Homeless man with criminal history arrested after making threats with knife
A homeless man with a criminal history was arrested after allegedly making threats with a knife. Dispatchers got a call from a man who said he had been threatened by 20-year-old Airick Joshua Slone at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. He gave a...
Nicaraguan will be turned over to ICE following arrest near Trailwinds Village
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a hold on an unlicensed driver from Nicaragua who was arrested near Trailwinds Village in Wildwood. A deputy saw a white four-door Lexus cross into an area marked with a “Do Not Enter” sign around 3:20 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County...
Husband and wife allegedly pocket nearly $200,000 for pools they never built
A husband and wife running a pool construction company allegedly pocketed nearly $200,000 from customers for swimming pools they never built. Troy Daniel Teems, 52, and his wife Leigh Ann Teems, 52, both of Mount Dora, were arrested Thursday on warrants charging them with fraud. The couple has been accused...
Ocala Woman Faces 20 Years After GPS Tracker Foils Heist
N Ocala woman faces up to 20 years in federal prison after admitting she robbed a Marion County bank last spring — a crime solved within minutes thanks to a hidden GPS tracker. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that 40-year-old Christina Gates Thagard pleaded guilty to bank robbery....
Feral cats are ruining my Marion County community
The National Park Service says “all invasive species are non-native, but not all non-native species are invasive. A species becomes invasive when its presence causes harm to the existing ecosystem, often by disrupting the relationships native species have with one another.”. Ocala National Forest residents say “We...
Driver who failed to pay traffic fines arrested on State Road 44 in The...
A Leesburg man who failed to pay traffic fines was arrested after an early morning trip through The Villages. A deputy spotted 25-year-old Pedro Yabdiel Maldonado Rivera driving a silver Toyota sedan eastbound on State Road 44 near Brownwood at 5:50 a.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County...
Man in tent behind Circle K busted with syringe of methamphetamine
A Leesburg man will appear in court for a syringe with methamphetamine found near his tent behind Circle K. An employee of Circle K, located at 900 S 14th St., noticed a green tent in the wooded area behind the business at 9:45 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, according to a case report from the Leesburg Police Department....
“This Is A Robbery”: Ocala Woman Faces 20 Years After GPS Tracker Foils Heist
OCALA, Fla. – An Ocala woman has admitted to robbing a Marion County bank last spring after a hidden tracking device led police directly to her vehicle. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that Christina Gates Thagard, 40, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in...
Man airlifted to hospital following head-on collision with clinically intoxicated driver
A Fruitland Park man was arrested for DUI after crashing head-on into a vehicle in the opposite lane while clinically intoxicated. An officer was headed south on U.S. Hwy. 441 when he saw a white Nissan head north in the southbound lanes at 2:15 a.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Eustis Police...
Villager enters plea after standoff involving SWAT team at her home
A Villager has entered a plea in court following a standoff last month at her home involving the SWAT team. Jana Stafinsky, 53, continues to be held without bond following the nearly five-hour standoff Nov. 20 at her home at 2186 Broxton Place in the Village of Ashland. She appeared in Sumter County Court this week...
