Latest news with #FloridaTurnpike
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Florida Turnpike crash shuts down lanes near Clermont
The Brief A crash is causing traffic delays on the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 227 in Lake County. It is unclear if anyone was injured or when the lanes will reopen. CLERMONT, Fla. - The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that is causing traffic delays southbound on the Florida Turnpike in Lake County. What we know Troopers said the crash occurred shortly after 2:45 p.m. near mile marker 277 in Clermont. While all lanes were initially closed, officials have since reopened one lane to allow traffic to pass. What we don't know At this time, it is unclear how long the area will remain blocked or whether any injuries have been reported. The cause of the crash and the number of vehicles involved are also unknown. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 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
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Who are the Escobedo killers and what happened on Florida's Turnpike in St. Lucie in 2006?
ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Five months after former President Joe Biden commuted the federal death sentences of the men who brutally slaughtered a family on Florida's Turnpike, the pair could be returned to death row, but to a Florida prison. That's according to State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl, who is holding a press conference May 27 to discuss prosecuting Daniel "Homer" Troya, 42, and Ricardo 'Ricky' Sanchez, Jr., 41, whose federal death sentences were commuted for the 2006 murders of Jose Escobedo, his wife and two young sons on Oct. 13, 2006. On May 23, Bakkedahl and Sheriff Richard Del Toro announced they were reopening the 2006 Escobedo family murder case in 'direct response to the federal government's commutation of the death sentences.' The announcement stated Bakkedahl's office would seek the death penalty against Troya and Sanchez, both of Palm Beach County, if a jury seated in St. Lucie County convicts the two of capital murder charges. State Attorney: Prosecutors to pursue death penalty in turnpike killings after commutation Editorial: Trump, Biden undermine justice The men were sentenced to death in 2009 for their involvement in the drug-related slaughter of the Escobedo family in gangland-style executions tied to a drug peddling operation in West Palm Beach. Prosecutors said the men carried out the killings on the orders of their co-defendant and convicted drug trafficker Danny Varela, 44, for whom the two worked as drug couriers. The hits were ordered, according to federal investigators, to settle a drug debt and to steal drugs from Escobedo, who had been the group's cocaine supplier, smuggling in kilos from Texas. Here's a closer look at the extraordinary killings and the people involved. Jose, 28, and Yessica Escobedo, 25, grew up in Brownsville, Texas, but were living in Greenacres in Palm Beach County with their two sons, Luis Damien, 3, and Luis Julian, 4. Federal agents believed Jose Escobedo was the leader of a drug ring and ran drugs between Texas and Florida. Jose Escobedo was shot once above the left eye, three times in the lower torso and genitals, and once in the left leg. His wife was shot 11 times, with four shots to the head and face and seven in her torso. Luis Julian was shot six times; he suffered a fatal wound to the top of his head. His brother Luis Damien sustained five bullet wounds. June 15, 2006: Jose "Lou" Escobedo, his wife Yessica and their sons, Luis Damian, 3, and Luis Julian, 4, moved from Brownsville, Texas, to a rental home in Greenacres in Palm Beach County. Investigators say a trail of evidence linked Jose Escobedo to Varela, Troya and Sanchez and the trafficking of drugs between Texas and Florida. Oct. 12, 2006: The night before the killing, the Escobedos left their home in Palm Beach County, possibly picking up or dropping off drugs, and Sanchez and Troya made several phone calls to Escobedo, following him in a van. Also on that night, Jose Escobedo talked to his brother and reported he had "picked up the package," which was drugs, and was being followed by the van with Troya and Sanchez. Oct. 13, 2006: In the predawn hours, Daniel Troya and Ricardo Sanchez gun down the Escobedo family along Florida's Turnpike at mile marker 149 in Port St. Lucie. Prosecutors said Sanchez drove Jose Escobedo's Jeep away from the crime scene on Florida's Turnpike. Oct. 16, 2006: Escobedo's black Cherokee Jeep is found abandoned in a West Palm Beach industrial area, with matches and a container of gasoline nearby. Oct. 25, 2006: Police raid "Thug Mansion," a rented home in a West Palm Beach gated community where Danny Varela, Liana Lee Lopez, Troya, Sanchez, Kevin Vetere and Juan C. Gutierrez, lived and were arrested for multiple gun and drug offenses. January 2008: Co-defendant Kevin Vetere, a key government