November 27, 2015 thru December 3, 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.
NORTHWEST REGION
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Lieutenant Lambert stopped a vehicle after observing the driver shining for deer. The driver of the vehicle was suspected of killing a 9‑point buck with a gun and light several days prior to the stop. After interviewing the suspect and his brother, a confession was obtained. The brother admitted to killing the 9‑point on October 15 using a gun and light. The velvet buck head and a rifle were seized and charges were filed on the suspect for taking a deer at night with a gun and light.
HOLMES COUNTY
Lieutenant Walsingham and Officer Yates responded to a call regarding an illegally taken deer. When the officers arrived at the residence, a freshly killed spike buck was observed hanging in the backyard and being cleaned by two subjects. One subject admitted to killing the deer with a rifle knowing that it was archery only season. He was issued a citation for taking deer by illegal method (rifle during archery only) and given a warning for the antler restriction violation.
LIBERTY COUNTY
Officer Henderson was working night hunting activity, when he observed a vehicle slowly driving south with a spotlight shining in a sweeping motion out of the driver’s window. The vehicle passed his location, then turned around, and continued to shine the light from the driver’s side window into the woods and pastures. Officer Henderson stopped the pickup truck. He retrieved a loaded 12‑gauge shotgun and a single shot 243 caliber rifle. The male subject stated he just got in trouble a few weeks ago for shining in the FloridaRiverIslands with a firearm and the officer told him he could go to jail if he got caught again. Officer Henderson issued the subject a citation for attempting to take deer with a gun and light at night. Photos were taken of the spotlight, shotgun, five shotgun shells, single shot 243 rifle, and one 243 cartridge for evidence. The firearms, spotlight and ammunition were returned to the subject and he was released.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Officer Molnar conducted a derelict vessel investigation on an aground vessel in the Intracoastal Waterway near Fort Walton Beach. The vessel was full of water. Officer Molnar was able to identify the owner and located him in Defuniak Springs. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the derelict vessel violation.
Officer Molnar was patrolling Eglin Reservation Wildlife Management Area (WMA) during the opening weekend of general gun season. He made contact with a dog hunter who stated his hunting party killed a 3‑point buck earlier in the morning. Moments later, a truck came over the hill and parked about 30 yards from the officer’s patrol truck. The driver exited quickly, displayed his hunting license, and attempted to leave to “go catch his hunting dogs.” When told not to leave until the inspection was complete, the subject admitted to having a buck deer in his truck. Upon further investigation, the buck was a spike which was undersized. The subject was issued a notice to appear citation for taking a buck with fewer than 2 points on one side. His hunting privileges were also suspended for one year by Eglin Security Forces.
Officer Pifer was on routine land patrol on the Eglin Reservation WMA, when he was notified that Eglin Range Patrol had a vehicle stopped for accessing the management area before legal hours. Access to Eglin WMA is prohibited from two hours after sunset to two hours before sunrise. Two individuals were issued notice to appear citations.
Officer Pifer was on land patrol conducting state fisheries inspection at the Valparaiso Fishing Pier. He observed an individual actively fishing. He made contact with the individual and inspected his catch. The inspection revealed that the individual had harvested over the bag limit of mullet. The individual cast netted a total of 116 mullet and the state land bag limit is 50. The individual was issued a citation.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson was on foot patrol in the Blackwater State Forest. He located an area that had been baited with corn to attract deer. While scouting the baited area, he observed a hunter sitting in a tree stand approximately ten yards away from the corn and a feeder filled with corn. Officer Hutchinson made contact with the hunter and asked him about the bait. The hunter admitted to placing the bait on the ground and as well as the feeder. He was charged with hunting over bait in a management area.
Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr were patrolling in the Escambia River WMA and checked an area that had been baited earlier in the year. As they approached the area, they observed a man crouching on the ground wearing a ghillie suit near the baited area. The man admitted to placing soured corn out for hogs. He was charged with hunting over bait in a management area.
