Man Tried To Lure Juveniles Into Vehicle At An Escambia County Park
August 18, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said two juveniles reported that a man tried to lure them into a vehicle at a park.
An individual driving a newer model sports car approached the juveniles at a park on Quina Way in the Brentwood area. He told them if they got inside the vehicle, they would receive money, ECSO said. The juveniles declined the offer and ran away from the park.
The individual was described as a black male with a short haircut and no facial hair. He was wearing an orange shirt. Deputies searched the area, but were unable to locate the individual or his vehicle.
Anyone with information or that is approached by this vehicle is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or 911 for an emergency.
File photo.
Escambia, Alabama, Man Charged With Trying To Meet Child For Sex. Deputies Were Waiting Instead.
August 18, 2021
An Escambia County, Alabama, man thought he was going to meet a 16-year old for sex, but he was meet by law enforcement.
Blake Thomas Martin, 45, was charged with electronic solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana second degree and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Heath Jackson said investigators assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task force received text messages that were meant for an underage child, leading to the undercover operation.
Martin “sent messages asking for sex and even stated that he knew it was illegal to have sex with someone under 16 years old,” said Jackson. “Investigators, posing as the child, agreed to Martins’ request for sex. Martin came to the agreed location and was arrested by investigators immediately.”
A search of Martin’s pockets found three condoms, a breath mint, one Viagra, one oxycodone pill and marijuana, according to the sheriff’s office. A subsequent search warrant executed at Martin’s residence on Keego Road resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine and electronic devices.
Martin remained in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center with bond set at a half million dollars.
EREC Line Crews Help With Power Restoration After Tropical Storm Fred
August 18, 2021
Line crews from Escambia River Electric Cooperative departed before daybreak Tuesday to assist following Tropical Storm Fred.
They worked to help West Florida Electric Cooperative in Calhoun, Florida, restore power to thousands. West Florida Electric reported 10,000 customers without power Monday night. By 10 p.m. Tuesday, all but 814 had been restored.
EREC crew members are Tony Moody, Gary McCaskill, Jonathon Tutt, Tyler Prescott, Brandon Smith and Kyle Strickling.
West Florida Electric and EREC are both served by the same power supplier, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.
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Blue Wahoos Get Series Opening Win Over Shuckers
August 18, 2021
The Wahoos fended off a late comeback-bid from the Biloxi Shuckers to win Tuesday’s series opener 2-1 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Leading 2-0 in the top of the eighth, turned a two-out error into a potential game-tying rally. After Galli Cribbs mishandled Alexander Palma’s groundball, Andrew Nardi walked back-to-back batters, which loaded the bases for Biloxi. That forced the Wahoos to bring in their closer, Colton Hock (S, 14), for a four-out save. The Shuckers brought in Chad Spanberger to pinch-hit (creating a right-on-left matchup), and he was able to draw a walk, which brought home Hayden Cantrelle (pinch-ran for Palma).
Fortunately for the Wahoos, Hock induced an inning-ending groundout from Gabe Holt to end the threat for the Shuckers. In the top of the ninth, Hock worked around a two-out single from Mitch Longo to close out the game and his 14th save of the year.
Kyle Nicolas (W, 2-0) did much of the heavy lifting for Pensacola to begin the game. The right-hander pitched five shutout innings and allowed three hits and four walks while striking out seven. In three starts at Blue Wahoos Stadium, Nicolas has pitched 15 shutout innings and has allowed a total of five hits, 11 walks, and has struck out 23.
Offensively, Pensacola took the lead in the third inning after Cribbs doubled and later scored on an RBI single from Peyton Burdick. The Wahoos doubled their edge in the fifth inning, when Burdick reached on an error and scored on JJ Bleday’s team-leading 17th double of the year. Chris Chinea also turned in a multi-hit performance with his 2-for-2 night that included a walk.
The home stand continues tomorrow night with RHP Max Meyer (6-1, 2.00) toeing the slab for Pensacola. Biloxi will send RHP Noah Zavolas (4-6, 5.01) to oppose him. Meyer in five previous starts against the Shuckers 3-0 with a 0.37 ERA (1 ER / 24.1 IP).
Flomaton’s Hurricane Lake Closed Due To Alligator
August 17, 2021
Hurricane Lake in Flomaton is closed due to an alligator in the lake.
Town officials said the gates to the lake and the walking trail around it are closed until further notice. The rest of the park remains open.
Hurricane Lake will remain closed until the alligator is removed in the next few days.
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Accidental Electrical Fire Guts Beulah Building
August 17, 2021
Fire gutted a metal outbuilding Monday in Beulah, and now Escambia Fire Rescue has determined it was an accidental electrical fire.
Firefighters arrived to find flames and smoke showing from the building in the 7600 block of Mobile Highway, near the Escambia County Equestrian Center.
Crews brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but the building and contents were a total loss.
There were no injuries reported.
The Beulah, Ensley, Bellview, Osceola, and Brent stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded, along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County EMS.
Editor’s note: The top reader submitted photo was apparently taken through a window and shows some reflections.
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Woman Killed Her Special Needs Daughter Inside Her Hospital Room, PPD Says
August 17, 2021
A woman has been charged with allegedly killing her 14-year old special needs daughter while she was in her bed at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Jessica Bortle, 34, of Bonifay, was charged with manslaughter for the death of 14-year old Jasmine Singletary.
