January 9th thru January 15th, 2015
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week;
however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.
Patrol, Protect, Preserve
NORTHWEST REGION
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Pettey received several complaints from landowners in McDavid that someone had been illegally running deer dogs on their property. The landowners gave a detailed description of the dog and observed it chasing a deer. Officer Pettey responded to the area and encountered a hunter attempting to catch the dog off of private property. When Officer Pettey interviewed the subject, he admitted turning the dog loose in an attempt to kill a deer. The subject turned the dog loose on property he had permission to hunt on but it ran through four other pieces of property chasing deer. Officer Pettey issued the subject notice to appear citations for allowing his dog to run deer on unregistered private property and for allowing it to pursue wildlife without landowner permission.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Jones was on patrol on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area near the community of Holley. He heard the sounds of a loud vehicle repeatedly being accelerated. He drove to the sounds and found an individual on a high performance ATV. The operator saw the officer approaching and fled. The officer followed through woodland trails with lights and siren activated. He found the ATV and its operator stopped near a neighborhood street. A barrier between him and the officer prevented the patrol vehicle from proceeding. The officer exited his vehicle and shouted for the operator to stop and the operator fled. The officer gave chase on foot. The fleeing operator attempted to make a turn onto another street and lost control of the ATV. The officer apprehended the suspect who then resisted arrest. The operator was charged with operating an ATV on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area, not having an Eglin Permit, fleeing from law enforcement on a motor vehicle, and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officer Corbin received a complaint of hunters rallying ducks in the Santa Rosa Sound. The complainant met Officer Corbin at his location and showed him a video of a hunter rallying ducks with a vessel. Officer Corbin observed the hunters and met them at the boat ramp when they returned. He questioned the hunters and one hunter admitted he jumped ducks and they flew toward the three people he was hunting with. The three other hunters admitted to shooting at the ducks and killed one redhead. Officer Corbin obtained a sworn written statement and issued a notice to appear.
Officer Molnar received information that a group of dog hunters were running dogs in a still hunt, vehicle restricted area on Eglin Wildlife Management Area. Upon arrival, an area was located with fresh tire sign where a vehicle drove around a posted locked gate. Moments later, a vehicle was observed operating in the restricted area with a single hunting dog inside. The subject was issued a criminal citation for violation of entering and/or exiting an area at times specified by the installation commander and an infraction citation for operating a motor vehicle off a name or numbered trail. The subject was also banned from the management by Security Forces for one year.
While on patrol, Officer Pifer observed a vehicle pulling a PWC trailer without a tag. The vehicle pulled into a local boat ramp where Officer Pifer made contact with the operator. When questioned about the tag, the operator stated his 13 year old son was driving his PWC around to the ramp. The subject admitted that he knew he was in trouble for allowing his son to operate the PWC by himself. Several minutes later, the son pulled into the ramp. The subject was issued a notice to appear for allowing a person less than 14 years of age to operate a PWC. Several other warnings were issued, including no vessel trailer tag.
WALTON COUNTY
Walton and Okaloosa officers worked a joint hunting detail with the Walton County Sheriff’s Department Pop (Problem Oriented Policing) Squad. The detail was organized to deter night hunting and enforce the new antler restrictions. In two separate incidents, four subjects who were hunting were found to be trespassing. Two were charged with trespassing on property other than structure or conveyance after it was determined they had entered posted private property. Two others were issued trespass warnings at the request of the landowner.
Lieutenant Hollinhead, along with Officers Arnette and White patrolled an area after hearing a single rifle shot. Officer Arnette observed a subject exiting a wooded area and found that he was in possession of an antlerless deer. The subject was charged with taking/possession of an antlerless deer. A records check revealed the subject had a felony conviction prohibiting him from possessing a firearm. A rifle in his possession that was used to take the deer was seized.
