Craigslist Deal Gone Bad: Two Charged In Shots Fired Near Walmart
February 4, 2014
Two people were arrested after shots were fired near the Ensley Walmart Tuesday afternoon following a Craiglist deal gone bad.
Darius Arlornio Beasley, 21, and Jamichael Tremaine Tucker, 19, were arrested after deputies responded to a report of an attempted robbery of an individual and shots fired incident about 1:20 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 29 and Hood Drive.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office he met Beasley in a parking lot to sell him a $4,500 gold ring that he had advertised on Craigslist. The victim and Beasley completed their transaction inside the victim’s vehicle. After the money was exchanged, Tucker allegedly pointed a gun at the victim and tried unsuccessfully to kidnap him before the victim ran away.
Beasley and Tucker began to flee the scene in their truck at which time the victim gave chase in his truck. Tucker allegedly fired from the window a moving vehicle at the victim.
Deputies observed the suspect’s and victim’s vehicles as they entered the WalMart parking lot from Palafox Street where a felony traffic stop was conducted without incident.
Tucker was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm, deadly missiles, kidnapping, discharging a firearm from a moving vehicle, discharging a firearm in public and tampering with evidence. Beasley was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, and possession of marijuana.
Tucker’s bond was set at $125,500, while Beasley remained jailed with bond set at $103,000.
Pictured: Crime scene technicians and Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies around a vehicle in the Ensley Walmart parking lot following a shots fired incident Tuesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Most Crimes, Except Murders, Down Last Year In Escambia County
February 4, 2014
Overall high profile crime dropped in the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction last year, according the 2013 crime report released Monday by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, with indexed crimes down 3.3 percent.
Most notably not following the downward trend was the murder rate, up 73.3 percent. There were 26 murders in ECSO territory in 2013, up from 15 in 2012. The number of motor vehicle thefts were also up, increasing by 18.9 percent.
Overall violent crimes were down 9.3 percent, crimes against persons down 8.7 percent, and overall property crimes down 2.9 percent. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office offense clearance rate (cases solved) was up 2.7 percent, while arrests were down 6.1 percent.
There was also reduction in domestic violence offenses in Escambia County. The total number of domestic violence offenses in 2013 were down 12.56 percent from 2012 to 2013.
The statistics released Monday include numbers only from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; other law enforcement agencies in the county such as the Pensacola Police Department were not included.
Deadline Approaching For Registering Barnyard Animals In Century
February 4, 2014
Two Century citizens have now inquired about registering their non-conforming barnyard animals, the Century Town Council was told Monday night, as a 60-day deadline looms on February 21.
As of December 23, it became illegal to keep a horse, mule, donkey, goat, sheep, or cow within the town limits except in areas that are zoned agricultural or rural residential. Hogs were already prohibited in all areas of the town.
One horse or cow is now allowed for every two acres, one donkey or mule per acre and one goat or sheep per one-half acre. The animals and their pens must be 200 feet or greater from a dwelling or property line.
Anyone with the regulated animals in an area not zoned agricultural or rural residential within the town limits, must register their animals at the Century Town Hall by Friday, February 21 (60 days from the passage of the ordinance). Anyone with nonconforming animals must apply for and be granted a variance from the town council within six months or get rid of their animals.
Pictured inset: Council member Jacke Johnston reads the new animal control ordinance during a December 23 meeting. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Local FDLE Crime Analyst In Drug Probe Resigns
February 4, 2014
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime-lab analyst in Pensacola resigned Monday, amid an investigation about whether he might have compromised hundreds of drug cases across the state.
A resignation letter released by FDLE identified the man as Joseph Graves, a crime-lab analyst supervisor.
FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey held a news conference Saturday to announce that the agency had started an investigation stemming from the discovery of missing prescription pain pills from the evidence room of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The missing drugs had been replaced with over-the-counter medications.
Bailey said that each case involving missing drugs had been analyzed by the same chemist, who overall had processed 2,600 cases for 80 law-enforcement agencies since 2006. At the time, Bailey did not name the man, who has not been charged. Graves did not give an explanation for his resignation in the brief letter.
Pictured: FDLE’s Pensacola Regional Operations Century on North Palafox Street. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Double Shooting Under Investigation
February 4, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a suspect or suspects in West Pensacola double shooting.
About 3 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to a shots fire disturbance in the 7600 block of West Highway 98. They found that two shooting victims had already been transported to hospitals by private vehicle. Their injuries were considered non-life threatening.
Deputies said the suspects were driving down Highway 98 when they opened fire from an unknown vehicle into a crowd that was gathered beside a business. Several shell casings were located along Highway 98.
There were no other injuries.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to all Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Tate’s Douglas Named All-Panhandle Coach of the Year; Local Players Make Team
February 4, 2014
A statewide high school football website has named Tate Coach Ronnie Douglas as the All-Panhandle Coach of the Year.
