rape Suspect Bitten by LCSO K9 and Taken into Custody Thursday – Inside Lake

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3 Busted in Eustis Undercover Tobacco Buy

EUSTIS, Fla.—Three people were nabbed by Eustis Police Department this week after selling tobacco products to an underage person, according to Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri.

The operation aimed to identify and target stores believed to be selling tobacco products to underage individuals after seeing a “concerning rise in the use of underage tobacco consumption in Eustis schools,” EPD said in a press release.

The undercover individual attempted to buy tobacco at 11 different stores and was successful in making a purchase at three of them, Capri said. The three individuals who sold the tobacco products were given misdemeanor citations to appear in court and worked at the following stores:

  • Pic N Go, 2137 East Orange Avenue, Eustis; Vanita Patel was charged with sale of tobacco to a person under 21.
  • Shell, 1905 North State Road 19, Eustis; Diane Scheidel was charged with sale of tobacco to a person under 21.
  • Sunoco, 1911 South Bay Street, Eustis; Ratan Majumder was charged with sale of tobacco to a person under 21.

The eight stores that did not sell to the underage individuals:

  • 7-Eleven, 2002 North Highway 19, Eustis
  • Circle K, 2754 East Orange Avenue, Eustis
  • Citgo 2107 South Bay Street, Eustis
  • ExxonMobil 1201 County Road 452, Eustis
  • Kars Mart 1212 South Bay Street, Eustis
  • Lee’s Market 1333 East Orange Avenue, Eustis
  • Smoke Plus 2105 East Orange Avenue, Eustis
  • Shell Gas Station 1701 South Bay Street, Eustis

“This operation sends a clear message that illegal sales of tobacco to minors and underage individuals will not be tolerated, and those who choose to disregard the law will face criminal charges and prosecution,” Capri said.

 

 

 

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Umatilla Man Killed in Early Morning Crash Identified

EUSTIS, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed the identity of the man killed after he crashed into a tree Saturday morning.

Tyler Evans, 27, of Umatilla, was driving a 2016 Nissan Versa northbound on County Road 439 near Dairy Road in unincorporated Eustis when he lost control, left the roadway and struck a tree around 5:15 a.m., FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said.

Evans was transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford, where he was pronounced deceased. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

According to a gofundme created to benefit Evans’ family, Tyler loved music and spent many years playing drums in his church youth group. He also loved planes and was taking flying lessons. He grew up in Lake County with his sister Bria, and his parents, Jeremy and Amy also grew up in Lake County.

“Tyler will be missed by many,” the gofundme states.

At press time, the fundraiser had raised $6,050 of its $15,000 goal, to donate visit In Loving Memory of Tyler Evans.

Umatilla Man Killed in Early Morning Crash Identified Read More »

Umatilla Man Killed after Losing Control of Car and Crashing into a Tree

EUSTIS, Fla.—A Umatilla man was killed before daylight Saturday morning after losing control of his car and striking a tree, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The 27-year-old man was driving a 2016 Nissan Versa north on County Road 439 near Dairy Road, in unicorporated Eustis, shortly before 5:15 a.m. when he lost control for an unknown reason, left the roadway and struck a tree, FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said. The man was transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford, where he was pronounced deceased.

The crash closed County Road 439 for more than five hours and remains under investigation, Crescenzi said.

Umatilla Man Killed after Losing Control of Car and Crashing into a Tree Read More »

Single-Vehicle Crash Takes Out Wall in Eustis Neighborhood Early Monday

EUSTIS, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate a single-vehicle crash that took out a wall in a Eustis neighborhood early Monday morning.

A 32-year-old Sorrento man was driving a 2014 Jeep Compass westbound on State Road 44 near Estes Road when he lost control, ran off the road and crashed into a wall at the Brookshire neighborhood just before 2 a.m. Monday, FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi told Inside Lake.

A resident of Brookshire, who wished to remain anonymous, told Inside Lake the damage to the wall is estimated at $50,000. The Sorrento man was not injured, and the crash remains under investigation, Crescenzi said.

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Details Emerge on Mount Dora Crash that Closed US Highway 441 for 8 Hours Last Week

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—A truck that ran a red light caused the crash that closed a major Mount Dora roadway for more than eight hours last week, according to Mont Dora Police Department.

Shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Johnny Fisher, 45, was driving a black 2009 Dodge pickup truck northbound on U.S. Highway 441 when he ran the traffic light at Eudora Road and was struck by a 2018 Honda passenger vehicle being driven by E. Addison Hulit, 84. The impact caused Fisher to lose control of the truck, veer off the road and overturn, MDPD Spokesperson Brittany Haller told Inside Lake.

Fisher was ejected from the truck and transported by helicopter to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital with life-threatening injuries; his condition at press time was unknown. Fisher’s passenger, a 10-year-old boy, was not injured, Haller said.

Hulit, and a passenger in the Honda, Linda Hulit, 82, were both transported to HCA Florida Mount Dora Emergency with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash closed U.S. Highway 441 for eight hours and Eustis Police Department assisted with MDPD with traffic control. The crash remains under investigation and multiple witnesses are cooperating, Haller said.

Previous story: 2-Vehicle Crash Resulting in Multiple Injuries Snarls Traffic in Mount Dora Thursday Afternoon – Inside Lake

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