WALTON COUNTY
FWC officers responded by vessel to a boating accident that occurred at JuniperLake. The report was that the operator was ejected and impaled by a tree branch. Walton County Fire and Rescue personnel were first to arrive on scene. The operator was transported to a local hospital in Fort Walton Beach. Officer Molnar and Investigator Schafer responded to the hospital, while Investigator Armstrong, Officers Bartlett, Tison, and White responded to the accident site. The officers secured the vessel and obtained witness statements. The preliminary investigation indicates the vessel struck a submerged object which caused the operator to fall overboard and onto another tree stump, which impaled the operator. The operator was admitted to the hospital, and it was later determined that the injuries were not life threatening.
WASHINTON COUNTY
Lieutenant Walsingham responded to a call from a landowner that someone had just shot on his property. The landowner saw a vehicle pull into his field and then leave. The landowner thought the individual had loaded a deer and followed the vehicle as it left. Lieutenant Walsingham kept the complainant on the phone and intercepted the suspect vehicle. After a short interview, it was determined that the individual shot at a doe deer with a rifle and entered the private property to locate the deer. Although the deer was not located, the subject admitted that he knew that rifle season was not in and wanted to get some meat. The landowner declined prosecution for trespass but the subject was issued citations for taking or attempting to take deer by illegal method (rifle during crossbow or archery only season) and shooting from the roadway.
NORTH CENTRAL
ALACHUA COUNTY
Officer Troiano received information of duck hunters shooting after hours in Grove Park WMA. Officers Troiano and Lasher worked the area for several days attempting to catch the violators. One evening, Officer Lasher saw two subjects enter the management area from a neighboring property after legal sunset hours. The subjects began shooting at wood ducks flying to roost. Officer Lasher made contact with the hunters as they were attempting to leave the area. The hunters were in possession of harvested wood ducks. Further inspection revealed the subjects were hunting with unplugged shot guns and using lead shot. Moreover, the hunters did not have the required permits to be in the Grove Park WMA. Appropriate citations were issued.
BAKER COUNTY
Officer Burnsed was working the Osceola WMA when he saw a vehicle drive down a closed road. A vehicle stop was conducted and the driver was found to be in possession of deer dogs in the hunt area. The subject admitted to knowing about the prohibition of deer dogs in that area and was cited for both violations.
Officers Burnsed and Bailey were working the Osceola WMA when they checked a subject that had been deer dog hunting. The subject was found to have fresh deer meat inside his cooler and was unable to show the sex evidence of the deer. The subject had been previously warned for the same violation two weeks earlier. The subject was charged with possession of untagged deer meat and the meat is being tested for possible other charges.
Officers Burnsed, Gill, Bailey, Pettyjohn and Lieutenant Huff were working the John Bethea WMA targeting illegal deer dog hunting, when it was reported to the officers that a group of dog hunters were illegally killing doe deer. The officers set up surveillance on the group of hunters for several days. The group of hunters had shot several times at an illegal deer before killing the deer a short time after. One of the hunters immediately took the illegal deer out of the woods and hid it at a residence. Officers Burnsed and Pettyjohn gathered the group of hunters together and began conducting checks. At first the hunters denied shooting at any deer but then changed their story once when they found out that the officers had knowledge of the illegal deer. Two hunters admitted to shooting and killing the illegal deer. Officer Gill and Lieutenant Huff met the hunter who had taken the deer out of the woods at the residence where it was hidden. Two hunters were charged with unlawful taking of antlerless deer and attempting to take antlerless deer. One hunter was charged with unlawful possession of antlerless deer. The deer was seized as evidence.
UNION COUNTY
K-9 Officer Gill received information that a 10-point buck deer had been taken illegally with a crossbow after legal shooting hours. Officer Gill obtained the two subjects’ names and found a picture of the two subjects posing with the deer. Officer Gill and Lieutenant Huff interviewed both subjects. Both subjects admitted to shooting the deer with the crossbow after legal hours with the aid of the headlights of their vehicle. Both subjects were charged with taking wildlife after legal shooting hours without hunting licenses and deer stamps.