FloridaHighSchoolFootball.com also named numerous Tate, West Florida and Northview players to their All-Panhandle Elite Team:
All-Panhandle Elite Player of the Year: QB Joey Baker, Sr., West Florida
First Team Offense
- QB - Joey Baker, Sr., West Florida
- WR - Lawrence Lee, Sr., West Florida
First Team Defense
- DL – Rocell McWilliams, Sr., West Florida
- LB – Marquis Cass, Jr., Tate
- ATH – Neino Robinson, Sr., Northview
Second Team Defense
- P – Tristan Parsley, Sr., West Florida
Honorable Mention
- QB: Daulton Tullis, Sr., Northview
- RB: Tay Samuel, Sr., Tate
- WR: Daylan Abrams, Sr. West Florida; Chris Mitchell, Sr., West Florida
- OL: Devin Gibson, Jr., West Florida; La’Quan Thomas, Sr., Northview
- LB: Jeffery Taylor, Sr. Northview; Hunter Sherouse, Sr., Northview
- DB: Rashan Johnson, Sr., Tate
For the complete All-Panhandle team roster, click here.
Pictured top: Coach Ronnie Douglas leads his Tate Aggies. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies To Host Softball Camp
February 4, 2014
The Tate High School Aggies Softball team will host a February Camp on Saturday, February 15 at the school’s softball field.
There will be a skills and hitting clinic from 9 a.m. until noon, and a pitching/catching clinic from 1-2 p.m. The cost is $30 for one session, or $40 for both sessions and lunch.
The camp is for ages 7 through the eighth grade.
Register by mail (click for printable pdf registration form) or day of camp. For more information, call (850) 525-0751.
Ice Storm Won’t Cool Century Paychecks
February 4, 2014
Three days home due to an ice storm won’t hurt the paychecks of Town of Century employees.
The employees will be paid for the days missed, Century Mayor Freddie McCall reported Monday night. Those critical employees that were called out during the storm will receive their regular rate of of pay plus time and a half comp time for hours worked last Tuesday-Thursday.
Lopez-Cantera Sworn In As Florida’s Lt. Governor
February 4, 2014
Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera was officially sworn in Monday morning, becoming the 19th lieutenant governor in Florida’s history and the first Latino to hold that position.
Lopez-Cantera, 40, took the oath of office around 10:30 a.m. at a private event in Gov. Rick Scott’s office in the Capitol, according to a Scott spokeswoman. Scott and Lopez-Cantera’s family attended the official swearing in. A public, ceremonial event was held later Monday evening in the House chambers.
In addition to becoming the next in line should something happen to Scott, Lopez-Cantera will serve as the governor’s running mate in what looks to be a difficult battle for re-election.
Speaking to the press about an hour after taking the oath, Lopez-Cantera praised Scott for the economic progress Florida has made over the last three years and began rattling off the talking points that the message-conscious governor has been using.
“The governor’s been doing a great job,” he said at an event outside the Governor’s Mansion. “I just look forward to being a part of the team and helping in any way that I can.”
Alternating between Spanish and English at the public event, Lopez-Cantera sprinkled in some of Scott’s personal slogans, from “let’s get to work” to “it’s working” to talk of an “opportunity economy.”
And he exhibited some of the state pride that has become part of Scott’s mantra.
“Because, let’s face it, this is the very best place to work and to live — period,” he said.
For his part, Scott highlighted the benefits Lopez-Cantera would have as a four-term House member and, most recently, the property appraiser in vote-rich Miami-Dade County.
“He’s got the right background,” Scott said of his new No. 2. “He’s got a great legislative background — being majority leader, majority whip, building great relationships. He’s been in business. He’s got local government experience. He’s going to be a major part of making sure we get our $500 million tax break back to Florida families.”
Scott suggested that Lopez-Cantera would be the point person for a plan to roll back motor-vehicle registration fees and taxes on commercial leases and corporate income — the centerpiece of Scott’s election-year budget. At one point, the governor told reporters that Lopez-Cantera is “responsible to make sure we get the $500 million tax cut.”
That would be a change from Scott’s first lieutenant governor, Jennifer Carroll, who was rarely publicly involved in lobbying for Scott’s priorities, though she was reportedly involved in a last-minute push to overhaul the state’s personal injury protection insurance system in the 2012 session.
Carroll, who co-owned a company that previously provided consulting services for Allied Veterans of the World, resigned March 12 after that organization emerged as the central target of an illegal gambling investigation. Carroll, whose company did the work before she became lieutenant governor, was never charged with wrongdoing in the probe.
On the campaign trail, Lopez-Cantera will likely be called upon to be the attack dog against former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, running as a Democrat to reclaim his old job. But asked if he would be a “hatchet man” in the fall, Lopez-Cantera just laughed before Scott stepped in and started talking again about job growth.
“He’s going to be a great partner, we’re going to have a great year running together, and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Scott said.
story by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera is sworn in Monday morning during a private ceremony in Scott’s office. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Free Emergency Preparedness Training To Be Offered
February 3, 2014
The Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) and the Century Town Council will offer a free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course for North Escambia residents.
A CERT training open house will be held at 7 p.m. on February 10 at the Ag Building at the corner of Industrial Boulevard and West Highway 4 in Century. Trainees will attend six additional sessions to be held during February and March.
The free training will include information on disaster response skills,as emergency preparedness, fire safety and suppression, light search and rescue, terrorism, CERT organization, shelter operations and disaster medical operations.
Using the training learned in the classroom and during hands-on activities, CERT members can assist their neighbors, others in their community and workplace following a disaster event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members are also encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in the community.
Previously trained CERT members are encouraged to update their skills by participating in the training.