NORTH CENTRAL REGION
BAKER COUNTY
Resource Protection Unit (RPU) Officer Randy McDonald was working Palestine Hunt Club and came upon a man actively hunting with dogs. Upon a license check, the suspect had a revoked hunting license, suspended driver’s license, an expired tag, possession of suspected methadone pills and a white powdery substance (to be tested at FDLE) and numerous other violations. In addition, the suspect had an outstanding warrant out of Baker County. Officer Johnston arrived and transported the suspect to the Baker County Jail. A total of four long guns were seized at the conclusion of the investigation.
BRADFORD COUNTY
K-9 Officer Gill responded to a call for assistance from the Union County Sheriff’s Office when a Union County deputy had stopped a vehicle as it was being pursued by an irate Bradford County landowner. The landowner was awakened by shots on his street in Bradford County. The incident took place approximately 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. When the suspects returned a short time later, the landowner followed them into Union County where they were stopped. Officer Gill and the Deputy followed them back to the scene where three other suspects came out of the woods. One adult and one juvenile were cited for taking deer with gun and light but the three juveniles in the back seat of the sedan were not charged. One shotgun and two butchered doe deer were seized as evidence.
CLAY COUNTY
Investigator Terrones was contacted about two illegal dumping incidents in the Jennings State Forest in Clay County. One of the dump piles consisted of chunks of concrete, assorted plastic, silt fencing, PVC pipe, cardboard, chicken wire, hay, dirt, wood and a tire and the other dump pile located ½ mile away, consisted of sod and pallets. It was determined that the discarded items came from a nearby ditch paving project that had been contracted by the county to a Jacksonville construction company. One of the four construction company employees working on the project confessed to both dumping incidents and was fired by his employer. The dump sites were cleaned and properly disposed of by the construction company; both dump piles weighed in excess of 7,000 lbs. Criminal charges were filed via the state attorney’s office.
COLUMBIA COUNTY
Resource Protection Unit (RPU) Officer McDonald was working the northern portion of Sandlin Bay, Osceola Wildlife Management Area (WMA) when he observed a truck passing him at a high rate of speed with a dog box in it. Since hunting season was closed in the Osceola WMA, Officer McDonald went to investigate. He observed three trucks with three hunters actively hunting with dogs and center fire rifles. Officer McDonald cited all three hunters for hunting in a WMA during a closed season, operating a vehicle on an unnumbered road and hunting with an illegal method.
MADISON COUNTY
Officers Huff, Dale Wilcox, and Pekerol responded to a complaint in Madison reference to an illegal deer killed at night. The Officers met up with the complainant who had supplied a tag number and a description of the suspect. The apparent suspect had shot a doe deer on his property just after midnight. The Officers found a freshly killed doe in the complainant’s field. After running information, they located the suspect and conducted an interview. They were able to obtain a confession to killing the deer while shining. They were able to seize the rifle after it had been hidden in the woods adjacent to the suspect’s residence. Charges were filed for taking deer at night, taking antlerless deer during closed season, taking wildlife from roadway, and trespass.
TAYLOR COUNTY
Officers Korade and Yates were targeting illegal night hunting in an area where numerous complaints have been filed over the last few weeks. The officers observed a vehicle approach at a slow rate of speed and pass their location. After the vehicle passed their location it stopped where some deer were feeding earlier in the evening. A single gunshot came from the vehicle immediately after stopping; the officers stopped the vehicle occupied by two individuals. The officers charged both subjects with taking deer at night with gun and light and discharging firearm from right of way. Officers Korade and Yates also targeted local fishing locations over the weekend concentrating on undersized and over the bag limit violations. On Saturday they conducted a fisheries inspection and located 10 undersized redfish and the individuals were also 7 over the daily bag limit. On Sunday they conducted a fisheries inspection and located 9 undersized spotted sea trout. All subjects were issued notice to appear for the violations.