trial witness who lived with the drug gang in West Palm Beach, was the first of its members to plead guilty. He's sentenced to a 12-year prison term for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Jan. 27, 2009: Federal trial begins against Varela, Lopez, Troya and Sanchez. Jurors saw video showing the Escobedo's Jeep and a van getting on and off the turnpike. Prosecutors also presented fingerprint evidence of Sanchez and Troya on toll tickets, and cell phone evidence that linked them to the crime. March 5, 2009: A jury returns guilty verdicts on all charges against all four defendants. Troya and Sanchez are convicted of 16 charges, including armed carjacking resulting in death, along with drug trafficking and weapons offenses. April 2, 2009: A jury votes to put to death Troya and Sanchez for the killings of Luis Damian and Luis Julian Escobedo. They receive two life prison terms for the murders of Jose and Yessica Escobedo. In sentencing the men to death, Senior U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley described the Escobedo murders as "shocking, appalling and outrageous.' Troya, he said, was "an enormously dangerous person who has no regard for the taking of human life." "He slaughtered the Escobedo family - the entire family - mother, father and two beautiful children.' May 2009: Danny Varela, 31, receives two life terms in prison, plus 60 years on gun, drug possession and drug trafficking convictions; Liana Lopez is sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release; co-defendant Juan C. Gutierrez, 25, a cousin to Ricardo Sanchez who also ran drugs for Varela, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. April 2013: In a ruling upholding Troya and Sanchez's convictions, a three-judge panel with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in Atlanta wrote the gangland-style murders 'took place to protect a large-scale drug trafficking ring involving drugs, guns and extensive violence.' The panel called the killings a 'gruesome quadruple homicide' and concluded Troya and Sanchez stalked the Escobedos for nearly nine hours, personally spoke to the family 'and then ruthlessly murdered them one-by-one, execution style.' Dec. 23, 2024: President Joe Biden commutes the death sentences of Troya and Sanchez; their sentences are reclassified from execution to life without the possibility of parole. Daniel Troya, 42, and Ricardo Sanchez, 41 are housed at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., a high-security facility housing male inmates and men sentenced to death. Co-defendant Danny Varela, 44, is serving two life sentences plus 60 years in prison at the medium-security U.S. Penitentiary Ray Brook, in Ray Brook, N.Y. He was convicted of nine conspiracy, weapons and drug possession offenses. His convictions and sentences were upheld on appeal, and in 2020 his legal bid to reduce his life term was denied. Co-defendant Liana Lee Lopez, 37, Varela's former girlfriend who was never directly implicated in the murders, was convicted of four conspiracy, drug and firearm charges. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison and was released in 2019, records show. Editorial: State law on condominium safety has done its job to protect Floridians Sultanate of Brunei: Why does a faraway monarchy own Piper Aircraft? Co-defendant Kevin Vetere, who lived with the drug gang and provided key government testimony at trial, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Federal Bureau of Prison's website however, does not list him as an inmate at any federal facility. Co-defendant Juan C. 'Flaco' Gutierrez, 35, Ricardo Sanchez's cousin who lived with the gang, was released from federal custody on Jan. 14, 2022. Sources: U.S. Attorney's Office for the U.S. Southern District of Florida; Federal Bureau of Prisons; St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office records Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Why was the Escobedo family slaughtered in 2006 on Florida's Turnpike?
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Fatal crash shuts down southbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike in Davie, officials say
A deadly crash brought traffic to a standstill along Florida's Turnpike in Davie on Saturday afternoon, prompting the closure of all southbound lanes, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The incident happened just before 3 p.m. near mile marker 53, located north of Exit 54 for I-595, State Road 84, and U.S. 441. Authorities have not yet released the identity, age or gender of the person killed in the crash. All southbound lanes were closed as emergency crews responded, with traffic stretching back past mile marker 57. The entrance ramp to the Turnpike was also shut down. Officials urged drivers to steer clear of the area and use alternate routes while the scene was cleared. As of Saturday evening, no further details about the cause of the crash or any additional injuries had been made public.
