Latest news with #BayCountySheriff's
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
BCSO requests ride audio from fatal shooting of Lyft driver
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay County Sheriff's deputies responded to the intersection of Wildwood Road and Emerald Cove Street around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning. They found William McArthur's body in the middle of the road, his car about 100 yards car had a Lyft sign on it, so they called the company. Lyft provided the name of McArthur's last passenger, 17-year-old Brayden Raul Gomez. But deputies said Lyft did not provide all of the details that could have helped. Teen confesses to fatal shooting of LYFT driver in Panama City Beach: BCSO 'They did give us some information that really assisted in the investigation in a very timely manner. But there was some crucial information that they did not provide and made us jump through hoops to get that could have resulted in somebody else getting hurt,' Bay County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jason Daffin said. Deputies said the record shows McArthur picked up Gomez at a Front Beach Road business and was taking him to the Woodlawn area. Gomez allegedly claimed the two got into an argument and he shot McArthur in the back of the head. Authorities said Gomez also claimed the gun was not his. 'He claimed that the individual left it at his house and he just took ownership of the firearm. So we're still running down some of that information to figure out how the 17-year-old ended up with a firearm in his possession to commit this offense,' Daffin said. As for the argument, Gomez allegedly told investigators that McArthur pointed out Gomez was intoxicated and underage, that he would amount to nothing, and called his mother 'Sorry.' 'The statements that the victim may have made, none of that is confirmed at this time. This is just coming from what Gomez told us happened. I just want to make that clear,' Daffin said. But if there was an argument, there could be a recording. Lyft has an audio recording policy that allows drivers and riders to record inside the vehicle. 'We're going to try to recover that because we want to be able to look at Mr. McArthur's family and say this is exactly what happened and give them. So they know what the last few minutes on this earth of their loved one, what that looked like, what transpired, so that we can help them with closure,' Dafffin added. Friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for McArthur's widow, Lynn McArthur. To donate, click . Investigators arrested Gomez around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday at his mother's home on Dorothy Avenue. They said he took them to a garbage can in Woodlawn where they found the murder weapon. Gomez is in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice, charged with an Open Count of Murder. The State Attorney's Office is reportedly waiving him to adult status. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Bay County Sheriff's Office warns against romance scams
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Law enforcement is warning people to be wary of online scammers looking for more than love this Valentine's Day. Bay County Sheriff's investigators say online relationships can quickly evolve into fraudulent activity. The scams typically occur through social media sites. Most often the scammers are not who they portray themselves to be, a practice known as cat-fishing. The elderly are most at risk, but anyone can fall for a romance scam. BDS hold ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate two new facilities Sheriff's officials say scammers prey on people who are lonely, breaking their heart and their bank accounts. 'A new way to scam someone using romance as a way to the heart. Scammers will use emotions against you because when you're highly emotional, you're not thinking clearly and they know that. So they like to use fear and anxiety, the fear of embarrassment,' Bay County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Ruth Corley said. Be skeptical if someone you've never met in person asking you for money and don't ignore the red flags. If you think you've been scammed, call your local sheriff's office. For Bay County, call (850) 747-4700. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Yahoo
Super Bowl Sunday road safety tips
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay County Sheriff's deputies will be out on Super Bowl Sunday looking for signs of impaired drivers. Super Bowl Sunday can be one of the most dangerous nights to be on the roads. The Bay County Sheriff's Office sees an increase in impaired driving and DUI arrests. 'Any time where you have something where people want to go out and celebrate or enjoy alcohol is involved, you're going to see an increase to some extent in traffic and you're going to see an increase in people that are driving impaired, unfortunately. And so a lot of times that also increases DUI arrest or, you know, traffic accidents that are a result of somebody driving impaired,' Bay County Sheriff's Office Captain Jason Daffin said. Florida lawmakers visit Gulf County before legislative session If they see someone that appears to be driving under the influence, they will take action. Captain Daffin says it's not worth risking other people's lives and can have severe penalties. 'If you refuse to blow on a breathalyzer, you can lose your license for a year. If you're arrested or charged with it, it can cause your license to get suspended. It can cause jail time, fines that you have to pay,' Daffin said. If you are drinking, Captain Daffin recommends using a rideshare app to get home. If you're not drinking, and you're behind the wheel, Daffin urges you to wait until you arrive at your destination to check game scores. It will likely be foggy Sunday night. Daffin says when visibility is low, only use your low beams. 'Keep your low lights on. Don't get your bright lights on if it magnifies the fog, makes it more difficult to see you know, leave yourself plenty of space between you and the car in front of you,' Daffin said. Walton County woman loses $129,500 in Bitcoin scam Bay County Sheriff's officials will deploy resources on Super Bowl Sunday. If you suspect someone is driving impaired, call (850) 747-4700 and report it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Yahoo
Protect your personal information this National Data Privacy Week
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — If you use the internet, and who doesn't, then you've probably received calls, texts, or emails from bad actors trying to scam you. If you're not careful, you can easily become their next victim. 'Scammers will go to great lengths to make it appear that they are from a legitimate company, be it a bank or some other financial service company,' Bay County Sheriff's Lt. Jeremy Mathis said. WATCH: Bay County Sheriff's office holds news conference This week is National Data Privacy Week. With that in mind, Bay County Sheriff's officials are sharing tips to keep you and your banking information safe. 'If you receive a correspondence from your bank or your financial institution and your credit union and it says that your account has been hacked and call this number, call the local number that you talk to. Go into your local branch of your bank and say, hey, I got this. Let them see it. If they say that's a scam, it's a scam. Don't don't do anything else,' Mathis said. You should also pay attention to the way the scammer communicates with you. If the email address looks generic or doesn't have specific information related to your bank, you should be suspicious. 'Pay attention to the email. You will see that it's a or a or Outlook or some other email address that shouldn't be from the company they're purporting themselves to be from,' Mathis said. Panama City officials sell unused property to fund St. Andrews parking project If you're not sure, don't click on it. You could open a link to a phishing scam. Officials said banking fraud is one of the fastest-growing scams in the country, so you have to act carefully about sharing sensitive banking information and cautiously monitor your accounts. 'You have to be vigilant with your information and vigilant with your credit and keep an eye on it,' Mathis said. If you think you're being scammed or suspect any suspicious banking activity, call your bank or the Bay County Sheriff's Office. They'll be able to confirm whether or not you're being deceived. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