NORTHEAST REGION
VOLUSIA COUNTY
While on night shift, Officers Wingard and Malicoat stopped and checked four adult males fishing from the beach near the Ponce Inlet jetties. After claiming all they had caught were legal size blue fish that were in their bucket, the officers discovered a 41 inch red drum hidden behind the sand dunes. One fisherman was issued a criminal notice to appear for possession of over the slot size of red drum.
Officer Goodreau checked three adult males along the shoreline of a New Smyrna bridge and found that one of them had attempted to hide a 42 inch red drum in the bed of a pickup truck. One fisherman was issued a criminal notice to appear for possession of over the slot size of red drum.
Officer Meurlot responded to a residence in Ormond Beach to determine if an individual was legally selling saltwater products from his home. After arriving and checking for the appropriate licenses, the adult male was issued a criminal notice to appear for failing to have a saltwater product retail license.
Officer North received a call from the Sheriff’s Office requesting K9 assistance for an armed trespass. Two subjects had entered posted property with bows and arrows to hunt without permission. Officer North responded with K9 Max and they were able to track to the first subject where deputies apprehended him. The second subject heard the officers and jumped from his tree stand fleeing the area, but leaving his weapon behind. Lieutenant Eason and Officer Jones responded and assisted with securing a perimeter. The second subject made it out of the area, but was arrested by deputies a short time later. The two face charges of armed trespass, resisting without violence and possession of cannabis. Officer North also cited one subject for no hunting license and no deer permit.
Officer North received information regarding a subject illegally killing an alligator behind a local residence. Officer North began an investigation during which he located the suspect and was able to obtain a confession. The case was direct filed through the State Attorney’s Office and successfully prosecuted. The suspect was recently found guilty and required to pay a large fine.
OFFSHORE PATROL VESSEL – OSPREY
Officer McDonough and crew of Offshore Vessel Osprey were on patrol in federal waters approximately 18 miles northeast of Ponce Inlet when they intercepted a vessel returning from offshore fishing. The boarding team, comprised of Lieutenant Lee, Captain Franklin and Major Boyd, inspected the vessel and found them to be in possession of seven red snapper, which are prohibited to possess in federal waters. They were also in possession of 19 undersized gray triggerfish, two undersized black sea bass, and four undersized vermillion snapper. The captain was issued federal citations for all of the violations.
BREVARD COUNTY
While working at a BrevardCounty boat ramp, Officer Bohne observed a man catching mullet with a cast net. The man was keeping the mullet alive in five-gallon buckets. Officer Bohne followed the man when he left the ramp and watched as he entered a bait store and placed the mullet into the shops supply of bait for sale. Officer Bohne contacted an FWC plainclothes officer and directed him to enter the bait shop and purchase some of the mullet. When the officer entered the bait shop, the fisherman/employee not only told the plainclothes officer he would sell him some of the mullet, he also told him if he purchased the mullet directly from him, bypassing the bait shop where he worked, he would give the officer a better price. The fisherman was cited for commercial harvest of mullet without a commercial fishing license and restricted species endorsement. The bait shop was issued a warning for not having a wholesale dealer permit.
Lieutenant Bonds was on airboat water patrol during a night hunting detail for Brevard, Indian River and OsceolaCounties. During this detail, he observed an airboat operating on the Upper St. Johns WMA using a light in a manner capable of disclosing deer. The suspect airboat stopped and one of the occupants discharged a single rifle shot. The airboat then operated to the location where the light was fixed upon and retrieved something from the marsh. Lieutenant Bonds followed the suspect airboat back to their camp where he made contact with the occupants. Fresh blood was found in the vessel; however, Lieutenant Bonds was unable to locate a deer or the firearm used in the commission of the crime. Sensing deception from the suspects, Lieutenant Bonds called K9 Officer Miller and K9 Patton to the scene. Lieutenant Trusley, Officers Conlin and Platt arrived as backup a short time later. A detailed investigation revealed a hidden deer and rifle belonging to the suspects. As a result, full confessions were obtained from both suspects. Citations were issued for taking a deer out of season and the deer and rifle were taken as evidence.
