Latest news with #CapeCoralPoliceDepartment
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
12-year-old boy and dad die after car crashes into water, Florida police say
A father and his 12-year-old son died of their injuries after a collision with another vehicle sent their Mustang crashing into water, Florida police said. The 43-year-old dad and his son were driving on Veterans Memorial Parkway shortly before 2:30 p.m. June 2 when their vehicle was involved in a crash with another, according to the Cape Coral Police Department. The impact of the collision caused their Mustang to veer off the road into a retention pond, where the car sank underwater, police told McClatchy News over the phone. The father and son were both pulled from the vehicle but later died, police said. 'We are deeply saddened to report that both the child and adult injured in this traffic crash have succumbed to their injuries,' Cape Coral police said in an update June 4. 'Our thoughts are with their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.' The School District of Lee County confirmed to WFTX the boy was a student of Gulf Middle School. 'We are deeply saddened to share the news that one of our students passed away today,' school officials wrote in a statement obtained by the outlet. 'We know that some of you may have already heard about this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to all affected. Please don't hesitate to reach out if your child needs assistance in coping with this loss.' The passengers in the other vehicle sustained minor injuries, police told McClatchy News. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Cape Coral is part of the Fort Myers metropolitan area in southwest Florida.
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Miami Herald
ATV driver leads police on 30-mile chase while drunk, then crashes, FL cops say
A shirtless man accused of drinking and threatening people with a knife got on his ATV and led police on a high-speed chase for 30 miles, Florida authorities said. Damion Stafford, 44, eventually crashed the ATV, and a K-9 bit him on the leg to subdue him, the Cape Coral Police Department said April 21. Stafford received medical attention following the crash and bite until he was cleared and taken to jail, police said. The evening of April 20, officers reported receiving a domestic violence call about a man under the influence of alcohol making threats with a knife. He fled the home on a red Yamaha all-terrain vehicle, and officers set up a perimeter in the area until they spotted a man on an ATV matching his description, according to police. The officer started chasing the ATV with the emergency lights, but Stafford is accused of refusing to pull over. Police released footage of the chase, which they said lasted 25 minutes and reached speeds of 80 mph. The ATV rider is seen driving on the grass and on the roads, looking back at the officer occasionally. During the pursuit, Stafford ditched a 12-inch knife and made inappropriate gestures at the officers, they said. Eventually, the road curved and Stafford couldn't make the turn, causing him to crash into an embankment and overturn, police said. Officers reported Stafford didn't respond to commands to show his hands after the crash, so a K-9 was sent in and bit him. He was then handcuffed and taken to a hospital, and officers learned his blood alcohol content was .200, more than twice the legal limit, according to police. Stafford is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill, DUI, aggravated fleeing and eluding, reckless driving and possession of a concealed weapon as a convicted felon. Cape Coral is part of the Fort Myers metropolitan area.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Woman arrested after pepper spraying dogs at Florida dog park, police say
CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WFLA)— A woman was arrested after pepper-spraying multiple dogs at a dog park, the Cape Coral Police Department said. On April 12, around 8:41 a.m., officers responded to a call in regards to a woman in her 60s walking outside of a Rotary Park Dog Park and spraying something at multiple dogs. The caller told officers one of the dogs had to have its eyes flushed due to what was sprayed on its face, police said. When officers arrived at the dog park, they spoke with a witness who pointed out Charlene Tedesco, 67, who had sprayed multiple dogs within the park. The witness told officers Tedesco would walk around the outside of the fence, and when a dog within the five-foot fence at the park approached her and her dog, she would spray something at the dog. Florida Attorney General's team investigates price gouging amid hurricane season Trump safe after what FBI describes as apparent assassination attempt Mega Millions $800 million jackpot won; $1 million winner in Florida Another witness said a dog was sprayed in the eyes and was yelping, crying, and trying to rub its eyes in the dirt, police said. The owner of the dog and the witness washed the dog's eyes out with a hose. CCPD said another witness stated Tedesco admitted to spraying dogs if they get too close to the fence. The dog that got sprayed in the eyes had to be dragged to the hose to spray its eyes, and Tedesco was the only one in the vicinity, the dog's owner told officers. Officers spoke with Tedesco and said multiple people stated she was pepper-spraying their dogs through the fence. Tedesco told officers she sprays dogs' feet with pepper spray because she's worried they'll attack her, CCPD said. Tedesco and her dog do not go into the dog park, but walk the outside perimeter. According to CCPD, officers determined Tedesco was never in danger due to the fence being between her and the dogs playing inside the park, and Tedesco utilized pepper spray on the dogs, causing them torment. Tedesco was transported to the Lee County Jail and charged with animal cruelty. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Texas man guilty of trafficking 2,000 grams cocaine in Lee County
A Texas man has been found guilty of trafficking 2,000 grams of cocaine in Lee County. Baldomero Alanis Jr., 44, was arrested in 2023 for his involvement in a drug smuggling operation that was operating out of Texas and Mexico and being run by a large-scale drug trafficker named Juan Manuel Lopez, aka "Pac-Man," officials said. The Cape Coral Police Department, in conjunction with the Office of the State Attorney Twentieth Judicial Circuit's Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated Lopez for seven months with the cooperation of a confidential informant, according to an arrest report by the Cape Coral Police. More: Jury finds Lee County drug-trafficker guilty after 2022 sting The informant orchestrated a multi-kilogram cocaine transaction to obtain approximately 40 kilos of cocaine from Lopez. With information from the informant, police officers followed Lopez from the Miami International Airport to a truck stop in North Fort Myers. The informant told officers that someone would be meeting Lopez at the truck stop to obtain the cocaine that Lopez brought from Texas to Florida. Alanis was driving a white semi-truck and, when he failed to stop at a stop sign, Lee County Sheriff's Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Lopez also failed to stop at the same stop sign. Open-air sniff tests by K9s gave positive alerts to the presence of narcotics, leading to searches of both vehicles. There were no narcotics in the rental car Lopez was driving, according to the arrest report. However, a search warrant led to officers finding approximately 2,000 grams of cocaine in Alanis' truck. This gave officers probable cause to arrest Alanis and Lopez. At the time of his arrest, Alanis was using a supposed shipping company as a front for his involvement in the transport of cocaine, deputies said. He pretended he was delivering fruit and other commodities with the truck, according to the state attorney's office. Lopez was already tried, found guilty and sentenced in to 36 months in prison for trafficking cocaine. The NETFORCE operation that led to Alanis's arrest was formed by the state attorney's office to coordinate a circuit-wide approach to infiltrating and dismantling drug trafficking organizations, organized crime, racketeering and money-laundering enterprises in Southwest Florida. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cocaine trafficker found guilty for transporting drugs in Lee County
