SORRENTO, Fla.—The man accused of killing a man in Sorrento Thursday, is in custody according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
“… Justin Fout has been located and taken into custody by law enforcement. As the situation is still under investigation, additional details are not yet available,” LCSO Cpl. Chanel Martin said late Friday afternoon.
Deputies were also attempting to locate Patricia Neeley, as person of interest in the murder of Justin Kates, 37. LCSO has not released any new information on her whereabouts.
Fout is suspected of murdering Kates during an altercation Thursday at 31504 Colby Place in Sorrento. An argument apparently escalated and Fout shot Kates, killing him. Kates was found lying in the roadway when deputies arrived on scene.
Fout fled the scene, along with Neeley, in an older model white Dodge Ram van Thursday; he was located at at undisclosed location Friday following a media release.
SORRENTO, Fla.—A man is on the run, accused of killing a man in Sorrento Thursday, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses said Justin Kates, 37, and Justin Joseph Raymond Fout, 31, engaged in a verbal argument Thursday at 31504 Colby Place in Sorrento. The argument apparently escalated and Fout shot Kates, killing him, LCSO said. He was found dead lying in the roadway when deputies arrived on scene.
Fout fled the scene, along with Patricia Neeley, in an older model white Dodge Ram van. The van should have front and rear end damage and red transfer paint on the rear; the rear right door is spray-painted black, and the left rear door window is busted out, according to LCSO.
A warrant has been issued for Fout’s arrest for second-degree murder; Neeley is not facing charges at this time, but she is a person of interest. If you have information on their whereabouts, call LCSO at 352-343-2101.
LEESBURG, Fla.—A man on the run for nearly a year is in custody facing murder charges in the deaths of his intended home invasion victim – and his alleged accomplice.
Dieuseul Charlemon, 22, was taken into custody on multiple warrants including first- and second-degree murder on Jan. 31 by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department and US Marshals at 10131 SE 169th Lane, Summerfield after a months-long investigation, MCSO said.
On Feb. 16, 2022, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to 804 Montclair Road in unincorporated Leesburg on a report of a shooting around 4:30 a.m. There were signs of forced entry at the front door, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said in 2022, and no details were released about what may have happened, but Herrell said a home invasion had not been ruled out.
On Wednesday, Assistant State Attorney Nick Camuccio confirmed to Inside Lake, detectives believe Charlemon and his alleged accomplice, Jamari DeAndre Jones, 20 years old at the time of the crime, invaded Jammy Casteel’s home and a “firefight” ensued. Casteel, 41, was found shot on the front porch and transported to UF Health Leesburg hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, and Jones was found dead inside the home, Herrell said in 2022.
Jammy Casteel was murdered during a 2022 home invasion. PHOTO: Jammy Casteel/Facebook
Charlemon was indicted for the first-degree murder of Casteel and the second-degree murder of Jones in March 2024, Camuccio said, “He’s been on the run for awhile.”
After being taken into custody, Charlemon was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. In addition to the Lake County murder charges, he is facing an armed burglary charge in Sumter County, and failure to appear for aggravated fleeing to elude, fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license in Marion County. He is being held in the Marion County Jail on no bond.
2 p.m. Update: Scott Mitchell has been taken into custody in Daytona Beach.
PHOTO: Volusia Sheriff’s Office
DeLAND, Fla.—A man suspected of killing two men in New York was spotted in DeLand Tuesday, just a few miles outside of Lake County, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Scott C. Mitchell is wanted for the murders of Daniel McCloe, 58, and Marshall VanOven 55, after they were found dead in a Binghampton, New York home earlier this month. Binghampton is located about 180 miles northwest of New York City.
Mitchell is believed to have first fled to Dorchester County, South Carolina after deputies responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Saturday. Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the vehicle, and determined it belonged to Mitchell.
On Tuesday, Volusia Sheriff’s Office said it was actively looking for Mitchell who is now suspected to be in the DeLand area. Mitchell is thought to be on foot, and a motorist’s dash cam captured a man, believed to be Mitchell, walking along Hontoon Road in the DeLand area, just a few miles from Lake County on Tuesday. He was also spotted in the area of Old New York Avenue in DeLand.
Mitchell is described 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 210 pounds with blond/red hair. He also has a distinct tattoo on his hand and arm, seen in a photo in this article. In other photos released of Mitchell, he has a full beard, but VSO said he has since shaved it off.
Mitchell is considered armed and dangerous, and residents are urged not to approach him. If you see Mitchell, call 911.
CLERMONT, Fla.—Clermont Police Department has released the names of the couple found dead after a domestic incident Wednesday.
