Latest news with #FlaglerCountySheriff'sOffice
Miami Herald
22-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Mom leaves baby in running, unlocked car as she meets husband at bar, FL cops say
A mom left her baby in an unlocked car with the keys in the ignition outside a bar while she sat with her husband inside, according to Florida authorities. The 28-year-old mom and 60-year-old dad are now charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a news release July 21. McClatchy News is not identifying the parents to protect the identity of their child. The evening of July 18, dispatch got a 911 text alerting law enforcement to a child left unattended in a car outside a bar in Palm Coast, deputies wrote in an arrest affidavit. When deputies arrived, a witness told them she got to the bar at around 10 p.m., or 20 minutes before deputies arrived, and saw a white Volkswagen Passat with its lights and engine on, according to investigators. Deputies said they opened the unlocked car, which was running with the air conditioning on, and found a sleeping baby boy 'improperly secured in a car seat.' About 10 minutes after law enforcement arrived, the mom came out of the bar, and deputies asked her if the Passat was hers, according to the affidavit. Once she confirmed it was, deputies placed her in handcuffs and brought her husband out from the bar as well, investigators said. The dad told investigators he initially went to the bar in Palm Coast to 'get away' from home for a bit, then his wife followed him there because she said she needed money to buy items for their child, deputies said. The mom said she headed inside, used the bathroom and returned to check on the child before going back in the bar to see if her husband was ready to leave so she could bring him home, according to deputies. A commander spoke to the bartender, who said the couple had been drinking at the bar, but the woman only had a little bit and wasn't there long, according to the affidavit. The bartender made her a drink, but she only took a few sips because she didn't like it, investigators said. The mom told investigators she was only at the bar for 10 minutes, but deputies said she came out of the bar roughly 16 minutes after the 911 report came in about the unattended child. The couple's timeline also contradicted the witness report about how long the child was in the car, deputies said. While her husband was settling up, she said she went outside to check on her baby again, and that's when she ran into law enforcement, according to the report. The dad said once he realized his baby was alone in the car, he started getting ready to pay and leave, then law enforcement came in and brought him out, deputies said. A friend of the husband came and picked up the child while the couple was taken to jail, according to the sheriff's office. 'It's never acceptable to leave an infant alone inside a running vehicle — especially while inside a bar drinking,' Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. 'This kind of recklessness could have ended in tragedy. I want to thank the concerned citizen who reported this incident and our deputies who acted quickly to protect this innocent child.' Palm Coast in on Florida's Atlantic Coast, about a 60-mile drive south from Jacksonville.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Deland man accused of strangling, holding ex-girlfriend captive in Palm Coast
The Brief A Deland man was arrested after allegedly strangling and holding his ex-girlfriend captive for two hours during a domestic dispute in Palm Coast. Edgar Lopez, 26, faces multiple charges including false imprisonment and battery by strangulation. ORLANDO, Fla. - A Deland man is facing multiple charges after allegedly strangling and falsely imprisoning his ex-girlfriend during a domestic disturbance in Palm Coast, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. What we know Deputies responded late Friday night to a residence on Reybury Lane after a concerned citizen reported a possible domestic disturbance. Investigators said Edgar Lopez, 26, arrived at his ex-girlfriend's home with flowers and asked to come inside. Once inside, he refused to leave and became violent when the victim tried to call 911. Lopez allegedly grabbed the phone, blocked the front door, and used a towel to muffle the victim's screams, authorities said. The victim told deputies she was held against her will and battered for about two hours before managing to escape and call for help. Lopez fled before deputies arrived. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was later taken into custody by the DeLand Police Department. Lopez was charged with false imprisonment, tampering with a witness, battery by strangulation, and domestic violence battery. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail and later released on a $10,000 bond. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source The information in this article comes from a report shared by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
New York Post
02-06-2025
- New York Post