Pensacola Police said Singletary — a special needs patients with a neuromuscular disorder — was in her room at Sacred Heart with her grandmother and Bortle.
Jasmine unexpectedly lost consciousness and stopped breathing, police said. Hospital staff began life saving procedures, but those efforts were unsuccessful and Jasmine died.
The autopsy showed that Jasmine had suffered massive injuries to her ribs and her liver. Those injuries were not present when she was admitted to the hospital.
Pensacola Police investigators said they determined that the injuries were caused by Bortle. An arrest report states told police that she “slammed the hospital table into Singletary’s abdomen and then leaned onto the table with her weight” after she became angry after Jasmine cussed at her over color crayons.
The report indicates the grandmother gave a similar account of Singletary’s actions.
The investigation is ongoing.
“The Pensacola Police Department extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Jasmine Singletary,” the department said in a release.
“The loss of Jasmine was an unimaginable tragedy for those who loved her and it was heart-breaking for the nurses and doctors in our Children’s Hospital who cared for her. We send our deepest sympathies and our prayers for her family and all who knew her,” Ascension Sacred Heart said in a statement Tuesday morning.
ECSO Report: Man ‘Beat’ Wife, Bit Her Ear, Shot At Her As She Ran For Help
August 17, 2021
A local man is charged with assaulting his wife, “beating” her, biting her ear and shooting at her as she ran away.
William Scott Taylor Janes, 49, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery and battery domestic violence.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Enon community southwest of Walnut Hill where the victim told deputies that her husband assaulted her, bit her ear and shot at her.
Janes was taken into custody, with deputies noting in their report that he appeared to be heavily intoxicated and had blood on his pants.
The victim told deputies that Janes had been drinking heavily for days and became angry because she wanted to go to church without him. He then “beat her” and bit her ear causing a permanent injury, according to an arrest report. She refused to elaborate further on the specifics of “beat her”.
She ran toward a neighbor’s house and heard at least two gunshots as he stated that he was going to kill her, the report continues.
According to the ECSO, Janes stated that he had been drinking, went to sleep, and did not remember anything else.
Janes remained in the Escambia County Jail Tuesday morning with bond set at $95,000.
Former Walnut Hill Firefighter Named Alabama Fire Chief Of The Year
August 17, 2021
A former volunteer firefighter from Walnut Hill has been named Alabama’s fire chief of the year.
Joey Darby began his firefighting career with the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department in 1992 while he was still a senior at Ernest Ward High School. He worked his way up through the ranks, becoming a battalion chief for the Auburn Fire Department before being named chief of the Foley Fire Department in 2009.
He was recognized recently as the Fire Chief of the Year for the State of Alabama by the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs.
“Being recognized by my peers as the 2020 Alabama Fire Chief of the Year is a great honor, and I am humbled to have been selected. I have been blessed to serve the City of Foley, and I look forward to continuing in that service,” Darby said after the ceremony.
Darby says that his initial plans were to become an electrical engineer, but those changed when he had the opportunity to work for the City of Auburn as a student firefighter while attending Auburn University.
He became active in the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs (AAFC) in 2006, and served on the executive board for many years, including president in 2013-2014. He also served as the AAFC appointment to the Alabama Fire College and Personnel Standards Commission for the past eight years.
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ECSO: Cantonment Man Assaulted Girlfriend Outside Chicken Restaurant, Fled From Deputies
August 17, 2021
A Cantonment man is facing charges after allegedly fighting with his girlfriend, driving toward her and another woman outside a local chicken restaurant and then fleeing from deputies when they caught up with him.
Bartow Kendrell Cobb, 21, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of battery domestic violence, aggravated assault domestic violence, aggravated assault, grand theft, fleeing and eluding from law enforcement, and possession of marijuana.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that she was in a verbal argument with Cobb in the parking lot of Zaxby’s just off Pine Forest Road when Cobb became violent toward her, hitting her with his fists, slapping her in the face with his open hand, and repeatedly pulling her by her hair.
Cobb then drove around the building, driving at his girlfriend and another female before tossing some of the girlfriend’s belongings out of the vehicle, according to an arrest report. She stated he kept $800 that was in the vehicle.
Deputies responded to Cobb’s address on Irene Lane in Cantonment. Bartow reportedly fled in a Ford Fusion. Deputies attempted a traffic stop with lights and sirens activated, but Cobb drove away at a high rate of speed, the report states. Deputies followed the vehicle as it turned onto Muscogee Road, south of Booker Street, to Highway 297A to Kingsfield Road. They lost sight of the vehicle in sharp curves on Kingfield Road at Westmoreland Road. They reported that vehicle reached speeds of 80 mph.
Another deputy spotted the vehicle on Nine Mile Road at Beulah Road. Deputies pursued the vehicle north on Beulah Road to Kingsfield Road. The pursuit was terminated a short time later due to high speeds.
Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies located Cobb a few days later at Country Inn and Suites on Wilde Lake Boulevard. When he was arrested on outstanding warrants, deputies reported finding almost 60 grams of marijuana in the room, a loaded handgun, ammunition, $539 in cash, two digital scales and two cell phones.
Cobb was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.