Two McDavid Men Charged In Case Of Stolen, Returned, Stolen Again Side-By-Side
May 30, 2025
A recent theft investigation by the Atmore Police Department has unveiled a series of events more like a comedic caper than a typical crime, involving a stolen side-by-side vehicle that was snatched, returned, and then stolen again within the same night.
The curious case began on May 19, when an Atmore Police Department officer responded to Parker & Sons on Nichols Avenue at Highway 31 regarding a stolen side-by-side. Upon reviewing security footage, the business made a surprising discovery: their side-by-side had been stolen not once, but twice on the night of May 18.
Atmore Police Department investigators, working in conjunction with Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office investigators, soon pieced together the peculiar timeline and recovered the vehicle at a residence in McDavid.
Investigators identified the initial culprit as 27-year-old Cody McNeil from McDavid. According to investigators, McNeil stole the side-by-side just after midnight. In an unexpected twist, he apparently had a change of heart and returned the vehicle about an hour later, according to police.
However, the side-by-side’s brief return to its rightful place was short-lived. Soon after McNeil’s impromptu return, 50-year-old Dennis Comalander, also of McDavid, allegedly stole the very same side-by-side. The vehicle was ultimately recovered at Comalander’s residence, according to police.
The Atmore Police Department obtained warrants for both individuals for theft of property first degree. Cody McNeil was arrested by an Atmore Police officer on May 27 and transported to the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center.
Dennis Comalander was apprehended by an Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s deputy on May 28 and booked into the Escambia County (FL) Jail, where he is currently awaiting extradition back to Alabama.
Mostly Sunny, Scattered Afternoon Showers
May 30, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Mostly sunny. A 40 percent chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. North winds around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 60s. Northwest winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable.
Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 60s.
Monday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly clear. Lows in the upper 60s.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 70s.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny with a slight chance of thunderstorms. A slight chance of showers in the morning, then a 30 percent chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs around 90.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 70s.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s.
Ernest Ward Middle School Names Students, Employee Of The Month
May 30, 2025
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named their employee and student of the month for May. Pictured (L-R) with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger are students Kaylee Moore, eighth grade; Jocelyn Smith, seventh grade; Hadley Alan Ramos, sixth grade; and Selena Hester, teacher assistant. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Movie Club: Watch, Discuss The 1975 Thriller ‘Jaws’ Today At The Molino Library
May 30, 2025
It’s time for the Horror Movie Club today at the Molino Library.
The library will be making waves with the 1975 thriller “Jaws” at 3 p.m. A discussion will follow.
The movie is rated PG and may not be suitable for young viewers. Parental guidance is suggested.
The Molino Library is located at 6450-A Highway 95A in the Molino Community Center.
Final Vote To Set Special Election For Century Town Council Seat
May 30, 2025
The Town of Century has set a second and final reading of an ordinance setting a special election to fill a vacant seat on the town council.
The ordinance will be up for a final vote during the town council’s regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17 at town hall.
On May 6, Councilmember Sandra McMurray-Jackson resigned from Seat 5 for personal reasons. With more than six months remaining until the end of her term in January 2027, the town charter requires that the council set a special election and appoint a replacement to the five-member body.
The special election has been set for Tuesday, July 29. If no candidate for the non-partisan seat receives one vote more than 50%, a runoff will be held on September 29. The winner will take office 10 days after certification of the election.
The qualifying period for candidates is set for June 23-25.
The town recently held a special election for mayor and another council seat due to resignations, electing Ben Boutwell to the mayor’s seat at John Bass to the council.
Pictured: Century Mayor Ben Boutwell, attending his first council meeting after being reelected in a special election, takes notes during a town council meeting on May 20. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Fitterer Sharp, But Clutch Hitting Eludes Wahoos In 6-1 Loss To Biscuits
May 30, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos had ample opportunity to convert on offensive opportunities on Thursday night, but couldn’t make the most of their chances in a 6-1 loss to the Montgomery Biscuits.
A night after going 0-for-11 with men in scoring position in a 3-1 defeat, the Blue Wahoos left a runner in scoring position in seven of their nine innings and brought in their lone run on an RBI groundout.
Evan Fitterer (L, 2-4) pitched well, allowing only two runs in 5.1 solid innings, but solo home runs from Xavier Isaac in the first inning and Ricardo Genoves in the fifth inning provided the Biscuits with an early boost.
The Blue Wahoos evened the score 1-1 in the second inning, loading the bases with no outs against starter Ty Johnson (W, 4-0) thanks to a hit batsman and two walks. Johnny Olmstead tied the game with an RBI groundout, but Johnson coaxed a popout and strikeout to escape further trouble.
The Genoves homer in the fifth gave the Biscuits a 2-1 edge, and the Blue Wahoos failed to capitalize on their many late-game opportunities to tie the game or take the lead. Their only hit among 15 at-bats with a man in scoring position was a Dalvy Rosario single in the seventh that moved Spencer Bramwell from second base to third. Both runners would be stranded, among the 10 total men left on base throughout the night.