Christian Steeler Filson, 28, and Sarah Dale, 29, were found dead after an unidentified caller reported Dale was screaming and being chased by a man at Cottonwood Clermont, 1200 Hooks Street, shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
When officers arrived, they began searching for the victim and spotted blood near an apartment in building 12. Officers entered apartment 12202, and found Dale, with a mortal gunshot wound.
“When our officers arrived, they immediately observed what appeared to be blood and a spent bullet casing outside of an apartment,” CPD Chief Charles Broadway said. “They began to conduct a well-being check but received no response from inside.”
Officers attempted to conduct an assessment of the scene and the victim, who appeared to be deceased, and they were immediately met with gunfire, CPD Capt. Malcolm Draper said. They returned fire and Filson retreated back into the apartment building.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will conduct its own investigation, standard procedure when an officer fires a weapon.
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the scene including Mid-Florida SWAT, comprised of officers from Leesburg Police Department, Mount Dora Police Department and Eustis Police Department, along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Groveland Police Department. Lake EMS, Clermont Fire Department and Groveland Fire Department also responded.
“This was truly a team effort and through this joint effort, a safe entry was made and no officers were injured,” Broadway said.
Officers attempted to make verbal contact with Filson and never got a response, Draper said. After using drones and a robot to gather intel, Mid-Florida SWAT made entry to the apartment and found Dale fatally wounded and Filson dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Draper said CPD had one previous call for service to the apartment in October 2024 after an anonymous tipster reported someone was acting “erratically.” Officers responded and were unable to find anyone, Draper said.
Filson was arrested in Lebanon, Tennessee in 2017 for aggravated robbery and reckless endangerment after being accused of robbing two men in a Kroger grocery store parking lot of $15 and firing a shot as the victims followed him out of the parking lot, according to local media reports. The victims called police and continued to pursue Filson down West Main Street in Lebanon, where he purportedly fired a second shot. He was taken into custody by police and released on bond. The disposition of the Tennessee case was not available at press time.
TAVARES, Fla.—One of the men accused of murdering a Umatilla man in 2022 will spend the rest of his life in prison, according to Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson’s Office.
“The actions of this defendant were calculated, deliberate, and devoid of remorse,” said Walter Forgie, Chief Assistant State Attorney. “Justice demands accountability for such actions.”
Antwain “Lil Daddy” Hart was murdered in Umatilla in 2022. One of three men suspected of his murder was convicted Thursday and sentenced to life in prison. PHOTO: Hart Family
Undray Benson, 53, of Orlando was found guilty in the first-degree murder of Antwain “Lil Daddy” Hart, 31, Thursday following a bench trial, and he was sentenced to life in prison by Judge James Baxley. Only Inside Lake was on the scene Nov. 8. 2022 after Hart was found shot multiple times in his mother’s front yard on Merrell Avenue in Umatilla. Hart died during transport to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. John Herrell told Inside Lake the day of the murder.
Hart’s rental vehicle, a 2022 white Jeep Cherokee, was stolen at the time of his murder and found about 12 hours later behind the First Church of God Eustis, 1550 North Highway 19, by Eustis Police Department officers. The church is just 3.7 miles from the murder scene. The investigation revealed an unknown white Mercedes was spotted near Merrell Avenue and LCSO detectives obtained surveillance footage that showed a rented white Mercedes linked to Marvin Ellison, near the murder scene and Hart’s dumped rental vehicle. Phone records also indicated a route consistent with the crime scene and the victim’s vehicle’s location.
Antwain Hart was shot and killed in his mother’s yard on Merrell Avenue in Umatilla Nov. 8, 2022. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
Detectives also obtained video of three individuals unloading the white Mercedes into an apartment leased by a family member of Benson, associated with “Dray’s Spot Detailing,” and an additional suspect, Deandre Anderson, was identified through that footage. Drugs and a 9mm handgun, which matched the weapon used to kill Hart were found during the search of the apartment. Detectives determined through evidence and their investigation, Undray, Anderson and Ellison collaborated to murder Hart, possibly motivated by the presence of illegal narcotics in the victim’s vehicle, according to Gladson’s office.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Benson about five months after Hart’s murder and by July 2023, Anderson and Ellison were also in custody. Assistant State Attorneys Gabe Lozano and Nicholas Camuccio prosecuted Benson and he was represented by Attorney Jeffrey Pfister of Tavares. Anderson and Ellison are scheduled to stand trial next week.
TAVARES, Fla.—The woman accused of brutally torturing and murdering her boyfriend’s daughter appeared in court Thursday.