NORTHEAST REGION
BREVARD COUNTY
Officer Lejarzar received information that a shrimping vessel was trawling in State waters at night. Officers Mynard, Rasey, and Lejarzar departed Port Canaveral and patrolled south along the three mile delineation line in an attempt to locate the vessel. The Officers found the vessel 1.6 miles east of Cocoa Beach and approximately 12 miles south of Port Canaveral. The 83 foot vessel had nets in the water with a small amount of Shrimp in the nets on the deck. Officers Rasey and Mynard boarded the vessel and conducted a resource and safety inspection. The Captain was found to have a warrant for the same offense in St. John’s County. Upon confirmation of the warrant the Captain was read Miranda and later admitted to trawling at night in state waters. The vessel was escorted back to Port Canaveral. The Coast Guard provided back up as the vessel entered the Port where the Captain was arrested and turned over to Brevard County Sheriff’s Deputies. A Resource Citation was filed with the State’s Attorney against the Captain for trawling at night in State waters.
Officer Lightsey observed two men trying to load a boat backward onto a trailer at a local Brevard County ramp. The officer approached the men and observed several undersized sheepshead lying on the deck of the vessel. After speaking to the men about the fish, FWC dispatch advised that one of the men was wanted on two writs of attachment for failure to pay child support. The man was placed under arrest for the two writs of attachment and possession of undersized sheepshead. The sheepsheads were donated to a local mission shelter.
OSCEOLA COUNTY
While on patrol Investigator Trusley observed a vehicle swerve multiple times, and then make a couple of wide sweeping turns and then ping pong back and forth from one side of the road to the other. Investigator Trusley conducted a traffic stop, and a subsequent investigation revealed the subject to be in possession of prescription pills without a prescription, as well as syringes and a spoon with burn marks on the bottom of it. Lieutenant Fugate, Officers Mendez and Scrambling responded to the call to assist. Investigator Trusley advised the responding officers of the situation. Officer Scrambling conducted field sobriety tests on the subject and determined his normal faculties to be impaired. The subject was arrested and booked into the Osceola County Jail for possession of controlled substance without a prescription, possession of paraphernalia, and DUI.
VOLUSIA COUNTY
Officer Malicoat and Creese concentrated their patrol efforts checking shoreline fisherman from their patrol vehicle and vessel during the week. Of several shoreline inspections, they found individuals possessing over 70 mangrove snapper measuring under the minimum allowed size limit. Six adult males were issued the criminal citation for the possession of the undersized fish, and additionally, five of them were also issued the criminal citation for possessing over the daily bag limit of mangrove snapper. Civil infractions and warnings were issued concerning licensing violations.
FWC officers made several red drum cases. Two adult males were stopped on two separate days at the same ramp on the north end of the county. Both were issued the criminal citations for possessing more than their daily bag limit. In the Ponce Inlet area, two adult males were found to be in possession of over the slot size limit of red drum. Both were issued the criminal citations for possessing red drum greater than 27 inches. Both fish exceeded 40 inches.
LAKE COUNTY
Officers Weis, Shaw and Douglas were conducting boating safety inspections on the Dead River Canal. During a boating safety inspection, a subject was slow in speech, his hands were jittery, shaking and he acted nervous. The subject continued to pick up a bag on the deck of the boat moving it closer to him and trying to push it under the center seat where he was sitting. The Officers gained consent to search the vessel and the bag on board. After searching the bag it revealed a black glasses case containing three syringes, spoon with blue residue, blue tablet partially crushed, two razor blades and a string. The subject admitted to possessing and using roxycodone, a schedule II Opium. Officer Douglas arrested the subject and he was charged with Felony possession of a schedule II substance, drug paraphernalia and issued a non-criminal citation for expired registration.
A court disposition was recently received from a boating accident case; Investigator McKinney conducted an investigation into a single vessel accident which occurred at an area known as "the rope swing" on the Saint Johns River in Volusia County Florida. A personal watercraft occupied only by the operator, was traveling upstream at approximately 40 miles per hour when he attempted to "spray" his friends near the shore. The operator approached the people near the shore and turned hard to starboard, at the same time, a swimmer that had been swimming under water surfaced. The personal water craft hull struck the swimmer on the head, causing injuries. The personal water crafts operator was cited on one criminal charge of reckless operation. The Defendant was found guilty of the lesser charge of careless operation and ordered to pay fines and restitution totaling $4199.57.
