Florida Archives - Inside Lake

More details released in deputy-involved shooting, suspect has history of domestic violence

Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

DeLAND, Fla.—The suspect shot by Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies Tuesday night pointed a rifle at deputies before he was shot, according to LCSO.

Around 8:10 p.m., LCSO responded to a domestic battery at 31801 Division Street in the DeLand area of Lake County. A woman reported her husband, Harold Malcolm Hughes, 62, was drunk and threw a hot coffee pot at her. The victim was able to escape the home and spoke with deputies at an undisclosed location near her home, LCSO said. Deputies went to the home to attempt to speak with Hughes, who exited the residence holding a rifle in his hands. He ignored deputies’ commands to put the rifle down.

“Mr. Hughes ignored the repeated verbal commands, where he leveled the rifle at deputies, LCSO Public Information Officer Deputy Stephanie Earley said. “Two deputies were forced to discharge their firearms, striking Mr. Hughes.”

*Harold Hughes is seen here in a 2024 booking photo from a prior arrest.*

The deputies were not injured and rendered aid to Hughes. He was transported by air to HCA Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford, where he remained Wednesday, Earley said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement responded to the scene Tuesday night and is investigating the shooting, standard procedure in all law enforcement-involved shootings. The deputies who fired their weapons are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, also standard procedure.

Hughes is facing several charges, including two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and domestic battery, and will be held on no bond upon his release from the hospital. Hughes has been arrested multiple times in Lake County since 2022, all for domestic violence related crimes. He was arrested in 2024 after being accused of pointing a gun at his wife and calling her racial slurs. That charge was later dropped. In 2023, his wife was granted an injunction for protection, Hughes was arrested for violating that injunction and it was dissolved in early 2024, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records.

More details released in deputy-involved shooting, suspect has history of domestic violence Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: 911 down across Central Florida

Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Groveland, Howey-in-the-Hills, Inside Scoop, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mascotte, Minneola, Montverde, Mount Dora, Tavares, Umatilla, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

Update: 911 services have been restored.

TAVARES, Fla.—The 911 system across Central Florida is down and residents are urged to use text to 911 to report an emergency.

All emergency and non-emergency phone lines are down, officials said. Cell phone and landline calls were intermittent at press time and dispatchers are monitoring calls and attempting to return dropped or missed calls.

The cause of the outage has not been released.

BREAKING NEWS: 911 down across Central Florida Read More »

Truck set ablaze after fatal crash, Eustis man turns himself in to troopers

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.—A Eustis man is behind bars in Orange County after fleeing a crash that killed an Orlando bicyclist Monday.

Around 9:15 a.m., Jermaine Williams, 42, was driving a Dodge Ram southbound on South Orange Blossom Trail in Orange County and failed to stop for a bicyclist traveling westbound in the crosswalk at 43^rd Street. The Dodge struck the 43-year-old bicyclist, and he was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center and pronounced deceased, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Williams fled the scene and Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies soon located the Dodge on fire behind a nearby business. FHP took the truck as evidence and Williams later contacted FHP and turned himself in, FHP said. He was arrested for leaving the scene of a crash with death and booked into the Orange County Jail, where he is being held on no bond.

“This case remains an active criminal investigation and further charges are pending,” FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said.

Truck set ablaze after fatal crash, Eustis man turns himself in to troopers Read More »

14-year-old boy shot in Eustis Sunday, police investigating

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—Eustis Police Department is investigating a shooting that sent a teenager to the hospital by helicopter Sunday night.

According to a heavily-redated report, around 8:45 p.m., EPD responded to a report of a 14-year-boy who had been shot on Hazzard Avenue. As officers arrived, a woman flagged officers down and said the teen was inside a home, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Police entered the home and found the boy lying on his back with a gunshot wound to his inner thigh, according to a report. An officer rendered aid, applied pressure to the wound until Lake EMS arrived and took over the boy’s care. He was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando for treatment.

Witnesses told police the suspects shot through the window of the home and another witness, whose name is redacted, said she was sitting on the couch and heard what she thought were fireworks. She then noticed an “impact” on the refrigerator and heard the teen yelling he had been shot from outside the home. She told police she and her two sons helped the boy into the home. She said ran down the street in an attempt to engage the shooter but was “unsuccessful in locating anyone or the vehicle,” the report states.

Later in the report, a woman whose name is also redacted, said she grabbed her firearm and pointed it at a fleeing vehicle but did not fire any shots. EPD refuses to confirm if the two women are one in the same, stating it’s, “part of the investigation.”

Several more witnesses provided possible suspect information to police and a neighbor provided a still shot from a security camera that showed a vehicle he told police had slowly passed by his home numerous times before the shooting occurred. The make and model of the vehicle is redacted from the report.

Multiple shell casings were found near the scene, but how many, the type and the exact location are also redacted from the report.

If you have information, call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

14-year-old boy shot in Eustis Sunday, police investigating Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: 3 airlifted, one transported by ground after Eustis crash Monday morning

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—Three people were airlifted to area hospitals, and one person was transported by ground following a crash at State Road 44 and the Eustis bypass near the Eleven Oaks subdivision, shortly before 7:30 a.m. Monday morning, according to Eustis Police Department.