Only Inside Lake was in the courtroom as Circuit Judge Heidi Davis questioned Tyshael Martin, 35, about retaining an attorney. Martin, who still does not have an attorney of record, more than two months after her arrest, told Davis she has retained Sean Landers, but he has not filed a notice of appearance yet due to him being out of town.
Assistant State Attorney Thomas Wieczorek asked the court to keep Martin’s case on the docket for November for both a pre-trial conference to ensure she has retained an attorney, and a plea negotiation conference. He also asked the record reflect the state filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in Martin’s case.
“Oct. 8, the same date that notice was filed with the court, defendant Martin was also personally served with that notice at the Lake County Jail,” Wieczorek said.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Martin is accused of killing 9-year-old Jamaria “Mari” Sessions in June after abusing and torturing her for nearly eight months after her father, Lojuan Sessions, picked her up from school in October 2023. Sessions took Jamaria and her little sister, Jaliah, from school that day without permission or notice to the girls’ grandmother Althea Chenault. Chenault had been helping care for the girls throughout their mother, Tadrina Dort’s fight against leukemia, and after her death from congestive heart failure in 2022. Chenault is also listed as Jamaria’s next of kin in Martin’s case and Martin was ordered not to have any contact with Chenault at an earlier court appearance.
Chenault and her son, Trane Chenault and daughter, Laquanda Beacham, were in attendance for Thursday’s hearing and the family plans to attend each time Martin or Sessions appears in court.
TAVARES, Fla.— The woman charged with the horrific murder of her boyfriend’s daughter earlier this year is now facing the death penalty.
Assistant State Attorney Thomas Wieczorek filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty Oct. 8 in the case against Tyshael Martin, of Montverde, and stated five aggravating factors in the case.
The capital felony was committed while the defendant was engaged, or was an accomplice, in the commission of, or an attempt to commit aggravated child abuse.
The capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.
The capital felony was a homicide and was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification.
The victim of the capital felony was a person less than 12 years of age.
The victim of the capital felony was particularly vulnerable because the defendant stood in a position of familial or custodial authority over the victim.
Martin, 35, is accused of ordering a 103-pound Rottweiler to attack 9-year-old Jamaria Sessions and savagely kicking and beating the girl during a reign of abuse that lasted from October 2023 until she died in June, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case.
Martin was arrested Aug. 28, for first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and child neglect. Jamaria’s father, Lojuan Sessions, was arrested just a few days later in Orange County; he is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and both suspects are being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.
Video surveillance in the home captured the torture and abuse of the once-smiley 9-year-old who loved animals and yearned to be a veterinarian.
Jamaria Sessions dreamed of being a veterinarian, Grandma Althea Chenault said. Photo courtesy of Althea Chenault
According to the affidavit, Vivint Security provided more than 2,800 videos from inside and outside of the home to Lake County Sheriff’s Office detectives. Six video files dated June 15 and timestamped between 11:50 p.m. and 11:57 p.m. showed both Martin and the large dog attacking Jamaria. The following information was taken directly from the affidavit:
(Videos show) “Jamaria Sessions being viciously attacked by the family pet, a 103-pound male rottweiler as Jamaria was just out of frame, however, Tyshael Martin could be seen holding the leash of the dog and is heard encouraging the dog to bite Jamaria Sessions as Jamaria laid on the floor, ending with Jamaria Sessions attempting to stand up in the doorway coming into frame. The next clips show Jamaria Sessions staggering, nude and disheveled. Jamaria’s hair, previously in a partial bun, was now messy, and her extensions were falling out of her hair. It appeared that the dog had bitten the child’s head, pulling at her hair, at the command of Tyshael Martin. Following this clip, Jamaria Sessions is commanded to stand in the room with her arms up by Tyshael Martin. Jamaria Sessions exhibited an orbital sway, appearing to be disorientated, similar to being intoxicated, and leaned forward to pick up a blanket to cover herself. This prompted Tyshael Martin to deliver a kick to the rear of the child causing her to collapse to the floor. The child lay motionless, moaning in pain, as Tyshael Martin continued to kick her hip and eventually her stomach area at full force. When the child did not get up, Tyshael Martin then grabbed the child by her hair, pulling her across the floor, with minimal resistance by Jamaria Sessions, who appeared to be disorientated and motionless. The child was dragged near the stairs, which is where the dog attack occurred, which was just out of frame. Tyshael Martin continued to command the child, Jamaria Sessions, to stand up, and as Jamaria physically could not comply, Jamaria was repeatedly struck and shaken by Tyshael Martin. The next video clip begins with Tyshael Martin stating what sounds like, ‘I’m fixing to kill her.’”