Heartless Florida man accused of strangling puppy to death, burying corpse in backyard: cops
She wasn't this man's best friend. A 55-year-old Florida man allegedly strangled a 15-month-old pit bull/Labrador Retriever mix in a heartless fit of rage — then buried the pooch in his backyard. Howard Blair was busted on animal cruelty charges last week for the alleged heinous assault after his pup 'Nutmeg' bit one of his other dogs during a feeding in January, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a release Monday. Advertisement Blair then wrapped Nutmeg in a blanket, put her body in a plastic bin and buried it in his backyard, according to the sheriff's office. Howard Blair, 55, is charged with strangling his 15-month-old pit bull/Labrador puppy to death, police said. Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility Deputies were summoned to the Gulf Coast home on Jan. 25 on an animal complaint when they were told that one of Blair's five dogs — ill-fated Nutmeg — had died the night before. Advertisement The department launched an investigation and, on May 27, issued an arrest warrant for Blair. He was picked up on the warrant on Saturday. 'I commend our deputies for thoroughly investigating this case,' Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. 'If you hurt or kill an innocent animal, we will find you and put you in the Green Roof Inn where you belong.' Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said his department has no patience for animal abuse o his turf in Florida. First Coast News Advertisement The Green Roof Inn is the tongue-in-cheek nickname for the Flagler County Jail. Blair was transported to the facility but was later released on a $2,500 bond, the sheriff said.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man from Palm Coast arrested after burying dog in backyard, deputies say
Earlier this week, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office made an arrest on a warrant for aggravated animal cruelty, stemming from the death of a 15-month-old American Bulldog/Labrador Retriever mix named Nutmeg. Howard Blair was arrested on Thursday and transported to an inmate detention facility, where he was released on a $2,500 bond. Deputies responded to a Palm Coast residence for an animal complaint. They discovered that Nutmeg, one of five dogs in the home, had died the night before. While investigating the animal's death, deputies learned that Blair had strangled Nutmeg to death after she bit one of the other dogs during feeding. Blair then wrapped Nutmeg in a blanket, placed her in a plastic bin, and buried her in the backyard. The evidence obtained from the investigation of Nutmeg's death allowed deputies to obtain a warrant for Blair's arrest. 'I commend our deputies for thoroughly investigating this case,' said Sheriff Rick Staly. 'If you hurt or kill an innocent animal, we will find you and put you in the Green Roof Inn where you belong.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Palm Coast man hiding in attic crashes through ceiling in K-9 closes in
A wanted man literally dropped in on a group of Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies Monday, May 26: He crashed through the ceiling of a home. Deputies were searching a house when they discovered the man hiding in the attic. As a K-9 climbed into the attic, the man took a wrong step and crashed through the ceiling, leaving a ragged hole. "Hey, you should've just come out, man — that would have been easier," a deputy told the man as he was led away in handcuffs. And it would have saved the cost of repairing the ceiling. Tarod Lovell Weaver, 37, was charged with obstruction without violence and false name/ID given to a law enforcement officer, according to a charging affidavit. He was released on $2,000 bond. On Monday, deputies went to the duplex on Pine Haven Drive with an out-of-county warrant for Weaver. A woman at the door asked why they wanted to talk to her son, according to a charging affidavit. She closed the front door, saying she would get him. Shortly after, deputies found a man with the woman at the rear of the residence. The man gave them a name, but deputies later discovered it was a false identity. Deputies surrounded the house to prevent Weaver from fleeing. Subsequently, the woman and a couple of others walked out the front door. They all claimed not to know where Weaver was, the affidavit stated. The woman consented to deputies searching the house. During the search, deputies found Weaver hiding in the attic, the affidavit stated, and sent a K-9 up to into the attic. "Let me see your hands (and) you won't get bit," a deputy said. Another warns Weaver that the dog is about to drag him out of the attic. But before the dog reached Weaver, he stepped in the wrong spot, according to a body camera video. Weaver then crashed through the ceiling to the floor of the porch, the affidavit stated. A jagged hole was left in the ceiling. A woman, apparently a resident, asked "Who's going to fix that?" Said a deputy: "Not us." This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast man falls through ceiling as sheriff's K-9 nears