Officer Hallsten responded to a call in Cape Canaveral of two individuals keeping undersized sheepshead. When Officer Hallsten arrived he found a vessel matching the description of the vessel in the call and conducted a fisheries inspection. The operator of the boat was found to be in possession of a tarpon without a tarpon tag. No other violations were discovered. A citation was written for possession of a tarpon without a tarpon tag.
While on foot patrol of a local fishing pier in Titusville, Officer Rasey encountered a subject who gave him information about multiple fishing violations on an adjacent pier. Officer Rasey investigated which led him to a husband and wife who were fishing nearby. While speaking to them, the two advised they had no fish. However, it was discovered the male did not have a fishing license and the female was fishing on a license that was over two years expired. While dealing with the couple, another person quietly relayed information to the officer that the couple had taken illegal fish to their vehicle with a description of their catch. Officer Rasey noticed two coolers in plain view through the glass window in a van they were traveling in. After the female advised there were no fish in her coolers, she gave Officer Rasey consent to inspect the coolers. One cooler was found to contain two gray snappers and a spotted seatrout all of which were 2-4 inches short of the legal size limit. Also found was a stone crab in whole condition with undersized claws. The male was warned for fishing without a license. The female was charged with resource related misdemeanors for the undersized fish and one infraction for fishing without a license. The reporting party who provided detailed information to the FWC was referred to the Wildlife Alert Program for a cash reward.
Officers Horst, Kearney, Hadwin, Rasey, LeJarzar and C. Rutherford, along with Lieutenants Lightsey and Bonds conducted a two day targeted enforcement plan focusing on vessel Marine Sanitation Devices (MSD) in BrevardCounty. Officers inspected a total of 27 vessels, identifying multiple violations. A total of six warnings and one citation were issued for MSD violations. Three citations were also issued for boating safety and fishing related violations.
While on patrol in BrevardCounty, Lieutenant Lightsey observed three men fishing from a local canal. During the inspection and license check it was discovered that one man did not possess a non-resident fishing license and that one of the other men was a fugitive from justice and wanted out of Illinois on felony charges. The fugitive was placed under arrest and delivered to the Brevard County Jail awaiting extradition to Illinois. A citation was issued to the other man for no fresh water fishing license by a non-resident.
FLAGLER COUNTY
While off duty at his residence, Officer Meade was contacted by a complainant via text message about shots being fired behind the complainant’s residence. Officer Meade responded to the address in PalmCoast and met a Flagler County Sheriff’s Deputy that also was sent a text message. Officer Meade made contact with a 19 year old male subject at the residence. After a short interview the subject confessed to shooting a doe deer in the head lights of his truck on the powerline behind his residence. Officer Meade was taken to the dead deer, which the subject had hidden in the bushes behind his residence. The subject stated he had shot the doe with an AR-15 while using a 30 round magazine loaded with full metal jacketed rounds. The subject shot the deer two times. Items were seized and photographed and charges were filed with the State Attorney’s Office for taking deer at night with gun and light, taking deer with full metal jacketed bullet, and taking deer with a magazine that holds more than five rounds.
SOUTHWEST REGION
HERNANDO COUNTY
While conducting marine resource inspections of commercial shrimp vessels, Lieutenant Grover located a vessel that had been harvesting shrimp without a valid Saltwater Products License. The captain was issued a notice to appear for the violation.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
While on patrol, Officer Dearborn responded to a disabled vessel in rough seas. Officer Dearborn arrived on scene to find the vessel taking on water and drifting westward. The operator of the vessel had lost contact while on the phone with USCG. The operator was having severe chest pains due to anxiety. Officer Dearborn was able to safely return the operator and the vessel to the boat ramp without incident.
Officer Phillippi was on land patrol in the area of the Courtney Campbell Causeway. While on patrol, he performed a fisheries inspection on an individual that had been fishing from the causeway. During the course of his inspection he found that the individual was in possession of one undersized snook. He cited the individual criminally for possession of undersized snook and gave the man a notice to appear in court.