Jamaria was found dead less than 30 hours later.
Shortly before 5 a.m. June 17, Lake EMS responded to 16017 Harbar Oaks Drive, Montverde, Martin and Sessions’ home, on a report of an unresponsive child. The would-be fourth grader was pronounced deceased by Lake EMS, and they observed multiple injuries to Jamaria including a “significant” number of abrasions, small punctures, burns, possible bite marks and bruising covering her body, all in various stages of healing. Lake EMS requested the Lake County Sheriff’s Office respond after noting rigor mortis in Jamaria’s jaw. According to Florida State University, if a body feels cold and stiff, death likely occurred between 8 and 36 hours prior.
During an on-scene preliminary exam of Jamaria by the medical examiner, injuries were noted all over her small body, consistent with abuse. These injuries included superficial lacerations indicative of being pinched with significant force, her face was swollen, some of her teeth were broken, she had blood in her left ear along with a penetration wound behind her ear, and contusions all over her body. On June 18, during Jamaria’s autopsy, the medical examiner noted the number of superficial injuries covering the majority of her body, and advised it appeared to be torture inflicted by fingernails and injuries consistent with being struck by something, possibly wire.
Tyshael Martin was arraigned on Sept. 23. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
On Sept. 23, Martin and Session were indicted by a grand jury and Inside Lake was in the courtroom when Martin pleaded not guilty to the crimes she is accused of. She claimed to have a meeting scheduled with an attorney, but three weeks later, she still did not have an attorney, according to Lake County Clerk of Court online records. Martin was ordered not to have contact with Jamaria’s next of kin, Althea Chenault, who was at the arraignment with her son, Trane.
Jamaria and her younger sister, Jaliah, lived with Chenault, their maternal grandmother, and their mother, Tadrina Dort while she battled leukemia. Dort beat the leukemia but later died in 2022 from congestive heart failure. The girls continued to live Chenault after their mother’s death and while Sessions was incarcerated on multiple charges, including child neglect. Sessions had little to do with his two daughters prior to his incarceration, and Chenault told Inside Lake she was shocked when he picked the girls up from their Orange County school in October 2023 without her permission. He would not allow her to see her grandchildren and Chenault has questioned why Sessions was allowed to take the girls but has never been given a thorough explanation, she said. “Nana,” as she was known to the girls, immediately began fighting for permanent custody following her daughter’s death and is still fighting for Jaliah, who is currently living with another maternal family member.
Jamaria, left, Althea “Nana” Chenault and Jaliah. Photo courtesy of Althea Chenault
LEESBURG, Fla.—The 87-year-old victim of a shooting in late September has died and two Leesburg men have been arrested for his murder, according to Leesburg Police Department.
Clarence Ervin, 87, of Leesburg was shot shortly before 2:45 p.m. Sept. 28, at 2101 West Main Street, as he sat in a car at a gas pump, video released by LPD showed. Ervin was transported to an area hospital and later died from his injuries on Oct. 6, LPD Lt. Shannon Walsh said.
On Friday, Kenneth D. Bailey, 22, and Craig A. Stevenson Jr., 22, were arrested on charges of capital murder and aggravated battery on a person over 65, Walsh said. They were booked into the Lake County Jail and are being held on no bond.
The third person involved in the murder has been identified, Walsh said, and detectives are working with the State Attorney’s Office to obtain an arrest warrant.
TAVARES, Fla.—The woman accused of helping mastermind an ambush attack on Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies may pay for her crimes with her life.
Fifth Judicial Circuit Assistant State Attorney Kenneth Nunnelley filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty late Tuesday afternoon in the case against Julie Sulpizio.
Sulpizio, 48, is accused of starting an altercation with her neighbors on Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis on Aug. 2. LCSO responded to the altercation and during a well-being check at her home, just down the street from the original call, Master Deputy Bradley Link was shot and suffered fatal wounds. In an immediate rescue attempt of Link, K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell was shot in the wrist and in a subsequent rescue attempt, Deputy Stefano Gargano was shot multiple times. Howell and Gargano have since been released from the hospital and continue to recover from their injuries.
Evidence at the scene revealed Julie’s husband, Michael, and daughters, Cheyenne and Savannah, opened fire on the deputies and all three were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds after LCSO’s SWAT made entry to the home.
Sulpizio is facing a multitude of charges, including principal to first degree murder of a law enforcement officer, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, three counts of principal to attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer, three counts of battery and one count of battery on a law enforcement officer.
Sulpizio is being held on no bond at an undisclosed detention center and has pleaded not guilty.
