Fruitland Park Archives

Fruitland Park man admits to robbing grandparents at knifepoint

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla.—A Fruitland Park man remains in the Lake County Jail on $28,500 bond, accused of robbing his grandparents and threatening to slice their throats.

Shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday, Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home in unincorporated Fruitland Park on a report of a robbery that occurred Friday night. Richard French told a deputy his wife, Shirley, had just left the home with his grandson Kyle Davis Blowers, 36, to get gas. French said around 9 p.m. Blowers came into their bedroom, approached them with a knife and reportedly said, “I want the money, I need your debit card now, or I am going to slice your throats.” In fear for their lives, according to Richard French, Shirley French retrieved the debit card, gave it to Blowers and he left, according to an arrest affidavit.

Blowers’ grandfather went on to tell the deputy his grandson had brandished a weapon and demanded money multiple times and it was an “ongoing issue.” He said his grandson had been diagnosed with a mental health condition and stopped taking his medication last week.

On Sunday, Blowers demanded the debit card again and his grandmother told him she would go with him to get money and they left together in a blue Dodge Ram. A family member told LCSO Blowers has a history of stealing money from his grandparents, and she fears he will kill them. She provided Shirley French’s location through a tracking app and Fruitland Park Police Department assisted LCSO and responded to Walmart, 2501 Citrus Boulevard and pulled the Dodge Ram over as it exited the parking lot, the affidavit states.

Shirley French told deputies her grandson demanded she buy a $400 Apple gift card, and she bought it because she fears him, and she told deputies three months ago, he placed his hands around her neck and she was sore after, but she never lost her ability to breathe. She said her grandson has taken money from her on numerous occasions, totaling more than $1,000, and she fears he will kill her and her husband if he is released from jail.

Blowers admitted to deputies he did brandish a knife while demanding money from his grandparents, and he was arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail. He is facing charges of robbery with a weapon, battery on a person 65 or older and grand theft. Blowers is a registered sex offender, stemming from a 2008 conviction of sexual misconduct with a minor in Jay County, Indiana, according to his Florida Department of Law Enforcement Sexual Offender Flyer. He was 20 years old at the time of his conviction.

Fruitland Park man admits to robbing grandparents at knifepoint Read More »

Teen facing charges after allegedly firing shots in Lady Lake restaurant parking lot

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Lady Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LADY LAKE, Fla.—A 15-year-old male was arrested Saturday night after being accused of firing several shots in a restaurant parking lot where a crowd of people had gathered.

Lady Lake Police Department officers were responding to a reported fight in progress at Fresh Jalapeno Mexican Restaurant, 360 South Highway 27/441 when they received information shots had been fired in the parking lot, around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to Communications Director Elisha Pappacoda.

As officers arrived on scene, a silver SUV being driven by the 15-year-old suspect, sped out of the parking lot and turned south on U.S. Highway 27/441. Officers from Fruitland Park Police Department deployed a tire deflation device, and the teen was taken into custody. His name has not been released.

Witnesses told LLPD a fight started between two groups inside the restaurant and continued outside in the parking lot, where the teen is accused of firing the shots, Pappacoda said. No one was injured. Officers found several shell casings in the parking lot and a handgun along the highway near where the teen fled police.

The teen was arrested for four counts of discharging a firearm in public, two counts of fleeing and eluding, driving without a license and aggravated battery. The aggravated battery charge stems from the teen hitting someone as he sped out of the parking lot, Pappacoda said.

Teen facing charges after allegedly firing shots in Lady Lake restaurant parking lot Read More »

Woman killed after crashing into concrete barrier on Florida’s Turnpike late Saturday, Fruitland Park man not injured

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—A Crystal River woman has died after crashing into a concrete barrier on Florida’s Turnpike Saturday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Shortly before 11 :15 p.m., the 66-year-old Crystal River woman was driving a 2021 Buick Enclave northbound near mile marker 283 in the South Lake County area, when she failed to negotiate a slight curve and entered the inside paved shoulder. The Enclave struck a barrier, rotated and collided with the outside shoulder barrier and then struck a 2015 Toyota Rav4 being driven by an 82-year-old Fruitland Park Man, FHP said.