LEE COUNTY
Officers Thompson, Furbay, McColgin and Lieutenant Barrett were working a late night operation targeting commercial net fishing in Pine Island Sound. For several hours, the officers slowly closed in on a group of commercial net boats that were targeting schooling Pompano. By the use of night vision and other optics, the officers were able to close on one of the fishing vessels just as the operator set his nets in the water. The officers immediately discovered that the fisherman had deployed four seine nets from his vessel. Legally a fisherman can only fish with two nets at a time from one vessel. Further inspection of the nets revealed that all four of them had been “clipped”, meaning that the meshes of the nets had been intentionally cut in a pattern, throughout the length of the net, to change the mesh size from two inch stretched mesh, to 6 inch stretched mesh. When fished, these nets “gill” or entangle the fish instead of enclosing them like a bag. In fact, the officers found around two dozen pompano gilled in the nets at the time of the stop. In addition to the major net fishing violations, the officers discovered 42 permit mixed in with the pompano on board the fisherman’s boat. It is unlawful to commercially harvest permit in State Waters of Florida. The fisherman is facing several charges as well as the forfeiture of his fishing gear and possible suspension of his Saltwater Products License.
PASCO COUNTY
Officer Pulaski was on land patrol at AncloteGulfPark conducting resource inspections on fishermen. During one inspection, Officer Pulaski located an individual in possession of one undersized red drum and two undersized mangrove snapper. The individual had just finished cleaning the fish while on the fishing pier. Officer Pulaski seized the fish as evidence and issued the angler a citation and several warnings for the violations.
PINELLAS COUNTY
While on patrol, Officer Enos received a complaint of a suspicious vessel moored in a creek near TampaBay. Officer Enos located the vessel and waited for the owner to show up. When the owner arrived, Officer Enos performed a saltwater fisheries inspection and found the subject in possession of undersized snook and mullet over the daily bag limit. The owner was charged for both violations.
POLK COUNTY
Officer Alvis received information through dispatch about an overdue boater on LakeMarion. The caller stated the subject was up LakeMarionCreek the last time he was seen. Officer Alvis had dispatch contact Polk County Sheriff’s Office and request air support. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office air unit quickly spotted the subject but, due to the low water level of the creek, it took Officer Alvis approximately an hour to reach the subject. The subject was cold and wet and Officer Alvis provided him with water and a jacket to warm him up. EMS was waiting at the boat ramp to check his vitals and shortly afterwards his family arrived to take him from the scene.
Officers Bontrager and Young received information in reference to two individuals fishing at Tenoroc Fish Management Area (FMA) and possibly keeping black bass. The officers arrived and determined the suspects were fishing on Lake #3, where bass are catch and release only. The officers made contact with the suspects and asked if they had caught any fish. One of the subjects stated that they had only caught specks and nothing else. The officers asked if they could conduct a resource inspection. During the resource inspection the officers discovered several bass along with speckled perch in the live well of their vessel. The subjects were issued a notice to appear for possession of bass in a closed area and the fish were released alive.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
Officers Wolff and Fagan participated in Great American Teach-In events this week. They conducted K9 demonstrations and brought in an alligator for discussion and education. They spoke to about 400 school children at their respective events.
Lieutenant Gerkin received the CCA (Coastal Conservation Association) Regional Officer of The Year Award. The CCA Sarasota Chapter nominated Lieutenant Gerkin based on his continuous commitment to conservation, to include, but not limited to; his work with the nesting shorebirds, his expert resource knowledge that he shares with other agencies, his communication skills in bringing government agencies and organizations together in resolving ongoing problems and his can-do attitude.
Lieutenant Gerkin’s family joined him at the annual award banquet.
