LCSO Archives - Page 7 of 7

Deputies Shut Down State Road 44 After Tragic Incident Monday Afternoon

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated the incident happened on Tuesday; the incident happened on Monday and the story has been corrected.

Publisher’s Note: The following story contains details about an incident involving a suicide on State Road 44 Tuesday afternoon. Inside Lake determines if we will cover a suicide on a case-by-case basis. Generally, we only cover a suicide if it is in a public place, as in this case. We also want to share resources that are available to our readers if they need help. Locally, the M.I.K.E. Endowment is available, visit https://www.themikeendowment.org/ and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available by calling or texting 988.

EUSTIS, Florida—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a tragic incident that shut down State Road 44 Tuesday afternoon.

Around 3:30 p.m. Monday, LCSO received a call reporting a woman, identified in a report only as a female, was making suicidal threats and firing a gun outside of a home in a neighborhood off State Road 44 in unincorporated Eustis. As a deputy responded to the scene, he observed a car pulling out of the driveway of the location where the call was made, according to the report. The woman’s family invoked their rights under Marsy’s Law, according to LCSO Lt. Fred Jones, and most of her identifying information is redacted from the report.

The deputy activated the vehicle’s lights and sirens and the woman drove around the deputy and eventually made her way through the neighborhood and onto State Road 44. The woman called LCSO and threatened to harm herself if deputies continued to follow her and they backed off, according to the report.

Shortly after, the car the woman was driving crashed and deputies immediately attempted to render aid, but the woman had taken her own life. LCSO shut down State Road 44 in both directions to conduct its investigation.

Resources for depression and other mental health issues are available locally and nationally. The M.I.K.E. Endowment is a Lake County organization that provides financial assistance for immediate mental health counseling. For more information, visit https://www.themikeendowment.org/ Nationally, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988, by phone or text.

Deputies Shut Down State Road 44 After Tragic Incident Monday Afternoon Read More »

Man Accused of Ramming Deputies, Carjacking and Crashing into School Bus Earlier this Month Facing More Charges

Clermont, Groveland, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

GROVELAND, Florida—The man who deputies say rammed three patrol vehicles in a stolen truck, carjacked a citizen and crashed into a school bus is facing five new charges, including three counts of felony criminal mischief, according to a new arrest affidavit.

Joseph Anthony Dale Crawford, 23, of Clermont is in the Lake County Jail on no bond after his two-county crime spree on Feb. 3 ended with him crashing a stolen Ford Bronco into a Lake County Schools bus.

Around 6 a.m. Feb. 3, a woman called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and reported her white 2019 Ford F-250 had been stolen overnight. She provided GPS coordinates to LCSO, and deputies tracked to truck to a gas station near Hartle Road in Clermont, LCSO Lt. Fred Jones said earlier this month.

They found Crawford pumping gas in the stolen truck and he fled when he saw deputies, ramming two patrol cars, disabling one. He was later boxed in at a construction site, where he rammed a third patrol car, Jones said. LCSO successfully deployed stop sticks and Crawford continued into Oakland in Orange County. The truck became stuck and he fled on foot. He attempted to carjack a vehicle, but was unsuccessful. He then carjacked a Ford Bronco as the driver was exiting the SUV and then fled back to Lake County.

*Joseph Crawford was sentenced to three years in prison for false imprisonment and leaving the scene of a crash. He was released in March 2022. PHOTO: Florida Department of Corrections*

He continued fleeing into Groveland, where he crashed into a school bus carrying three children and two adults. None of the occupants on the bus were injured, according to Jones.

Groveland Police Department took Crawford into custody and he was transported to an Orlando hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was arrested that day for three counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, grand theft, and resisting in Lake County, Jones said. He is facing additional charges in Orange County, but those charges had not been filed with the Orange County Clerk of Court at press time.

On Thursday, six days after the crime spree, Crawford was slapped with five additional charges. Video surveillance showed he used the stolen truck to steal a toolbox from truck parked outside a home on Moonflower Court in Clermont and a glasses case from a vehicle on Silver Leaf Circle in Clermont. He is facing a grand theft and petit theft charge for those crimes.

Crawford has also been charged with three counts of felony criminal mischief for damaging three separate guide rail attenuators on Florida’s Turnpike while he was fleeing deputies in the stolen truck. The attenuators are valued at $30,000.

Man Accused of Ramming Deputies, Carjacking and Crashing into School Bus Earlier this Month Facing More Charges Read More »

Suspect Rams 3 Deputies in Stolen Truck, Flees Across 2 Counties, Carjacks SUV and Crashes into School Bus in Groveland Friday

Clermont, Groveland, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

GROVELAND, Florida—A man is facing a slew of charges in Lake and Orange counties after stealing a struck, ramming three Lake County Sheriff’s Office patrol cars, carjacking a citizen and crashing into a school bus Friday morning, according to LCSO Lt. Fred Jones.