The Crystal River woman was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital where she was pronounced deceased. The Fruitland Park man was not injured.

Woman killed after crashing into concrete barrier on Florida’s Turnpike late Saturday, Fruitland Park man not injured Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: 911 down in Lake County

Clermont, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Groveland, Howey-in-the-Hills, Inside Scoop, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mascotte, Minneola, Montverde, Mount Dora, Tavares, Umatilla, Unincorporated Lake / By Staff Report

TAVARES, Fla.—Lake County Public Safety Communications (911) is experiencing intermittent outages due to Hurricane Debby. Residents may not be able to reach dispatchers in an emergency. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call the non-emergency number at 352-343-2101.

BREAKING NEWS: 911 down in Lake County Read More »

Participants of the 2023 Back the Blue Walk in Tavares. PHOTO: Shannon Cook

5th Annual Lake County Back the Blue (and Red) Walk scheduled for Saturday; Firefighters added this year

Around the County, 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

TAVARES, Florida—For the fifth year in a row, law enforcement and supporters will join forces for the annual Lake County Back the Blue Walk at Wooton Park Saturday morning, and this year firefighters will join the fun.

Scheduled for 9 a.m., this is one of many law enforcement events around Lake County held in May during Law Enforcement Appreciation Month and this year, Organizer Shannon Cook wanted to add firefighters to the appreciation walk to coincide with the Lake County Board of County Commissioners proclaiming May 4 “International Firefighters’ Day” in Lake County, she told Inside Lake.

“I figured what better day to honor our heroes in red,” Cook said.

The walk began in 2019 to show support for law enforcement during a time when the “defund the police” movement was making its way across the country, Cook said, representatives from several law enforcement agencies and numerous public officials are expected to be in attendance.

“The good ones needed to know they were appreciated,” Cook said.

*Ryan Koester, son of fallen Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Wayne Koester, left, and Deputy Koester’s brother Vic, right, at the 2023 Back the Blue Walk PHOTO: Shannon Cook*

Cook’s close friend, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Wayne Koester, was killed in the line of duty Feb. 9, 2005. Koester, who was 33 at the time, and two other deputies were ambushed while responding to a domestic violence call. All three deputies were shot, and Koester succumbed to his injuries; the other two deputies recovered. Jason Wheeler was shot and paralyzed during his capture and convicted in Koester’s death. Cook was also close to Chris Daniels, who was serving as Lake County Sheriff when he was tragically killed in a charity bus race in 2006, on his birthday.

Participants will meet at 9 a.m. at Wooton Park, 100 East Ruby Street, Tavares. The first stop will be the Lake County Administration Building, then a stop at the Tavares Public Safety Complex and the walk will end at Kalua Beach Bar with lunch, provided by owner Randy Connor; come a little early to enjoy donuts and coffee donated by Greg Wilmore of New Life Baptist Church Leesburg.

5th Annual Lake County Back the Blue (and Red) Walk scheduled for Saturday; Firefighters added this year Read More »

Jacksonville man accused of stealing SUV from Fruitland Park business and fighting Tavares cops last week

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—A Jacksonville man is being held in the Lake County Jail after being accused of stealing a vehicle from a business in Fruitland Park, fleeing from a Tavares Police Department officer and fighting that officer and another one last week.

Nigel Jaylen Sabb, 28, is accused of stealing a 2014 Ford Edge from Honest Autos, 2381 U.S. Highway 441, Fruitland Park around 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to a Fruitland Park Police Department arrest affidavit. A representative of the business told FPPD a customer dropped off the vehicle for some cosmetic repairs and left the keys in the exterior door lock and less than an hour later, Sabb walked onto the lot and stole the SUV.

The SUV, equipped with a GPS tracker, was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 441 and FPPD alerted Tavares Police Department and Eustis Police Department it was headed their way. Just before 9:45 a.m. a TPD officer spotted the vehicle traveling southbound and he performed a U-turn to get a better look at the tag, according to a TPD arrest affidavit.

Sabb began driving recklessly, changing lanes multiple times, failing to yield to oncoming traffic and nearly causing several crashes. TPD attempted to pull Sabb over and he began to swerve across all southbound lanes while moving around in the vehicle.