SOUTHWEST REGION
LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES
The officers from Lee and Charlotte counties came together for an organized two-county area-wide detail focused on wholesale/ retail licensing and quality control inspections. The detail was put together in order to protect the public from possible unsafe seafood consumption as well as to ensure that businesses had the required licensing, to ensure that seafood is being legally bought and sold. During the one day detail, officers inspected over 65 facilities. Many of the locations inspected were in compliance with the law. However, there was a wide range of violations observed to include possession of undersized fish, not possessing proper licensing, failure to possess proper documentation of sales and a variety of quality control issues. Officers found rotten fish for sale, businesses that had flies and dogs inside the facility with the fish. One facility had an ash tray with cigarette ashes and bleach being used right next to fish that was being prepared for sale. There was also one facility that did not have proper refrigeration to keep the seafood wholesome and another where the refrigeration line was cut and was dripping A.C. water down where seafood was stored. All together, 30 warnings and 6 misdemeanors were issued for the violations. Follow-up inspections will be done to ensure the violations have been corrected.
SOUTH REGION A
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY
On the late evening of 1/7/15, Officer Harris responded to assist two fishermen on a pontoon boat on Lake Okeechobee. The men had finished fishing and were about to return to the ramp, but their battery was dead and the engine wouldn’t start. Officer Harris quickly reached the disabled vessel, helped the men get their engine started, and followed them back to the ramp. The men were very grateful as conditions were very frigid and windy.
When the call came in of a boating accident involving three people two with injuries, Lieutenant Strenth, Investigator Douglas and Officers Davis, Brantley Barber, Brad Barber, Lafoy were quick to jump into action. They only had a vague description of the area of the crash, so with everyone having a good working knowledge of the area they split up by land and water. Once Lieutenant Strenth was able to locate the general area, everyone responded quickly and accessed the area. Officer Lafoy along with Officer Bradley Barber responded by water and located the boat which had entered a thick area of Brazilian peppers and became lodge against a cabbage palm tree completely out of sight. Officer Barber fought his way through by climbing over and under the heavy brush to make contact with the three individuals and quickly began to access their injuries passing this along to EMS so they could determine how they were going to handle the injured. Officer Lafoy along with Officers Davis and Barber used the vessel they were on to push into the heavy brush. With the help of the tools they had gotten from their vehicles, they were able to chop and clear a path to the vessel. This allowed EMS to be transported to the site by FWC vessel and start treating the injured. With the help of Officers Davis, Brad Barber and Brantley Barber, the victims had to be carried one at a time on back boards from the scene of the boating incident to the patrol vessel and across the river to a waiting ambulance.
ST. LUCIE COUNTY
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Officer Willems attended a Cub Scout fishery day at Bear Point Sanctuary in Ft. Pierce. The young scouts and their parents were educated on what the FWC does, why we have fishing and hunting regulations, boating safety, and questions were answered about the agency in general. Approximately 120 scouts were in attendance along with approximately 40 adults.
Officer Fretwell arrived at the Fort Pierce South Jetty, in response to a call of a man catching and keeping undersized snapper. Upon arrival, Officer Fretwell observed a man actively fishing, matching the description given. As Officer Fretwell approached the suspect, the man saw him. He then reached into his bucket and threw what appeared to be a mutton snapper back into the water. Through questioning the man admitted that he had thrown a mutton snapper. The suspect was issued a Notice to Appear for Failure to Allow an Inspection.
Investigator Turner was dispatched to Round Island Park, regarding a subject catching and keeping undersized fish. When Investigator Turner arrived at the scene he was advised that the subject was west of the parking area, over the foot bridge, and in a small clearing in the mangroves. Investigator Turner was able to locate the subject who was actively fishing. An inspection revealed several species of undersized fish. Among them were sheepshead, mangrove snapper and black drum. The subject was cited for the violations.
SOUTH REGION B
COLLIER COUNTY
Officer Reams coordinated FWC Officers and Officers from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for a special detail to focus on enforcement of Migratory Bird hunting regulations. The detail covered several locations throughout Collier County, simultaneously, in order to consistently conduct inspections countywide. Also, plain clothed Officers were utilized to monitor the waters in order to witness violations firsthand. The Officers were successful in their enforcement and were able to enforce multiple regulation violations that ranged from infractions to misdemeanors.