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Why all the fuss about fluoride? Who was complaining about our water supply?
Why all the fuss about fluoride? Who was complaining about our water supply? | Our View Show Caption Hide Caption The truth about fluoride Fluoride is present in dental products like toothpaste, protecting teeth from cavities and preventing bacteria in the mouth. It is also added to public water supplies. unbranded - Lifestyle Like radon in our basements and alar in our apples from a few years back, Treasure Coast communities are confronting a "new" potential problem that's both invisible and poorly understood: Fluoride in our water supply. Some, but not all, utility companies in our region have been adding fluoride to water as a common practice. Fluoride is supposed to help prevent tooth decay. People who brush their teeth and regularly visit a dentist might not need it, but the thinking has been drinking water with small amounts of fluoride could help people who weren't taking proper care of their teeth. Until recently, when the thinking changed. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's office issued a warning last year about possible health risks associated with fluoridated drinking water. A U.S. District Court in California ruled even small amounts of fluoride — 0.7 milligrams per liter — could carry health risks. According to Ladapo, these include "children reducing IQ, cognitive impairment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." The Stuart City Commission voted swiftly to stop adding fluoride to its tap water, with other local governments following suit or considering similar actions. Other parts of Martin County are served by providers that weren't adding fluoride. Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie West also decided to stop adding fluoride, while Fort Pierce, which also provides water to unincorporated St. Lucie County, is studying the issue. Drill into the research a little bit More: Trump, Biden undermine justice with Florida Turnpike killers, Jan. 6 rioters | Editorial More: Stuart, Martin moms-to-be must travel to Port St. Lucie, Jupiter to deliver? | Our View Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, is against fluoridation, it's likely the discussions about fluoride bans are going to continue in local council and commission chambers for a while. There's a "monkey see, monkey do" aspect to what's happening now. Local governments are in a rush to become part of the anti-fluoridation trend, even though it's not clear how this issue bubbled to the surface of public consciousness. If fluoride has potentially harmful effects, it's certainly reasonable to find out more about what those effects are and if they outweigh the potential benefits. It's reminiscent of the vaccine debate from a few years ago, when some saw potentially harmful side effects as reason to avoid getting vaccinated against COVID. Even if catching a severe case of COVID was an even greater risk for certain people. Scientific discovery is often a balancing act. Scientists do research and find potential health benefits from drinking a couple of glasses of red wine a day. Then, they do some more research and find out there are health risks associated with that habit, too. Deal in facts, not political talking points The key is trying to find the right balance. Do the risks truly outweigh the rewards? Snap decisions shouldn't be based on a single study someone cherry-picked to match a particular set of beliefs. If scientific consensus shows fluoridation is more bad than good, then the chemical shouldn't be added to public water supplies. It doesn't feel like there's enough data out there to make such a determination yet. Much more needs to be shared with the public about the studies showing harmful effects — and how they square with earlier ones showing the benefits of fluoridation. This shouldn't be about politics. Banning fluoride shouldn't be done to curry favor with Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis or anyone else. This is a public safety matter and should be treated as such. If fluoride opponents have learned about dangers from the chemical that haven't been widely known, then they shouldn't mind sharing the information with others who aren't "in the know." Fluoride bans should be able to stand up to careful scrutiny if they're about protecting people's health. If the bans are being discussed for political reasons, then it's one of the more cynical endeavors in an age of cynical political endeavors. It's one thing to try to render political opponents toothless in a metaphorical sense, but not in a literal one. So there's new research available on fluoride? Let's discuss it in open community forums and decide if that research merits changes to longstanding practices. After those discussions are over, hopefully, we'll all still be able to smile and remain friends. Editorials published by TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers are decided collectively by its editorial board. To respond to this editorial with a letter to the editor, email up to 300 words to TCNLetters@
