logo
Investigation continues into deadly Putnam County fire

Investigation continues into deadly Putnam County fire

Yahoo13-05-2025

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office and the State Fire Marshal are still working to figure out what caused a deadly house fire in East Palatka.
The fire on North Maryland Avenue started early Monday morning.
Fernando Hernandez Mendez, 31, and Enrique Hernandez Mendez, 33, were found dead inside the home.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Related: 'They lost everything': Mobile home fire kills three family members, 3 more hospitalized
Angel Enrique Diaz Perez, 4, died later at the hospital.
Carolina Gomez, 27, and two children - 18-month-old Jesus Hernandez and 7-year-old Elizabeth Hernandez Gomez - remain hospitalized in critical condition.
Investigators said it was 7-year-old Elizabeth who escaped the burning home and ran to a neighbor's house for help.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family. Click here for more information on how you can help.
Action News Jax will continue to follow this investigation. Check back here for updates.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Marine vet fighting for his life, paralyzed after being shot by illegal migrant who had been arrested and released 4 times
Marine vet fighting for his life, paralyzed after being shot by illegal migrant who had been arrested and released 4 times

New York Post

time2 hours ago

  • New York Post

Marine vet fighting for his life, paralyzed after being shot by illegal migrant who had been arrested and released 4 times

A Marine Corps veteran from Texas is fighting for his life after a serial recidivist illegal migrant allegedly shot him while he was working as a security guard. And his outraged family says the Democratic District Attorney in San Antonio is soft-peddling the charges after letting his attacker walk free following four prior arrests. Jimmy Friesenhahn, 44, who survived multiple overseas deployments including to Iraq during his 14 years in the Marines, is now paralyzed and can no longer speak. Advertisement 5 Friesenhahn's outraged family says the Democratic District Attorney in San Antonio is soft-peddling the charges after letting his attacker walk free. GoFundMe He was working at the El Patio Sports Bar, when he spotted a man apparently carrying a handgun in his pocket and tried to confiscate it, his brother-in-law Emmanuel Martinez told The Post. The customer, identified by cops as Wilmer Vladmir Ortega Ruiz, 29, refused to give up the pistol and they fought over it. Advertisement Friesenhahn was shot three times, twice in the bulletproof vest and once through the neck. Friesenhahn, who is the father of a five-month-old baby girl, was left with a complete spinal injury, along with a ruptured esophagus and vocal cords. 5 The customer, identified by cops as Wilmer Vladmir Ortega Ruiz, 29, refused to give up the pistol. Bexar County Jail He has undergone six surgeries and is still clinging to life, but the prognosis has worsened, Martinez said. Advertisement 'Jimmy's sacrifice saved people because there's stories that the guy was going to go inside and do something in that place,' Martinez said in an emotional interview. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Ortega Ruiz on May 4. But this wasn't his first rodeo. 5 Friesenhahn was shot three times, twice in the bulletproof vest and once through the neck. GoFundMe Ortego Ruiz was first arrested in San Antonio and charged with a DWI in October 2020, according to court records. He was let go on a personal recognizance bond, but failed to show in court. Advertisement The Bexar County District Attorney's office then downgraded the DWI charge to obstructing a passageway. Ortega Ruiz pleaded guilty to that charge, but violated the terms of his probation and was arrested for a second time in August 2023. He was let go again after posting a $1,500 bond amount and failed to show up in court for a later hearing. 5 He has undergone six surgeries and is still clinging to life, but the prognosis has worsened. GoFundMe The illegal migrant got collared a third time in September 2023 and bonded out for $1,500, again failing to show in court at a later hearing. He was then arrested for a fourth time in November 2024 and sentenced to time served nearly three weeks later. Ortega Ruiz was also allegedly the center of an assault investigation in which his girlfriend reported he physically attacked her, but he had fled the scene before cops arrived, law enforcement sources told The Post. Law enforcement sources said he sneaked into the country as a 'got away.' Advertisement 5 Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Ortega Ruiz on May 4. GoFundMe Meanwhile, the Bexar County District Attorney's office has only pursued aggravated assault charges against Ortego Ruiz and set his bond amount at $200,000 in his latest alleged offense. And the victim's family is outraged, calling the repeated lax prosecution 'a huge slap in the face.' Advertisement 'That's attempted murder, that's not aggravated assault,' said Friesenhahn's tearful sister, Evangelina Borjon. 'It's ridiculous the way the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, the DA, the Bexar County judges, the whole justice system here is not caring and letting this guy off time after time,' said Martinez. The DA's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt
Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt

A Washington state community is grieving the deaths of three young sisters who police believe were killed by their father, whose whereabouts are unknown. Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were reported missing by their mother on May 30 after failing to return from a planned visitation with their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker. Authorities found their bodies on June 2 near their father's unoccupied vehicle near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County. Local, state and federal officials continue to search for Travis, who is wanted on charges of kidnapping, first-degree murder and custodial interference. Authorities released new photos and videos of the suspect and are asking for the public's help as the manhunt continues. Since the tragedy, the community of the Wenatchee Valley has rallied behind the girl's mother, Whitney Decker. A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $1 million in financial support for Whitney as of Thursday, June 5. "We ask for grace at this time. Whitney is grieving the unimaginable," said family friend Amy Edwards, who organized the GoFundMe page, at a news conference June 5. "When one mother cries, we all cry and hold her in our heart. Thank you for holding Whitney in your hearts now." Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paityn Decker, 9 were three sisters in the Wenatchee Valley. In addition to playing sports and attending school in the city of Wenatchee, the three girls were involved in the local art scene through performance and dance. They performed at the Music Theatre of Wenatchee through a children's program known as "Short Shakespeareans" and practiced dance at the city's Fabulous Feet Dance Studio. Edwards, the director of the "Short Shakespeareans" program and whose daughter was on the dance team with Evelyn, said the community will forever ache with the love for the girls. "This valley helped nurture the creativity, confidence and joy that Paityn and Evelyn and Olivia shined so brightly," Edwards told reporters. "Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us. They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts. They are cherished, not just by the family, but by our entire community who watched them grow, perform, learn and love." Fellow organizer Mark Belton thanked the generosity shown for the family adding that "compassion has been a source of light in this dark hour." The Music Theatre of Wenatchee held a candlelight vigil on June 3 at Wenatchee's Memorial Park. Dozens of children attending the vigil knew the girls either through the dance program, sports or other programs, according to Seattle station KING-TV. "She was really nice. She was a really good dancer. I really think she was a really good friend," 8-year-old Lilly Jones, who danced with Evelyn, told the outlet. "I really miss her and I just think it was too early." Missy Jones, Lilly's mother, told the outlet she became friends with Whitney after meeting in college and reconnected last fall because of their daughters. "Those girls were her whole world. She did everything for them," Jones said. "Obviously it's hard. I've been really proud of the girls being really supportive of each other and giving each other hugs and talking about their memories of their friends." Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Community mourns deaths of Olivia, Evelyn, Paityn Decker amid search

Third teen death in national forest raises alarm as two high schoolers found shot during camping trip
Third teen death in national forest raises alarm as two high schoolers found shot during camping trip

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Third teen death in national forest raises alarm as two high schoolers found shot during camping trip

High school students Pandora Kjolsrud and Evan Clark were found dead in a remote area of Arizona on May 27, marking the second and third teenagers found dead in Tonto National Forest since February. Kjolsrud, 18, and Clark, 17, were both found shot to death on May 27 near Mount Ord in the Tonto National Forest, north of Mesa, Arizona. A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital that the deaths are being investigated as homicides. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said it's "actively" investigating the deaths, but didn't release additional details. According to Fox 10, the Arcadia High School students were on a camping trip when they were found shot to death. The remains of Emily Pike, 14, were found on Feb. 14 in Tonto National Park, 19 miles north of Globe, Arizona. She went missing from a group home in January, according to Fox 10, which reported her death was treated as a homicide. Her body was found dismembered more than 70 miles away from the group home she was reported missing from. Arizona Pastor Found Dead With Hands Pinned To Wall In Homicide At Home No arrests have been made in connection with Pike's death. The FBI and several local law enforcement agencies are investigating her death. Read On The Fox News App There has not been any connection made between the two cases, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. A GoFundme for Kjolsrud's family says the 18-year-old "had a vivacious personality with an infectious smile that brought joy to so many." 3 Arrested In Connection With Death Of Pima County Good Samaritan "She was a beautiful human being and a bright light in this world who loved every single person she met and had a unique ability to make every person feel special," the GoFundme stated. In a message attached to a fundraiser, Sandra Malibu Sweeney, Clark's mother, said that he "wasn't a typical teenager." "He was funny, bright, kind and entrepreneurial. He was an old soul who was sensitive and loving. Evan wrote me letters, the last of which he gave me on Mother's Day that was so touching it made me both laugh and cry. He was special. He deserved a long life." A community member who spoke with Fox 10 said she wants answers about Kjolsrud and Clark's deaths. "It's really scary that it's just so close to home and then their family. That's the next thing you think about. It's like, what are they going through? What happened to them? Are they going to get answers?" one community member article source: Third teen death in national forest raises alarm as two high schoolers found shot during camping trip

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store