LCSO received a call from the owner of the truck around 6 a.m. and she said her truck had been stolen in the middle of the night. She provided GPS coordinates to LCSO, and deputies tracked to truck to a gas station near Hartle Road in Clermont, Jones said.

They found Joseph Crawford, 23, of Groveland, pumping gas; he fled when he saw deputies, ramming two patrol cars, disabling one. He was later boxed in at a construction site, where he rammed a third patrol car, Jones said. LCSO successfully deployed stop sticks and Crawford continued into Oakland in Orange County. The truck became disabled and he attempted to carjack a vehicle, but was unsuccessful. He then carjacked a Ford Bronco as the driver was exiting the SUV and then fled back to Lake County.

He continued fleeing into Groveland, where he crashed into a school bus carrying three children and two adults. None of the occupants on the bus were injured, according to Jones.

Groveland Police Department took Crawford into custody and he was transported to an Orlando hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He is facing three counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, grand theft, and resisting in Lake County, Jones said. He is facing additional charges in Orange County.

Crawford’s Lake County booking information and mugshot were not available at press time.

Suspect Rams 3 Deputies in Stolen Truck, Flees Across 2 Counties, Carjacks SUV and Crashes into School Bus in Groveland Friday Read More »

Jontae Haywood, 15, was found dead from a gunshot wound in Bushnell Dec. 16. Three people were arrested Friday for their roles in his death. PHOTO: Haywood Family

Leesburg Teen Arrested for Manslaughter in December Death of Sumter County Boy, 15

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

TAVARES, Florida—A Leesburg teenager was arrested Friday by Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies for his role in the death of a Sumter County boy who was found dead in Bushnell in December.

Jontae Solomon Haywood was reported missing around 1:20 a.m. Dec. 16, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO.) Deputies received information he may have been shot and he was found dead near County Road 557 in Bushnell later the same day. Haywood, an eighth grade student at South Sumter Prep, was just 15 years old.

Haywood enjoyed football, basketball, and fishing; and dreamed of becoming a professional rapper one day, according to his obituary. He enjoyed spending time with his father, was a “very polite and kind young man,” and showed “extreme compassion” to the elderly.

During its investigation, SCSO, found that Trevon Donte Battle, 16, of Leesburg and Tervaris Eugene Jackson Jr., 15, of Bushnell were negligently handling a firearm and it discharged, striking Haywood and killing him. Bradford Nethercot, 70, was “present during the incident and did not make any attempt to intervene to prevent the death of Jontae Haywood,” SCSO said in a press release.

Battle was arrested Friday by LCSO on the Sumter County warrant for aggravated manslaughter, improper disposal of human remains, possession of a firearm by a person under 18 and failure to report a death. He was booked into the Lake County Jail.

Jackson and Nethercot were both arrested by SCSO and booked into the Sumter County Jail. Jackson is facing the same charges as Battle— aggravated manslaughter, improper disposal of human remains, possession of a firearm by a person under 18 and failure to report a death. Nethercot is facing several charges, including child neglect with great bodily harm, three counts contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of marijuana under 20 grams and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

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Barricaded Subject Shot by LCSO, Transported to the Hospital, Officials Say

Clermont, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Florida—The barricaded man the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was attempting to negotiate with has been shot, according to LCSO Sgt. Jim Vachon.

“As events unfolded, an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Vachon said. “The suspect has been transported to the hospital for treatment, no law enforcement officials were injured.”

Deputies were on a well-being check at 9201 Pine Island Road when they were confronted by the man, who was armed with a rifle and handgun, Vachon said. Deputies took cover and attempted to communicate with the man, but he retreated into the home and refused to speak with deputies Friday morning.

The man’s name has not been released.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is on the scene investigating, standard practice in an officer-involved shooting.

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Man Pulls Gun on Roommate During Argument Over Living Conditions, Girlfriend

Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

SORRENTO, Florida—A man pulled a gun on his roommate last week after the roommate confronted him about his dirty living conditions and inviting his girlfriend over, according to a Lake County Sheriff’s Office report.

LCSO responded to Desoto Avenue, located in the Oak Springs mobile home community in Sorrento around 8 p.m. Wednesday in reference to an argument involving a firearm. When deputies arrived, they found the victim passed out on a sidewalk and his girlfriend sitting in a wheelchair on the back porch, the report states.

