Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
Daily Crime and Information Report

Issued by the Media Relations Office, Public Information Officer Deputy Becky Herrin

May 29, 2003

Three arrested for Key Largo burglary

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Key Largo – An observant neighbor was instrumental in the arrest of three men who broke in to a Key Largo home Tuesday evening.

The neighbor called Sheriff’s dispatchers to report seeing three men enter a residence on Grassy Road at 7:20 p.m. The neighbor said the three men did not belong at the residence.

When deputies arrived, they checked the property, the gates were locked and there were no cars in the driveway. They found the back door unlocked and a window broken. They could hear noises coming from inside the house. Further investigation revealed three men inside. The men were putting liquor bottles into a black plastic garbage bag.

All three were arrested. 18 year old Asterio Montegudo, 20 year old George Silva and 18 year old Juan Leon, all Key Largo residents, were charged with burglary, grand theft and criminal mischief. They were all booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

May 28, 2003

Fireworks almost burn elderly woman’s home

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Key Largo – Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call about a fire at an elderly woman’s home in Key Largo Tuesday evening. The fire was on her roof, and was caused by children playing with fireworks outside, unsupervised.

A neighbor who lives on Janet Place in Key Largo called just after 7 p.m. to report seeing flames on a roof down the block. She told dispatchers an elderly woman in a wheel chair lived in the house. Deputies and firefighters were dispatched to the reported fire.

The elderly woman was safely removed from the house. Investigation revealed that fireworks had ignited pine needles on the woman’s roof. Fortunately, the flames did not spread to the structure. It was discovered that a group of kids were playing with fireworks nearby. Those fireworks were believed to be what started the fire.

This a reminder that children should never be allowed to play with fireworks of any type unsupervised. Fireworks are dangerous. They can cause fires, and physical injuries to those who are setting them off. The use of fireworks also requires matches, another dangerous item children should never be allowed to use unsupervised. The fire on this woman’s roof could easily have spread to her home. If it had happened when no neighbors were around to notice, she may not have been able to get out of her house safely.

Ramrod Key home burns, possibly due to fireworks

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Ramrod Key – A fire at a Ramrod Key home may have been caused by a teen playing with fireworks.

Sheriff’s Office dispatchers were called by the victim, who reported a fire at her home on Shannahan Road, Ramrod Key. When Deputy Kevin England arrived, he assisted neighbors with efforts to control the fire using garden hoses. A witness told the deputy he saw smoke coming from the home and began banging on windows and doors to make sure everyone got out.

The victim and owner of the house, Irene Kapiris, told Deputy England she thinks the fire started by accident when her 18 year old son was playing with fireworks.

This is a reminder that fireworks can be dangerous. They can cause fires, and physical injuries to those who are setting them off. The use of fireworks also requires matches, another potentially dangerous item when not used properly.

Stock Island woman charged with crack possession

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Stock Island – Special Investigations detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and Key West Police worked together Tuesday to arrest a Stock Island woman for possessing crack cocaine.

Detectives responded to the residence of 46 year old Deborah Turner to arrest her on an outstanding warrant for sale of cocaine. When they arrived and confronted her with the warrant, they asked for her permission to search the residence and she agreed to the search. In a bedroom of the home, detectives found 13.8 grams of crack cocaine.

Turner was arrested on the outstanding warrant and on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and she was taken to jail.

Detectives arrest a man delivering crack cocaine

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Stock Island - Special Investigations detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and Key West Police worked together Tuesday to arrest a Stock Island man as he was delivering crack cocaine to a customer.

Detectives received information that 31 year old Juan Soca would be delivering drugs to a home on Stock Island. When Soca approached the residence, they confronted him, identifying themselves as law enforcement officers. A search of Soca’s pockets turned up 28.5 grams of crack cocaine.

Soca was arrested, charged with trafficking in cocaine, and he was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

Kidnapper arrested; victim not harmed

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Stock Island – The man who is accused of kidnapping a Stock Island woman is in custody. The victim told detectives she was not harmed by him.

The victim, 38 year old Gisela Real, contacted Sheriff’s detectives Tuesday afternoon to tell them she was fine, unharmed and no longer being held against her will. Detectives then found 42 year old Alberto Morales at a relative’s home on Stock Island. He was arrested Tuesday and charged with an outstanding warrant for violating a court order, and for the kidnapping. He is currently being held in the Monroe County Detention Center.

