Bartow Man, New York Woman Arrested After Wahneta Traffic Stop With Barbed-Wire Bat
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – The air hung heavy and humid over Wahneta on Friday, the kind of stillness that precedes a storm, or perhaps, a revelation. What began as a seemingly minor traffic stop—a gray Jeep SUV out of New York, pulled over for an infraction quickly peeled back the veneer of normalcy, revealing a darker...
Church leaders arrested as murals start coming down across the Tampa Bay area
Two church leaders were arrested Friday night outside the Carter G. Woodson African American Museum in St. Petersburg as state workers began removing street murals across the Tampa Bay area. Police say Andy Oliver, 45, and Benedict Atherton-Zeman, 59, were taken into custody after they sat on the road in...
Illegal Immigrant Twins, Wanted For Ripping Off Construction Sites, Arrested In Auburndale
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A pair of 26-year-old twin brothers from Mexico, wanted on a multitude of felony charges related to the burglary of homes under construction, were arrested Friday by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Eder Zaragoza Marin Ibar and Juan Elder Marin Ibar were taken into...
Riverview Woman Arrested After Early Morning Attack In Bartow
BARTOW, Fla. – A Riverview woman has been arrested and charged with burglary and battery after allegedly breaking into a Bartow home and assaulting a long-time acquaintance early Friday morning. Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputies were dispatched to a local hospital to investigate a battery complaint filed...
Suspected skip scanner caught on surveillance at self-checkout at Walmart
A Poinciana woman was arrested for theft after swapping tags and skip-scanning items at Walmart. A deputy responded to Walmart, located at 550 U.S. Hwy. 27, Clermont regarding retail theft around 3:40 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. An asset protection...
Two Polk County restaurants closed briefly to deal with rodents or roaches
Two Polk County restaurants were temporarily closed by inspectors for roaches, rodents -- or a combination thereof – during the first two weeks of August, according to state inspection reports . La Villita Bakery at 89 U.S. 17-92 N. in Haines City was closed for a day after an inspector noted 12 violations, including...
11-Year Sentence For Lakeland Man In Tampa Caught With Guns, Fentanyl, And Meth
TAMPA, Fla. – A Lakeland man will spend more than a decade in federal prison after being sentenced for distributing methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle in Tampa sentenced Moreno Fenelus, 44, to 11 years in prison. Fenelus had previously...
Florida county issued an updated flood warning as locals told to ‘take action’
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for Hillsborough County due to minor flooding along the Little Manatee River, expected to last until 4:58 p.m. Thursday. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an updated flood warning at 9:23 a.m. on Thursday, in effect until 4:58 p.m. for Hillsborough County,...
Health officials on alert after increase in West Nile Virus activity across Tampa Bay
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida health officials are urging residents to stay vigilant after an increase in mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV) activity has been detected in several counties across the state. “The important thing people need to remember is they can avoid getting bit by mosquitoes,” Thomas Iovino...
Health Alert Issued For Lake Thonotosassa After Blue-Green Algae Detected
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A health alert has been issued for Lake Thonotosassa following the discovery of harmful blue-green algae toxins. The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County (DOH-Hillsborough) released the alert on Friday, after a water sample confirmed the presence of the toxins. Residents and...
