Suspect casually strolls away from stolen ambulance, quickly apprehended by deputies (video)

TAVARES, Fla.—A Leesburg man remains in the Lake County Jail, accused of stealing an ambulance from a Leesburg hospital last week. Derek Tyrone Watkins, 22, was apprehended near Independence Boulevard in Groveland by Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies casually strolling away from the ambulance early Friday morning, dash cam video obtained by Inside Lake shows. According to an arrest affidavit, Watkins stole the fully-stocked ambulance from the emergency bay at UF Health Leesburg Hospital, 600 East Dixie Avenue, Leesburg, while a paramedic from Sumter County cleaned off a stretcher inside the hospital after dropping off a patient around 2:30 a.m. […]

Suspect casually strolls away from stolen ambulance, quickly apprehended by deputies (video) Read More »

Suspect in Stolen Vehicle Flees, Rams LCSO Cruiser, Strikes Multiple Stop Sticks, Flees on Foot, Apprehended by K9 Murphy in Leesburg Sunday

LEESBURG, Fla.—A Mount Dora man is facing a slew of charges after ramming a stolen vehicle into a Lake County Sheriff’s Office cruiser, fleeing to Sumter County, striking multiple stop sticks and fleeing back into Lake County where he was finally apprehended Sunday afternoon. Henry Lee Gamble-Coleman, 26, was spotted around 5 p.m. in Leesburg by LCSO deputies in a vehicle stolen from Eustis, according to an arrest affidavit. Deputies attempted to pull Gamble-Coleman over near the intersection of South 14th Street and South Street and Gamble-Coleman “rapidly” accelerated and struck the passenger side of a K9 cruiser. He fled

Suspect in Stolen Vehicle Flees, Rams LCSO Cruiser, Strikes Multiple Stop Sticks, Flees on Foot, Apprehended by K9 Murphy in Leesburg Sunday Read More »

Gas Station Argument Escalates to Stabbing, Victim Airlifted, Suspect Jailed

LEESBURG, Florida—A argument outside a Leesburg gas station Thursday afternoon escalated to a stabbing and landed one man in jail and another in the hospital, according to an arrest affidavit. Leesburg Police Department responded to a stabbing report at Sunoco, 1200 West Main Street and found the victim responsive, but in a lot of pain and “clearly in need of medical attention,” the affidavit states. He was transported to a local hospital and then airlifted to a trauma center for the stab wound on the top, left side of his rib cage. He was not publicly identified. A witness told

Gas Station Argument Escalates to Stabbing, Victim Airlifted, Suspect Jailed Read More »

Man Accused of Biting One Officer, Kicking Another on Traffic Stop

EUSTIS, Florida—A traffic stop for an expired tag ended in a trip to jail for a Eustis man after he bit one police officer in the groin area and kicked another one in the chest several times early Monday morning. Around 2:45 a.m. a Eustis Police officer spotted a white SUV with an expired tag near State Road 19 and County Road 452, he initiated a traffic stop near County Road 44 and the vehicle finally came to a stop near Pine Meadows Golf Course Road, according to an arrest affidavit. The driver, identified as Michael Lloyd Rodebush, 35, of

Man Accused of Biting One Officer, Kicking Another on Traffic Stop Read More »

Man Arrested for Killing Finnley the Dog with Baseball Bat

CLERMONT, Florida—A Clermont man is facing a charge of aggravated animal cruelty after allegedly beating his girlfriend’s dog to death with a red and gold baseball bat, according to an arrest affidavit. Clermont Police Department responded to a home on Hurston Watch Lane shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday in reference to a dog being beaten to death and when officers arrived, a pair of brothers were waiting and one of them told police when he arrived home, his mother told him their dog, Finnley, bit her boyfriend, Brian Keith Rumler. He said Rumler hit the dog in the head with

Man Arrested for Killing Finnley the Dog with Baseball Bat Read More »

“Don’t Tread on Me,” Florida Man Says as He Takes His Vehicle From Tow Yard Without Paying His Bill

EUSTIS, Florida—A man who apparently did not want to pay his tow bill caused around $8,000 damage to two vehicles, a fence and a gate when he took his vehicle without paying, according to an arrest affidavit. Eustis Police Department responded to Bay Street Paint & Body, 151 West Lemon Avenue just before 6 p.m. Thursday on a report of a verbal altercation and damage to vehicles and a gate. A witness told EPD William Cameron Laforge, 28, had stopped by earlier to retrieve his vehicle that was towed for EPD earlier in the day. The witness said they offered

“Don’t Tread on Me,” Florida Man Says as He Takes His Vehicle From Tow Yard Without Paying His Bill Read More »

Eustis Man Accused of Exposing Himself to Neighborhood

EUSTIS, Florida—A man who neighbors say has been standing at his doorway masturbating multiple times a week for six months, was arrested for exposure of sexual organs Saturday, according to an arrest affidavit. Friday, a neighbor told Eustis Police Department, he has witnessed Mark Ronald Banks, 53, standing at his doorway naked, masturbating while facing Glover Street on numerous occasions. The neighbor explained he has observed Banks masturbating naked two to three times a week at 7 a.m. for the past six months, the affidavit states. A maintenance man for the apartment complex nearby Banks’ home told police he installed

Eustis Man Accused of Exposing Himself to Neighborhood Read More »

Altoona Man Arrested Less than 10 Minutes After Robbing Marion County Bank, Police Say

BELLEVIEW, Florida—Crime did not pay for an Altoona man Monday after he was arrested less than 10 minutes after allegedly robbing a Belleview bank, according to Belleview Police Department (BPD) in Marion County. BPD responded to Wells Fargo, 5407 Southeast 11th Street Monday on a report of a bomb threat; when they arrived, they were notified the bank had been robbed by a white male seen leaving on foot. A BPD corporal searched the area and located John Lloyd Henderson-Winfield, 21, of Altoona. Henderson-Winfield refused to stop, fled again on foot, and was quickly found behind a home on Southeast

Altoona Man Arrested Less than 10 Minutes After Robbing Marion County Bank, Police Say Read More »

Rumor Leads to Restaurant Employee Getting Busted with Gun in his Pocket at Work

EUSTIS, Florida—A rumor that an employee was carrying a weapon at work turned out to be true after Eustis Police found a gun in his right pocket Saturday afternoon, according to an arrest affidavit. A manager at Sonny’s 15800 U.S. Highway 441, Eustis told EPD he heard rumors Zachary Steven Rose, 21, of Paisley, was carrying weapon after drug deal went bad, according to the arrest affidavit. The manager said Rose was going to be written up for a prior incident but felt unsafe and wanted officers to check him for a weapon. EPD went to the kitchen at the

Rumor Leads to Restaurant Employee Getting Busted with Gun in his Pocket at Work Read More »

Man Accused of Battering Pregnant Woman and Her Grandma During Argument Over Air Mattress

FRUITLAND PARK, Florida—An argument over an air mattress that led to a man allegedly battering a pregnant woman and her elderly grandmother landed the Fruitland Park man in jail early Thursday morning, according to an arrest affidavit. Fruitland Park Police responded to an apartment shortly before 2 a.m. on Urick Street on a report of a domestic disturbance. When the officer arrived, Charles Levi Brown Jr., 36, was throwing an inflatable mattress outside of the home, while two women, one in her third trimester of pregnancy and the other, 65 years old, were trying to obtain the mattress. Brown, who

Man Accused of Battering Pregnant Woman and Her Grandma During Argument Over Air Mattress Read More »