SOUTH REGION A
BROWARD COUNTY
A request for assistance was received in the Lake Worth Communication Center at night from stranded air-boaters in the Everglades. They reported that they had broken down, had limited cell phone service and need help. Officer Brock responded to a ramp in the western part of the county off Alligator Alley. He operated a patrol airboat to the last known coordinates of the stranded air boaters. He was able to locate the six occupants of the boat, get them onto his airboat and transport them safely back to the boat ramp and their vehicle.
Officer Strader was on patrol in western BrowardCounty during the duck hunts in the storm treatment areas. He observed hunters pulling into a check station. After a hunting inspection, two individuals were found to be in possession of grebe, a non-duck and protected migratory bird. With information gathered, Officer Strader issued two individuals criminal notices to appear (citations) for possession of migratory birds. Two dead grebe were seized as evidence.
Investigator Warne and Officer Strader responded to a call in Port Everglades in reference to a call for assistance from US Customs and Border Patrol. Agents from US Customs and Border Patrol had detained an individual returning from outside the US. The subject was in possession of spiny lobster tails in violation of the Federal Lacey Act. Investigator Warne contacted special agents of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. With information gathered, Investigator Warne seized 233 spiny lobster tails and entered them into evidence. The US Fish & Wildlife Service is in charge of this case and will charge the individual for violation of the Federal Lacey Act.
Officers Vacin, Strader and Matthews conducted a fisheries inspection on a retail seafood store in central BrowardCounty. They seized 38 dead hogfish, black grouper and red grouper, all were undersized pursuant to importation rules.
Investigators Coffin and Warne were on patrol at a cruise ship terminal located at Port Everglades in Broward County Florida. Their patrol emphasis was the importation of highly regulated, protected, threatened, or endangered fish and wildlife. During this particular patrol, approximately 250 passengers arrived by vessel and cleared customs at the terminal. Customs agents alerted Investigators Coffin and Warne to three passengers that declared and were in possession of coolers containing a marine life species. Investigators Coffin and Warne made contact with the three subjects and obtained verbal consent from each of them to look inside the coolers. The three coolers contained a total of 233 individual pieces of queen conch. Queen conch is designated a protected species in the state of Florida. Each subject was issued a citation for violation of Florida Administrative Code 68B-16.004 (1) – A person may not harvest, kill, harm or mutilate a queen conch within or without Florida waters, or possess, transport or land a queen conch regardless of where harvested.
GLADES COUNTY
Officer Alford and Lieutenant Brown received a request for assistance. Two elderly subjects had become disoriented after midnight and ultimately became lost. The subjects did not have a GPS and had no idea where they were. They had also gotten stuck in vegetation and the motor on their vessel quit operating. The officers launched a vessel and after a few phone calls back and forth a possible location was determined. After a short search, the subjects were located. The subjects were transported safely back to their vehicle with only bug bites being of any concern.
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY
Lieutenant Strenth and Officer Davis responded to a call on the Kissimmee River of a 30 foot houseboat striking an object and taking on water, causing the boat to sink in a shallow area of the river. Upon arriving, Lieutenant Strenth and Officer Davis located four subjects that had been on the vessel and now were on the river bank. No one required medical treatment and a recovery service was on the way to pump out the vessel and give them a tow.
Officer Davis responded to a call of a sunken vessel on Lake Okeechobee East of Lock Seven, causing the occupants to be in the water. Officer Davis was forty five minutes away and the subjects were recovered by the Okeechobee Sheriff’s Department. No one needed medical treatment and Officer Davis conducted the boating accident report.
MARTIN COUNTY
Officer Webb checked a hunter in Hungryland during small game. During the inspection he checked the serial number on the shotgun that the hunter was using and dispatch confirmed that it was stolen. The hunter was interviewed and the gun was turned over to Martin County Sheriff’s office to be returned to the owner. The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Captain Schaeffer, Lieutenant Hayes and Officer Haynes participated in a mock prisoner escape from the correctional institute. The training was organized by Martin County Sheriff’s Office to practice for an actual prisoner escape. Several agencies were involved and they each provided key assets to help find the escapees. The training proved to be beneficial and the logistics were fine-tuned during the training exercise.