A witness told police a gold Dodge Ram had a green arrow and was turning westbound onto State Road 44/Orange Avenue from the Eleven Oaks subdivision when a red and white Ford F-150 traveling eastbound ran the light and collided with the Dodge. Three occupants in the Dodge were transported to area hospitals, two males of Eustis, aged 54 and 67, were transported by air and a 33-year-old man from Naples was transported by ground. The driver of the Ford, a 67-year-old man from Zellwood was also airlifted.

The crash closed the intersection for more than two hours and remains under investigation

BREAKING NEWS: 3 airlifted, one transported by ground after Eustis crash Monday morning Read More »

Collision with truck kills Sorrento motorcyclist Wednesday

Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

SORRENTO, Fla. —A Sorrento man was killed early Wednesday evening after a pickup truck turned in front of him, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 65-year-old man was riding a 2001 Yamaha motorcycle eastbound on State Road 46, also known as Sorrento Avenue, when a 49-year-old Apopka man driving a 2020 Chevy Silverado attempted to make a left turn into a parking lot near 4^th Street.

The front of the motorcycle collided with the Silverado and the impact killed the motorcyclist just after 6 p.m., FHP said. The driver of the Silverado was not injured.

Collision with truck kills Sorrento motorcyclist Wednesday Read More »

Air Care Team approaches a landing zone on Grand Island Shores Road Sunday to transport a 5-year-old Eustis boy to Orlando for treatment after an accidental shooting. PHOTO: Courtesy of Carl Fowler

Eustis boy, 5, accidentally shoots himself Sunday, in stable condition

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—A Eustis boy is in stable condition after accidentally shooting himself in the head Sunday morning.

Around 9:15 a.m. Sunday, Eustis Police Department, Eustis Fire Department, Lake County Fire Rescue, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake EMS quickly responded to the home on Hunter’s Trail and after the boy was stabilized, he was airlifted to an Orlando hospital by Air Care Team, EPD Chief Craig Capri said.

The boy’s name has not been released, and Capri said the investigation is still very active. The boy had surgery on Sunday and is now recovering.

“Our prayers are with the boy and his family. We wish him strength and a speedy recovery,” Capri said.

Eustis boy, 5, accidentally shoots himself Sunday, in stable condition Read More »

Leesburg shooting victim identified, suspect facing murder charges

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—Leesburg Police Department has identified the man shot and killed Friday night.

Around 7 p.m., Dontae D. Copeland, 20, of Leesburg was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound in the 1000 block of Tuskegee Street, LPD Lt. Shannon Walsh said. Officers and EMS personnel rendered aid to Copeland, and he was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

While investigating the murder Friday, Kameryn Pickard, 18, of Mount Dora, turned himself in with his father at LPD, Walsh said. He was later arrested for premeditated murder and conspiracy – solicit, and is being held at the Lake County Jail on no bond.

Previous story: Father turns son in after man shot and killed in Leesburg Friday night – Inside Lake

Leesburg shooting victim identified, suspect facing murder charges Read More »

Father turns son in after man shot and killed in Leesburg Friday night

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story inaccurately stated Kameryn Pickard’s age due to incorrect information released by Leesburg Police Department. The story has been updated with Pickard’s correct age.

LEESBURG, Fla.—An 18-year-old Mount Dora man is facing charges for killing another man after his father turned him in to Leesburg police Friday.

Leesburg Police Department responded to a shooting in the 1000 block of Tuskegee Street around 7 p.m. Friday. When officers arrived, they found a 20-year-old man shot and officers, along with EMS, rendered aid to the man. He was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital and pronounced deceased. The man’s identity has not been released, pending notification of next of kin, LPD Lt. Shannon Walsh said.

While detectives and crime scene investigators were still on scene investigating the shooting, Kameryn Pickard’s father brought him to Leesburg Police Department and Pickard turned himself in, Walsh said.

“Detectives conducted an interview with Pickard and subsequently placed him under arrest, Walsh said. “Detectives are currently working with the State Attorney’s Office to determine the appropriate charges.”

At press time, Pickard had not been booked into the Lake County Jail.

LPD is asking anyone with information on the shooting to call them at 352-787-2121 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. Crimeline callers may be eligible for a reward and can remain anonymous.

Father turns son in after man shot and killed in Leesburg Friday night Read More »

Umatilla woman killed in early morning Marion County crash

Inside Scoop, Umatilla / By Marilyn M. Aciego

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the crash victim’s gender due to incorrect information released by the Florida Highway Patrol. The story has been updated with the correct information.

MARION COUNTY, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that killed a 41-year-old Umatilla woman Friday morning.

Shortly before 2:45 a.m. the woman was driving eastbound on County Road 42 when she failed to negotiate a curve near Southeast 258^th Avenue Road in the Umatilla area of Marion County.

The car left the roadway and struck a sign, a fence and a tree on the south shoulder. The woman was pronounced deceased on the scene by Marion County Fire Rescue.

Umatilla woman killed in early morning Marion County crash Read More »