The TPD officer then deactivated his lights and made a U-turn to show the driver he was not pursuing the SUV, the affidavit states. Sabb then swerved across all three southbound lanes, jumped a median, drove into oncoming traffic and hit a vehicle head-on, according to the affidavit.

The officer reactivated his lights, pulled up to the crash and exited with his gun drawn; Sabb exited the SUV through the front passenger door and fled on foot. He was wearing dark clothing and carrying an object believed to be a backpack. The officer holstered his firearm and drew his taser as he began to chase Sabb. He deployed the taser and it struck Sabb’s clothing but did not incapacitate him and he continued to run. TPD lost Sabb around 2100 Lake Eustis Drive and then spotted him again wearing different clothing and walking near Joy Lane in the Lake Point Mobile Home Park; the officer also noticed he was no longer carrying anything.

The officer began following Sabb as a second officer pulled up as backup. Sabb saw the officer’s patrol vehicle and began running and both officers began chasing him. The first officer took a different route in an attempt to cut Sabb off while the backup officer stayed on Sabb. The backup officer later got on the radio and “in a manner that was partial and unclear…advised that (Sabb) was fighting him. It was apparent (the officer) was involved in a struggle,” the TPD officer wrote in the affidavit.

The officer could not immediately find Sabb and the backup officer and could not reach him on the radio. He finally heard the pair scuffling and located them behind a home on Douglas Drive and saw the backup officer struggling to gain control of Sabb’s hands. The officers were able to get Sabb under control after another scuffle and the threat of being tased. He was medically cleared and transported to the Lake County Jail.

The backup officer later said Sabb either punched him or hit his head on something and took his radio off his vest, depriving him of means to communicate with other officers and dispatch and the officer sustained head injuries as a result of the fight, according to the affidavit. Sabb is facing numerous charges from TPD, including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, two counts of resisting arrest without violence, depriving an officer of means of communication and reckless driving, in addition to grand theft auto and burglary from FPPD. He is being held on no bond.

Prior history

In June 2017, Sabb was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office after he pointed a loaded gun at a JSO officer who pulled him over while driving a stolen car. In 2018, he was arrested in St. Johns County for another 2017 crime, this one committed when he was just 20 years old. In that case, Sabb was accused of tying two men and a woman up during a Ponte Vedre Beach home invasion, forcing the woman to perform oral sex on him at gunpoint, ransacking the home, stealing cash and other belongings and stealing a car. DNA from the sexual battery connected Sabb to the crime. Sabb spent around a year in the St. Johns County Jail until the charges were dropped about month before the case was set to go to trial. It is unknown why the charges were dropped.

Jacksonville man accused of stealing SUV from Fruitland Park business and fighting Tavares cops last week Read More »

Argument Over Drill Led to Shooting Near Fruitland Park Friday

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla.—The man accused of shooting another man in unincorporated Fruitland Park Friday is now facing an attempted murder charge.

According to an arrest affidavit, Scott Hutcheson and Michael Robert Corkill, 39, got into an argument after Corkill grabbed Hutcheson’s drill while he was at a friend’s house working on a four-wheeler. Hutcheson told Corkill not to touch his things and Corkill reportedly said, “I’ve got something for your (expletive,)” and walked across the street to his home at 36751 Shadow Hill Drive, according to an arrest affidavit.

Corkill then stepped out of his home, stood in his driveway, pointed a black rifle at Hutcheson and shot him in the left forearm. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Corkhill retreated to his home and barricaded himself for nearly three hours until LCSO’s SWAT Team entered his home and took him into custody. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond.

Previous stories: Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours – Inside Lake

BREAKING NEWS: Large Law Enforcement Presence Near Fruitland Park, Deputies Attempting to take Shooting Suspect into Custody – Inside Lake

Argument Over Drill Led to Shooting Near Fruitland Park Friday Read More »

Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla.—A man suspected of shooting another man in unincorporated Fruitland Park Friday is in custody, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. John Herrell.