FWC dispatch received a report of a missing jogger in JonathonDickinsonState Park. Lieutenant Morrison responded first, followed quickly by Investigator Fowler. When he met with the reporting person, Lieutenant Morrison learned both he and the reported missing jogger were German nationals who spoke very little English. Eventually Lieutenant Morrison learned the missing person was a 43 year old woman who had left for a run and not returned. Several of the park rangers were mobilized to search areas where she was likely to be and the missing jogger was quickly located in a nearby camping area.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Officers Norbrothen and Merizio responded to a report of stolen property in the Corbett WMA. Three individuals camping in separate sites had returned to their camp sites and noticed various small item missing. The items ranged from camp chairs, to an ax, pots & pans and cleaning supplies. The victims each identified items they believed to be theirs in a neighboring camp site. The identified camp site was occupied by a couple who have recently been involved in other reported incidents in the WMA. While taking the reports, Officers Norbrothen and Merizio observed the suspect’s vehicle enter the camping area, then turn around and begin departing. The officers conducted a vehicle stop and initiated contact with the couple. After investigating the incident and interviewing the suspected couple, the officers determined the husband had taken the various small items from his neighbor’s camp sites. He was cited for petit-theft and released and the items were returned to the owners. Additionally, the officers discovered the wife was the subject of a court order forbidding her from contact with the husband during a separate and un-related trial. She was arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail for violation of the no contact order.
Officer Merizio was called out to J.W. Corbett WMA for a single vehicle accident. Officer Merizio met with the driver of the vehicle who was traveling west between camps E and F on Corbett’s north grade. He went around a blind left curve and encountered a swamp buggy coming from the opposite direction. The road conditions in that area were wet, it is also an unlit narrow paved road. The driver then swerved to avoid a collision causing him to take the turn too wide and hit several pine trees along the north side of the grade. The collision caused the airbags to deploy and the vehicle to become disabled. The driver was wearing his seat beat with lap and shoulder restraint and was uninjured in the collision. The north grade was partially blocked by the accident and the vehicle had to be towed from the scene.
Officer Stone was dispatched to the Corbett WMA because a young man was experiencing symptoms similar to carbon monoxide poisoning. The information was vague as to the location, but Officer Stone knew the general area very well. He responded to the area on a buggy along with Officer Newman. EMS who were also on the way needed guidance into the vast WMA. Officer Haynes showed them to the area and used an UTV to transport EMS to the location of the sick man. During this time, Palm BeachCounty assisted with air support and was able to lead the officers right to the sick man. EMS tended to the man and Officer Haynes drove them back out to the main road. The man was transported to the hospital and is recovering.
Officers Guerin, Stone, Haynes and Webb worked duck hunters in STA 1. They checked more than 600 hunters during the weekend. There were several violations ranging from no license to no boating safety gear. The officers wrote more than 40 tickets and warnings for the violations and educated numerous hunters.
Officer Newman responded to a vehicle fire in WMA Corbett. She was met by Fire Investigator Mathews from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. She was able to locate the vehicle on the M-OCanal levy bank near CampN. A joint investigation was started in order to rule out auto theft and/or foul play. The vehicle has now been linked to a homicide investigation that the West Palm Beach Police Department is working.
Officers Haynes and Stone caught two groups of hunters illegally entering the Hungryland WMA. Both had illegally entered an area. One group was a father with his two sons ages 14 and 17 years old. The father was cited for illegal entry and warned for allowing his 14 year old son to hunt with a firearm not in his presence. The sons were warned for the illegal entry. The other group consisted of an 18 year old and two 15 year old hunters. The adult was cited for the illegal entry violation and the two 15 year olds were warned for illegal entry.
Officer Webb stopped a buggy off trail at night in Corbett WMA. There were four people onboard the buggy and they admitted to hunting hogs at night using dogs. They were issued a criminal citation for hunting after legal hunting hours.