Officer Barringer responded to a call involving a whitetail deer that was stuck inside a swimming pool in the Golden Gate Estates area. Once at the scene, Officer Barringer found a mature whitetail doe swimming around in a pool trying to find an escape. Officer Barringer acted quickly and pulled the deer out of the water. The deer was exhausted, but returned to the nearby woods safely.
Investigator Van Trees observed a vehicle loaded with monofilament entangling net violate multiple traffic laws. After conducting a vehicle stop, the driver gave a false name to Investigator Van Trees. Lieutenant Walsh and Officer Lugg arrived to assist. The driver was personally known to the Investigator for prior resource arrests. After confirming the subject’s identity, it was confirmed that his driver’s license was suspended and he had previous convictions as a felony habitual offender. The driver was arrested for Driving While License Suspended and booked into the Naples Jail.
Investigator O’Horo observed large piles of ceramic tile dumped in a wooded area off of a main road in Naples. Shortly thereafter, a commercial vehicle passed Investigator O’Horo loaded with the same kind of tile. Investigator O’Horo followed the vehicle to the same location of the other piles. After making contact with the driver, an interview resulted in a confession that the driver was dumping the waste from a nearby jobsite in order to save money. Lieutenant Williams and Investigator Van Trees arrived to assist at the scene and the subject was arrested for Felony Dumping and booked into the Naples Jail.
Investigators O’Horo, Van Trees and Lieutenant Walsh responded to a burglary of a vessel at Collier-Seminole State Park. A park ranger observed suspicious activity and gave a description of the subject. Upon arriving on scene, the Officers identified the subject and took him into custody. The subject was in possession of several stolen items identified by the victims. A subsequent inspection of the individual’s campsite resulted in the Officers finding the remaining stolen items. The subject was arrested and booked into the Naples Jail.
MONROE COUNTY
The Officers aboard the Peter Gladin responded to the Marquesas Keys off of Key West to assist the Coast Guard with a large number of Cuban migrants that landed on the southwest corner of the Key. The officers were able to locate 33 Cubans and assisted them on to the Peter Gladin. All the Cubans were in good health and were ultimately brought to Key West for processing.
Lieutenant Riesz assisted the Monroe County Sheriffs office with a felony traffic stop in Islamorada after learning that a Monroe County Deputy was following a truck that was towing a vessel that closely matched a vessel that was stolen earlier in the day. The officers ultimately stopped the subject’s vehicle and took him into custody. A subsequent investigation revealed that the vessel in question was indeed stolen. The officers also learned that the truck driven by the offender was captured on surveillance video in another boat theft. The subject was arrested and booked into the Monroe County Jail.
Officer Richards was on water patrol in the Florida Keys when he approached the vessel "High Flight" as several crew members on the starboard quarter of the vessel were retrieving ballyhoo out of a seine net that was partially deployed in the water, the remainder of the net was piled on the stern with one orange buoy attached to the end. Officer Richards asked the captain of the vessel, who he recognized from previous boating safety and marine fisheries inspections, if he had his net marked, referring to the saltwater products number on each end. The Captain indicated he did not. Officer Richards initiated a vessel stop in order to conduct a thorough marine fisheries inspection. After the inspection the captain was issued a citation for improper markings on his nets.
Officer McKay received a call reporting that 3 persons were reported to have fallen into the water near the Card Sound Bridge after their kayak sunk in rough sea conditions. Once on scene Officer McKay located the 3 kayakers who had managed to climb on to a lower support column of the bridge. After a carefully executed rescue in over 25 knot winds, Officer McKay was able to return the 3 wet and shivering victims along with their kayak back to shore.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Captain Beaton and Officers Dube and Steinmetz participated in a multi agency bike ride to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. The officers, along with several school children on their bikes, helped welcome the wounded warriors to the Florida Keys by escorting the caravan to different schools in the upper Keys.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: FWC Law Enforcement weekly report