Few details were released in the incident that began around 3 p.m. and ended nearly four hours later around 7 p.m. on Shadow Hill Drive near Fruitland Park. Herrell told Inside Lake the male suspect shot another man in the arm during an argument and refused to speak with deputies. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was transported to the Lake County Jail after being taken into custody; the victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: Large Law Enforcement Presence Near Fruitland Park, Deputies Attempting to take Shooting Suspect into Custody

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

Update: Deputies take Suspected Shooter into Custody after nearly 4 Hours – Inside Lake

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is working to take a suspect into custody who allegedly shot another man Friday afternoon, according to LCSO Lt. John Herrell.

LCSO released few details Friday afternoon but did tell Inside Lake the male suspect shot another man in the arm and deputies had not been able to contact the suspected shooter at press time. The incident began as an argument and the victim has non-life-threatening injuries, Herrell said.

Witnesses told Inside Lake there is a large law enforcement presence on Shadow Hill Drive in unincorporated Fruitland Park.

This is a developing story.

BREAKING NEWS: Large Law Enforcement Presence Near Fruitland Park, Deputies Attempting to take Shooting Suspect into Custody Read More »

Benefit for LCSO Deputy Diagnosed with Cancer Scheduled for Saturday

Eustis, Features, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—An event to benefit a Lake County Sheriff’s Office school resource deputy who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year is scheduled for Saturday.

What started as chest pain in 2022 turned into a terrifying diagnosis last summer for LCSO Cpl. Adam Tytler. In November 2022, Tytler went to a cardiologist for ongoing chest pain, and after a EKG showed his heart was in good shape, the cardiologist told him the pain was likely gastrointestinal. The next month, on Christmas Eve, Tytler discovered a swollen lymph node on his neck and by February the lymph node had not gotten any better. He was also suffering from a sinus infection at the time and went to his primary care doctor for treatment and mentioned the lymph node. The doctor chalked it up to the infection, but during the spring Tytler’s chest pain continued and had also moved to his back, and then he began to find swollen lymph nodes on his chest.

Tytler went through a battery of tests and upon reviewing the results, his doctor said it was likely cancer. Tytler sought a second opinion from the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and his fears were confirmed when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma in June 2023.

Tytler, his wife Tiffany, and two daughters, Shay 17, Lily, 14, are currently splitting their time between Mount Dora and Tampa for treatment and it is taking a financial toll on the family while already dealing with an emotional roller coaster. Tytler said he came forward with his struggle because cancer affects millions of people and often they go through it alone.

“I would have given up if it weren’t for my faith, my family and the support from the school resource deputy unit,” Tytler said. “I only wanted for those who are struggling to know they are not alone. Not now. Not ever and to never give up.”

Tytler’s struggle inspired Shannon Cook, organizer of Lake County’s annual Back the Blue Walk, and LCSO Lt. Kristin Thompson to create the benefit scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at That Place, 925 North Bay Street, Eustis.

Dinners will be available for purchase, along with an auction of numerous items, including a Back the Blue basket with items from multiple Lake County law enforcement agencies, tickets to various events, like New Kids on the Block concert tickets and Richard Petty Driving Experience, along with a Yeti cooler packed with alcohol, various craft items made by local residents, a high-end fishing pole and numerous other items. A poker scramble is also scheduled to start at 9 a.m. at Gator Harley-Davidson, 1745 U.S. Highway 441, Leesburg, and will include five stops, ending at That Place, Cook told Inside Lake.

Tytler has spent nearly his entire adult life at LCSO, and most recently worked as a corporal in the school resource deputy unit. He prevented a shooting on the Eustis High School campus during the 2018-2019 school year and was awarded the Lake County Officer of the Year in 2019 for his efforts.

He said he is excited he has only one treatment left, and it has been a difficult journey. “Truthfully, it’s been challenging and difficult treatment-wise, not just for me but my family also,” Tytler said.

He will have to wait until after the new year to find out if he is cancer-free, he said.

Tytler told Inside Lake saying thank you to all those who have helped him, and contributed to the benefit will never be enough.

“My family and I are so appreciative and overwhelmed of the outpouring of love and support from everyone. Especially from people I’ve never met,” he said.

For more information on the benefit, visit Corporal Adam Tytler Benefit.

Benefit for LCSO Deputy Diagnosed with Cancer Scheduled for Saturday Read More »