Officer Kirkland was patrolling Corbett WMA at night and found a vehicle that was involved in an accident and had rolled over. She searched the surrounding area for any injured people, but was unable to locate anyone. Upon further inspection of the area, she found blood on the ground and knew there were injuries from the crash. Several papers were thrown from the vehicle during the roll over and Officer Kirkland found a phone number of the owner. She called the owner who claimed he didn’t know about his car being in an accident. During the investigation, she went to his residence and found him there with injuries consistent with the crash. During the interview he admitted to driving the car and crashing in Corbett WMA. The owner is facing criminal charges for failure to report an accident among other charges.
St. LUCIE COUNTY
Officer Payne was conducting resource inspections when he encountered two people fishing from shore. When asked if they had caught anything, the subjects stated pinfish and showed the officer the bucket which contained unregulated fish. Officer Payne then observed what appeared to be an undersized lane snapper on the ground by their fishing poles. When asked about the snapper, the subjects claimed they were using it for cut bait. As Officer Payne retrieved the snapper, he observed a plastic bag hidden in the rocks behind him, which appeared to contain some snapper. When Officer Payne asked about the fish, one of the subjects stated that someone had been fishing in that spot before him and must have left the fish behind. Officer Payne then pointed out that one of the fish was still alive and had just been caught. At this point the subject admitted that he had harvested the fish. The bag contained two undersized mutton snapper and another undersized lane snapper, as well as one legal mangrove snapper. The subject received a citation for the violations.
Officer Fretwell was on patrol when he observed a subject fishing. Upon further observation, Officer Fretwell recognized the subject from prior encounters. Choosing not to make contact immediately, Officer Fretwell observed the subject fishing for a while. He then observed the subject hook into a large fish and bring it to shore. Not retrieving the fish immediately, the subject brought the fish close to him at which point the subject began to visually scan the area around him. He was then observed quickly grabbing the fish by the gill plate, walking swiftly to his truck and placing it in a cooler. The subject then returned to his fishing spot and began to fish again. As Officer Fretwell conducted a resource inspection, it was discovered that the redfish in the cooler was oversized. The fish was released alive. The subject was cited for the violation.
Investigator Wiernicki was parked at a local boat ramp and observed a vessel with one person on board pull more than 5 crab traps, the recreational limit per harvester. Officer Payne responded to the area by vessel to conduct a stop and resource inspection. As Officer Payne arrived, the vessel was seen going into a residential canal. When Officer Payne entered the canal he observed the subject getting off his vessel by a truck. The officer pulled up to the dock and observed the subject walking away from the mangroves, on the far side of the parking area. The officer made contact with the person and walked over to the mangroves where the subject was last seen and found a bucket containing about 2 gallons of stone crab claws hidden in the mangroves; one gallon over the recreational bag limit. When asked about why he hid them, the subject stated that he knew he was over the bag limit. At this time Officer Payne started to ask him about how many crab traps he pulled and he claimed to have only pulled his five. When the officer told him that he had been observed pulling more than 5 traps, the subject stated that he had pulled his traps, his son’s traps, and two friend’s traps, for a total of 20 traps. The subject was issued a citation for the violation of possession over the bag limit of Stone Crab Claws and for harvesting Stone Crab Claws from more than 5 traps.
SOUTH REGION B
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
Officer Mert was parked in a discreet location watching the NewPort fishing pier, when he saw a man dragging a large shark by its tail fin. The shark appeared to be a hammer head shark. Due to experience and training Officer Mert has acquired through the years, the shark was correctly identified as a federally protected species of scalloped hammerhead shark. The subject was cited accordingly for the fisheries violations.
MONROE COUNTY
Officer Foell was patrolling the waters of the Lower Keys when he spotted a center console vessel pulling what appeared to be a stone crab trap. Officer Foell approached the vessel and conducted a boating safety and marine fisheries inspection. Further inspection revealed numerous safety gear violations. The operator stated he was pulling his recreational stone crab traps. Officer Foell observed a bucket onboard which contained stone crab claws. The bucket contained eleven stone crab claws, eight of which were well under the legal minimum size. The subject was cited accordingly for the safety gear and fisheries violations.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report