The victim’s girlfriend said her boyfriend confronted his roommate, “Mark” about his dirty living conditions and inviting his girlfriend over. While they were arguing, “Mark” pulled out a black and silver gun and pointed it at the victim’s head. The victim charged “Mark” to disarm him, and “Mark’s” girlfriend “KK” grabbed the gun and fled out the back door, the victim’s girlfriend told LCSO.

The victim and “Mark” began fighting inside the home and “Mark” dropped his phone in the scuffle; the phone was later collected as evidence. The fight continued outside, and the victim secured “Mark” in a headlock until neighbor then separated the pair and “Mark” took off in the woods, the report states.

The victim’s girlfriend did not know “Mark’s” last name and only knew his girlfriend as “KK,” she told deputies. She described “Mark” as a black male who looks Hispanic and KK as a white female wearing black pants and a gray tank top, according to the report. “Mark” had only lived in the home since Jan. 1, the responding deputy noted in the report.

Several deputies, including K9 and Eagle 1 (helicopter) responded to the scene and canvassed the area, but were unsuccessful in finding “Mark” or “KK.” If you have information on the incident, call LCSO at 352-343-2101.

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Former Umatilla Babe Ruth President Admits to Stealing from Organization to Fund Gambling Habit

Inside Scoop, Umatilla, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

UMATILLA, Florida—The former president of Umatilla Babe Ruth Inc. has been arrested for stealing nearly $35,000 from the organization to fund his gambling habit, according to a probable cause affidavit.

John Joseph Farley-Gleixner, 36, of Umatilla turned himself in Wednesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest following an investigation by a Lake County Sheriff’s Office detective who began investigating after receiving a theft complaint from a representative of Umatilla Babe Ruth Inc., according to the affidavit.

The investigation found that Farley-Gleixner began misappropriating funds in May 2022 and continued for six months until a check bounced, revealing his indiscretions, a source told Inside Lake. The thefts were discovered in mid-November when the organization bounced a check for uniforms to a Mount Dora business, according to the source.

Farley-Gleixner was removed as president at an emergency meeting following the discovery of the thefts and the organization released a statement that included in part, “While this situation has placed a stain on the Umatilla Babe Ruth Organization, we can and will overcome this.” The theft caused unrest in the Umatilla Babe Ruth Inc. organization and numerous parents reached out to Inside Lake.

Farley-Gleixner, who was the sole debit card holder for the organization’s bank account, used the card to repeatedly withdraw money from various ATMs at internet gambling establishments, commonly known as “fish games,” in addition to using withdrawal slips and a United Southern Bank ATM to obtain cash, totaling $34,917.75, the detective noted. The ATM camera at United Southern Bank captured Farley-Gleixner on video completing transactions, according to the affidavit.

Farley-Gleixner advised he has a gambling problem, and he is “seeking help for it at this time,” and he told LCSO he was the only one responsible for the thefts. A warrant was issued for Farley-Gleixner’s arrest for grand theft Tuesday, and he turned himself in at the Lake County Jail just before noon Wednesday. He was released on $5,000 bond.

Former Umatilla Babe Ruth President Admits to Stealing from Organization to Fund Gambling Habit Read More »

Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies and Umatilla Police officers investigate after Antwain "Lil" Daddy Hart was found shot Nov. 8.

No Arrests in Umatilla Murder Last Week, LCSO Developing Leads

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Umatilla, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

UMATILLA Florida—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is developing leads in the murder of a 31-year-old man Nov. 8, Lt. John Herrell told Inside Lake Wednesday.

Antwain “Lil Daddy” Hart was found shot in front of a home at 38946 Merrell Avenue last week in the Southside area of unincorporated Umatilla. He was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares by Lake EMS, but died during transport, Herrell said. LCSO has not released many details in the case.

Hart’s rental vehicle, a white 2022 Jeep Cherokee was stolen at the time he was shot and found about 12 hours later behind First Church of God-Eustis, 1550 North Highway 19, Eustis by Eustis Police officers, EPD Chief Craig Capri told Inside Lake last week. LCSO has not said if any evidence was found in the SUV.

*Antwain “Lil Daddy” Hart was found shot in unincorporated Umatilla Nov. 8. Lake County Sheriff’s Office detectives are developing leads.*

Friends and family members of Hart expressed their sorrow through numerous social media posts following his death, and his celebration of life is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, First Baptist Church of Umatilla, 550 Hatfield Drive, Umatilla. His arrangements are being handled by Snow’s Funeral Ministry & Cremation Services in Ocala.

If you have information on Hart’s murder, call LCSO at 352-343-2101 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. Crimeline callers may be eligible for a reward.

No Arrests in Umatilla Murder Last Week, LCSO Developing Leads Read More »