In a rare off night for Pensacola reliever Josh Ekness, the Biscuits added four insurance runs in the eighth on a Will Simpson sacrifice fly and two-out RBI singles from Ryan Spikes and Hunter Stovall. Dan Hammer closed out the ninth for the Biscuits to secure a 6-1 final.
With the defeat, the Blue Wahoos have lost nine games in a row to tie a team record.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Biscuits on Friday. First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Two Residents Displaced By Molino House Fire
May 29, 2025
Fire left two people without a home in Molino Thursday afternoon.
The fire was reported about 1:30 p.m. in the 550 block of Cedartown Road, just off Highway 95A. Arriving fire crews found heavy smoke coming from the eaves of the home from the attic fire.
The American Red Cross is assisting two adults who were displaced by the fire.
There were no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Responding units included the Molino, Cantonment, McDavid, and Century stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue, Pace Fire Department, and Escambia County EMS.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Judge Rejects Arrest Warrant For Employee In Case Of $11,000 Missing From Town Of Century
May 29, 2025
An Escambia County judge declined to issue an arrest warrant in connection with the alleged theft of over $10,000 from the Town of Century.
In March 2025, then-interim mayor Alecia Johnson reported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that there were six missing deposits totaling $11,000 from the Town of Century to their bank account at United Bank in Flomaton.
Johnson told deputies that one town employee was solely responsible for making the deposits, but the employee had denied taking anything. The individual is no longer employed by the town.
In late February 2025, the town received a letter from Whataburger stating that their utility payment from July 23, 2024, had not cleared their bank. Current Town Clerk Carrie Moore told an ECSO investigator that a review of the town’s records and bank transactions confirmed that on multiple dates, utility payments received from residents and businesses were not deposited into the Town of Century’s bank account. Moore said, however, that the residential and business accounts were credited, according to an ECSO report obtained by NorthEscambia.com.
The Town of Century’s internal investigation revealed that the now former employee, “who was solely responsible for making the town’s daily deposits into the Town of Century’s bank account, failed to do her duty in a timely and consistent manner resulting in the missing deposits exceeding $11,000.”
In a meeting with interim mayor, town clerk and town manager on March 3, the former employee “admitted that she did not make deposits daily and on multiple occasions she held the deposits for several days before taking them to the bank,” the ECSO report states. Whataburger and other utility customers were credited for payments.
The former employee stated she was either “sick or gone from work for some reason”, the ECSO report states, but the investigator found she was walking on the dates of the missing deposits. The Town of Century report shows that of the seven missing deposits there is a total of $2,627.90 in cash and $8,432.51 in checks for a total of $11,060.41 not deposited into their account.
On March 10, the former employee told the ECSO investigator that she was seeking legal counsel and would speak at that point. The ECSO report noted that she never made additional contact with investigators, and their attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.
The ECSO received subpoenaed documentation and surveillance video of the night deposits from United Bank.
The internal Town of Century report, records of daily deposits and corresponding transactions, the former employee’s time sheets, Town of Century monthly bank statements and thumb drive of surveillance video were placed into evidence as the ECSO submitted a warrant affidavit seeking an arrest warrant for the former employee.
Escambia County Judge Scott Ritchie rejected the warrant affidavit for the former employe, according to a supplemental ECSO report, closing the investigation. A reason was not specified.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Molino Woman, Pensacola Man Arrested By FDLE On Fentanyl Charges
May 29, 2025
A Molino woman and Pensacola man were arrested on drug charges on Wednesday after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement served multiple search warrants in Molino, Cantonment and Pensacola.
Darius Andreas Brooks, 37, and Jennifer Lynn Beck, 53, were arrested on fentanyl and related crimes., according to FDLE. The arrests were the result of a joint investigation led by FDLE with assistance from the Pensacola Police Department, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Brooks is charged with trafficking fentanyl, trafficking heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Beck is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of fentanyl and possession of controlled substances without a prescription.
“Today’s arrests highlight FDLE’s unwavering commitment to fighting fentanyl traffickers in Florida. I am proud of the dedicated FDLE agents and crime analysts who continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure drug traffickers are held accountable,” FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams said Wednesday.
The case began in July of 2024 when FDLE received a tip that fentanyl was being distributed in Pensacola. The tip also included the names of persons suspected of trafficking fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the West Florida region.
Agents said the investigation revealed that Brooks and Beck were trafficking drugs with another trafficker, David Ryan Thompson, who FDLE arrested in February of 2025.
Multiple search warrants were served Wednesday at locations in Molino, Cantonment, and Pensacola. Law enforcement seized approximately one kilogram (more than 2.2 pounds) of fentanyl, trafficking amounts of heroin, trafficking amounts of methamphetamine, trafficking amounts of MDMA, approximately one pound of cannabis, an AR-15 rifle, a stolen AK-47 rifle, U.S currency, several cell phones and a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro.
