Coral Springs saw a flurry of news this week, from a murder conviction to a wrong-way DUI arrest and a debate over property taxes.
Missed the headlines? Here’s a roundup of the top stories from your city:
- Murder conviction: A Coral Springs man was found guilty of murder for stabbing a 51-year-old woman and dumping her body in a Delray Beach canal in 2023. The 25-year-old faces sentencing June 18 after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and evidence tampering.
- Fraud scheme: A Coral Springs couple allegedly used a stolen phone in a $50K fraud scheme after a 57-year-old man left his iPhone in a restaurant parking lot. The two are accused of making $3,948 in purchases and $43,150 in wire transfers in less than a month.
- Wrong-way DUI arrest: The driver accused of killing the former Coral Springs mayor’s son was arrested on charges including vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. The 47-year-old allegedly had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit when he hit the car head-on.
- Medical assistant charged: A Coral Springs medical assistant is accused of stealing a patient’s credit card and using it to make a $103.40 purchase at Publix. The 51-year-old faces charges including credit card theft and fraudulent use of an ID of a victim 60 or older.
- Rodent infestation: A rodent infestation halted food sales at a convenience store on Royal Palm Boulevard after inspectors found fresh droppings and dead rodents. A stop-use order was issued for the store, which is barred from receiving food deliveries until the problem is resolved.
- Restaurant inspections: Health inspectors made 17 visits to Coral Springs restaurants in May, with the best and worst inspection results ranging from perfect scores to 15 violations. A Chinese food restaurant racked up the most violations, while several others had perfect scores.
- Redistricting dispute: Coral Springs lawmakers sparred over Florida’s redistricting efforts during a chamber of commerce panel. Rep. Dan Daley alleged the process violated the Fair Districts Amendments, while Rep. Chip LaMarca, the lone Republican on the panel, defended the new map.
- Property tax debate: Coral Springs officials weighed in on a property tax repeal headed to the November ballot that requires 60% voter approval. Broward cities could lose between 1.2% and 34% of collected taxes, raising concerns about cuts to police, fire and other services.
- Lottery jackpot: A free lottery ticket from a Coral Springs Publix won the Fantasy 5 top prize in an evening drawing. The winner will split the roughly $115,000 jackpot with two other players, taking home $38,336.66.
- Cold case identified: A body found in a Broward field in 1975 has been identified as a New York man, Robert Russell Freese, through fingerprint matching. The Broward Sheriff’s Office is seeking tips to locate Freese’s family and identify his killer 51 years later.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.…