Orange County deputy resigns amid investigation for seizing personal belongings during traffic stop
One woman is calling for accountability after an Orange County deputy confiscated her personal belongings during a traffic stop.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the deputy in question, Jacob Hobby, resigned in March while under investigation for allegations that would have resulted in his termination.
The Orange County Administrative investigation found Hobby violated department rules, falsified records, and didn't conform to laws.
According to the report, both policy and procedures were violated during a traffic stop shortly before 2 a.m. on January 12th along Alafaya Trail in Oviedo.
According to the investigative report, Hobby pulled over Irene Torres because he believed she was speeding.
The traffic stop lasted only 3-minutes, according to the report, which found Hobby unlawfully confiscated Torres' license.
The report said Hobby also violated rules when he failed to call in the traffic stop or activate body camera.
It found Hobby also falsified records claiming a THC vape pen he also confiscated from the victim was taken during a different traffic stop.
'The only reason this man got caught is because I chose to speak up,' said Irene Torres.
Torres said shortly after the traffic stop, she called the Seminole County Sheriff's Office to check if the stop was legitimate.
According to the investigative report, neither Orange County Sheriff's Office nor the Seminole County Sheriff's Office had record of the stop and the Seminole County Sheriff's office completed an incident report 'because of the possibility this was an incident of impersonating a law enforcement officer.'
Torres said for weeks afterwards, she was terrified and didn't know who confiscated her license or what they would do with that personal information.
After investigators narrowed in on Hobby, she said she still wondered why she was pulled over and what Hobby's intentions were.
' It just doesn't sit right with me. The whole interaction, the whole situation, the fact that he quit during the investigation,' said Torres, 'it's just It's like he got away with the abuse of power.'
Attorney Tom Fighter said beyond Orange County's Administrative Investigation Report, Hobby could face criminal charges.
'What he did was a tremendous betrayal of the public trust,' said Fighter who is also a former prosecutor, 'He did steal property of other people. He took it without any authority, and he was acting way beyond his capacity as a law enforcement officer.'
The Orange County Sheriff's Office told Channel 9 that Seminole County Sheriff's Office is responsible for deciding whether Hobby will be charged because the traffic stop happened in Oviedo.
Seminole County Sheriff's Office told channel 9 they referred the entire case to professional standards in Orange County and are not currently pursuing criminal charges.
According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, they sent information about the deputy's resignation while under investigation to FDLE.
A state criminal justice standards and training commission under FDLE will determine if Hobby loses his law enforcement certification.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Federal agents arrest man on Milwaukee's south side in 'ongoing investigation'
Federal agents arrested an immigrant on Milwaukee's south side on June 10, sparking fears from residents and local officials of a wider immigration crackdown. A family member said law enforcement officers who appeared to be immigration agents entered a four-unit apartment building on South 22nd Street at about 7 a.m. and arrested his brother-in-law, Mario Torres. That morning, people reported seeing federal agents gathered in the parking lot of the Mitchell Park Domes and near 22nd Street and National Avenue on the city's heavily Latino south side. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the executive director of the immigrant rights group Voces De La Frontera, said the group confirmed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Torres into custody. On Facebook, the group said the arrest "was not a general raid, but a specific case." The arrest comes as massive protests against recent ICE raids erupted in Los Angeles over the weekend and have since spread to other cities. President Donald Trump has ordered National Guard members to the Los Angeles area. An ICE spokesperson said the agency could not share information about whether agents were operating in Milwaukee. "To ensure the safety of our personnel, ICE does not confirm or discuss the existence or status of operations," the spokesperson said. "The agency publicly announces the results of operations when appropriate." Ashlee Sherrill, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said agents were "executing a court-authorized, federal warrant as part of an ongoing investigation." "As this is an active matter, we are not able to provide additional details at this time," she said. The U.S. Marshals assisted ATF in "the execution of the federal arrest warrant" and an arrest, said Scott Keller, U.S. Marshal. The warrant was related to a firearm violation, he said. About 10 or 15 agents climbed the narrow stairs of the apartment building with masks covering the bottom half of their faces, said Diego Castro, Torres' brother-in-law, who is also a tenant there. Agents pounded on all four apartment doors, and when they got to Castro's apartment, they said they had a warrant for his wife's name and ordered him to open his door, according to Castro. Castro didn't open the door and the agents eventually left, he said. The agents said they had a warrant for Torres' arrest, then kicked in his door and took Torres into custody, according to Castro. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter saw a piece of black tape placed over the security camera on Torres' apartment door. Castro said the tape was placed there by law enforcement agents. Torres, a mechanic, moved to Milwaukee over six years ago from Guatemala, Castro said. Castro said he was about to head to work, but now he and his wife and three children are terrified of when agents will come knocking again. "It was a very scary moment," Castro said. "We don't want anything to happen to our children." Several Milwaukee officials raised concerns about the reported presence of ICE in Milwaukee. "They're definitely not welcome here," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez, whose district includes the Mitchell Park neighborhood. And Milwaukee Common Council President Jose Perez urged people to know their rights. "As always, people should be afforded their due process rights," Perez said. "I will continue to advocate this position with our local and federal partners." He added, "Our priority should be keeping families together." A Milwaukee protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is scheduled for the night of June 10 in Cathedral Square. The arrest in Milwaukee follows immigration raids in California on June 6 that sparked larger protests in Los Angeles and Dallas. On June 7, President Donald Trump ordered National Guard members to the Los Angeles area. That night, protesters threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks at officers. Local police then declared a small part of downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly area, and large numbers of protesters were cleared from the site. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Federal agents arrest immigrant on Milwaukee's south side
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man entered stranger's room, fought with security at Orlando hotel, police say
Orange County sheriff's deputies responded to the JW Marriott hotel on Central Florida Parkway regarding a felony incident that led to the arrest of an Orlando man for battery and assault on officers. Orange County authorities arrested Miguel Angel Hichez Monday for battery on a law enforcement officer and assault on a security officer. His bail is currently set at $4,000. According to deputies, the victim said she was waiting in her room for room service when she heard a knock on the door. When she opened it, Hichez was there and entered the room. As Hichez entered, he opened his arms, tried to grab her, and said, 'mi amor.' The woman screamed and told Hichez to leave the room and she was able to push him out. The victim confirmed that she hadn't given Hichez permission to enter the room. A security guard at the JW Marriott hotel got a report about someone trying to enter a guest's room, so he looked into it. Deputies say Hichez got aggressive and tried to hit the guard on the left side of his face with his right hand. He stayed alert and dodged Hichez's attempts. When the security guard arrived at the lobby, his security director came to his aid and held Hichez until the Orange County Sheriff's Office showed up. The guard stated that he felt scared and thought a fight was about to break out after Hichez tried to punch him, so he had to defend himself. Upon arrival at the scene, deputies quickly located the suspect to find that two staff members had contained him due to his erratic behavior and attempts to fight them. After receiving the suspect from the hotel, a deputy was kicked in the right shin en route to the patrol car. Ultimately, Hichez was transported to Dr. Phillips Hospital for further medical treatment. Deputies say that Hichez was biting his pants and had become aggressive toward the emergency medical team, requiring sedation for proper care. Once awake, Hichez said he was OK and needed a medication refill, prompting the staff to complete a Baker Act form. Hichez was then booked into the Orange County jai. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Suspect in child exploitation case arrested in Pitt County
PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — Man in Pitt County arrested in connection to child exploitation materials that were found in 2024. In January of 2024, the Pitt County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit opened an investigation after they received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding internet communications and images considered to be Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). In April of 2025, new evidence was uncovered. This led to detectives arresting and charging Michael Vann-Torres, 35, of Bethel, N.C. with four counts of Second-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor on May 16, 2025. He was then sent to the Pitt County Detention Center under a $300,000 secured bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