Brooks and Beck were booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Northview High Class Of 2025 Graduates (With Complete Graduate List, Gallery)
May 29, 2025
Over 100 members of the Northview High School Class of 2025 graduated Thursday afternoon at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Valedictorian of the Class of 2025 is Colton Ray Criswell, and salutatorian is Jamison Abigail Gilman.
Criswell thanked the family, friends, teachers and school stuff that supported him over the year. He offered a special thanks to his family, including his mother, Crystal Criswell, who passed away unexpectedly in 2017.
“She is the reason that I am here before you all because she wanted me to achieve this,” Criswell said of his late mother. “As she was my motivation, I encourage each of you to find your motivation and run with it.”
“Regardless of what the future holds, you must remember that God is the one that holds your future, and that will allow you to do great things in life,” Criswell told his classmates. “As we walk across this stage, take a moment to thank God for how far you have come…Find you motivation, find your passion, figure out what makes you happy and run with it. Time is limited in this world; enjoy the time you get. But most importantly, do something good with it.”
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Principal Mike Sherrill said 23 members of the class were at or above a 4.0 GPA, seven were at or above a 3.75 GPA, and 11 had earned at least a 3.5 GPA. Collectively, the class received over $1.23 million in scholarships.
Here is the complete graduate list for the Northview High School Class of 2025:
Summa Cum Laude GPA of 4.0 and above
- Colton Ray Criswell
- Jamison Abigail Gilman
- Jayden Kenneth White
- Madison Ann Levins
- Maddie Mae Elle Driskell
- Brianna Grace Reynolds
- Brian James Yoder
- Ally Bama Richardson
- Colby Alexander Pugh
- Maggie Elizabeth Scott
- Lauren Ashley Stinson
- Laura Hope Laborde
- Mary Catherine Hughes
- Kate Ashley Stinson
- Ashton Connor Covan
- Addisen Joy Miller
- Evin Alexander Matlock
- Desiray Makayla Bagwell
- Kelan Davis Jurey
- Ayden William Atallah
- Madeleine Reem Atallah
- Tyler Matthew Gilmore
- Bryce Rolhings Stabler
Magna Cum Laude GPA of 3.75 and above
- Payton Kathleen Daw
- Kamryn Elizabeth Langham
- Alysia Renee Enfinger
- Braden Robert Glick
- Cody Allen Geneux
- Lilly Grace Smallwood
- JaCee Leigh Dortch
Cum Laude GPA of 3.5 and above
- Delina Jolie Garcia
- Kathleen Olivia Jackson
- Matthew Daniel Hunter
- Kaitlin Rena Lloyd
- Kyrie Elizabeth King
- Xochitl Lluvia Medina Cortes
- Mallory Kaitlyn Smith
- Raegan Makenna Kimmons
- Jane’ Vermeulen
- Aliyah Zinniau Fountain
- Ryan James Phillips
Graduating in alphabetical order
- Troy Nicole Ard
- Abbie Lee Bertran
- Logan Alan Bevins
- Jayla Unique Brown
- Jaden Lamar Brown
- Gabriella Caroline Burklund
- Destiny Alexis Burt
- Jaquorious Dontaus Burt
- Aaron Alan Cuenca
- Michael Tripp Curtis
- Beau Gavan Daw
- Michael Moses Delarosa
- Benjamin Luke Diamond
- Irmani Lenia Dixon
- Kerissa Marie Dortch
- Demonte Izaiha Ewing
- Khaliah Ty’Keria Ewing
- Johnathan Byrd Garrett
- Noah Webster Goslee
- Abbie Shane Hardy
- Joshua Alexander Hetrick
- William Cole Hughes
- Damarius Tyree Jefferson
- Markavia Demetria Mae Johnson
- Taliyah Michole Johnson
- Nathan Dane Jones
- Sophia Ann Marie Jones
- Zykel Gavion Jones
- Crista Leigh Kinley
- Derek James Kinley
- Justin Dean Kinley
- Emma Marie Lamont
- Brent Mason Lee
- Ja’Mya Lilstar Lowery
- Darius Justin Martin
- Mattie Leann McLaney
- Robert Duane Mitchell, Jr.
- Sophia Lynn Morris
- Brandon Latrell Odom
- Kaylee Marie Oswald
- Logan Dylan Warrick Pollard
- Jessica Raniya Pullins
- Brayden Walker Reaves
- Naoki Cassandra Rogers
- Preston Lee Ross
- Lacey Marie Sapp
- Jaden Daniel Satterwhite
- Drayton Joseph Schroeder
- Genesis Diamond Scott-Johnson
- Makayla Sage Sells
- Alan Kent Shoemaker, III
- Jacory Deonta Shoemo
- Brady Remington Smith
- Hannah Brooke Smith
- Zi’don Isaiah Smith
- Sydney Faith Snow
- Marcus Aurellio Soto
- Russell Ayden Starr
- Dallas Terry Thomas
- Alana Patrice Toney
- Joshua David Walker
- Adam Lee Waller
- Christopher Michael Weber
- Ashlyn Taylor Welch
- Brayson Alec White
- Danny Ray Wilson
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