May 27, 2003

Detectives search for kidnapping suspect, and victim

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Stock Island – Detectives are searching for a kidnapping suspect, along with the woman he took from her residence by force Monday.

The 10 and 14 year old children of 38 year old Gisela Real watched helplessly Monday while their mother was grabbed, her mouth was duct taped, and she was dragged from their home at Stock Island Apartments at 1:45 p.m. When Real’s 14 year old daughter tried to intervene, she was pushed into bushes outside the apartment building. She watched while her mother was dragged to the parking lot and into a white van. The children said the kidnappers were their mother’s boyfriend, 42 year old Alberto Morales and his brother, 48 year old Juan Morales.

A short time later, the van, owned by Juan Morales, was spotted by Detective Pat Scribner and was pulled over. Morales was arrested after being identified by the children as one of their mother’s kidnappers. Morales said he drove his brother and Real to a green Dodge Ram pickup truck and dropped them off. He said all his brother wanted to do is talk to her. Morales was charged with kidnapping and he was booked into jail.

Detectives and deputies are looking for Morales and Real. They are concerned for Real’s safety. The two may be traveling in Morales’ 1996 green Dodge Ram pickup truck with unknown tags. Anyone with information about where they are should call the Sheriff’s Office immediately. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of the Florida Keys. If a tip leads to an arrest, the caller would be eligible for a cash reward. The Crime Stoppers hot line number is 1-800-346-TIPS.

Tavernier man charged with false imprisonment

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Tavernier – A Tavernier man was arrested Saturday in the early morning hours, charged with holding his girlfriend against her will and hitting her.

Deputies were called to the Hammerpoint Subdivision in Tavernier just before 4 a.m. to reports of a reckless driver in the area. As Deputy Michael Christensen arrived, he saw a man later identified as 20 year old Martin Gonzalez, of Tavernier, run from the car. Also in the car was 20 year old Christina Caymares of Miami. She told Deputy Christensen Gonzalez hit her and held her in the car against her will.

Gonzales was found a short distance away and was placed under arrest. He was charged with false imprisonment and battery and he was booked into the Monroe County Sheriff’s jail.

May 21, 2003

Detectives make cocaine arrest on Summerland Key

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Summerland Key – Sheriff’s detectives from the Special Investigations division arrested a Key Largo man on Summerland Key Tuesday, charging him with trafficking in cocaine.

Detectives received information that 39 year old Augustin Lemus was transporting cocaine in his work truck. They followed the white truck with “Red Island Trucking” on the side to Summerland Key Tuesday afternoon. At 2:45 p.m., Lemus stopped the truck across from a convenience store, got out and went into the store. The detectives approached the truck and, using a Border Patrol K-9 team, they checked the perimeter of the truck. The dog alerted on a metal toolbox on the side of the vehicle, indicating there were drugs inside the toolbox.

When Lemus returned to the truck, the detectives searched the toolbox, based on the dog’s identification of a possible controlled substance inside. They found a paper bag marked “Cuban Bread”. Inside was a half a loaf of bread with 86.4 grams of cocaine hidden inside, in a plastic bag.

Lemus was arrested and charged with trafficking in cocaine. He was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

May 16, 2003

Search for possibly missing men unsuccessful

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Islamorada – The Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Coast Guard spent four hours this morning searching for two people who may have jumped from the Tea Table Bridge in Islamorada.

Deputy Joe Moran was driving across the bridge at 2:45 a.m. when he saw the two people, both believed to be men, standing with their arms around each other on a pipe which runs beside the bridge. He turned his patrol car around to tell them their actions were not safe, but they were gone. Left behind was a pair of flip-flop type shoes and a cellular phone. Because it would have been almost impossible to disappear that completely in such a short time, it is assumed they jumped in the water for some reason.

The Coast Guard responded to the scene with boats and a helicopter. The Sheriff’s Office called out boats and dive team members. The Islamorada fire department brought lights to the scene to help out. No one was found in the water.

The search was called off shortly after 7 a.m., after 45 minutes of daylight searching, and over three hours of searching in the dark. Investigations are continuing.

May 14, 2003

Eleven charged at Holiday Isle Tuesday

Islamorada – The last day of the “Hospitality Expo” at Holiday Isle resort saw eleven people charged with various offenses.

Ten of the eleven went to jail for their crimes, while one was issued notices to appear in court. The following people were charged Tuesday:

·        Joseph Louis Conte, 40, of Lighthouse Point, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for trespassing.

·        David Owen Fonda, 41, of Singer Isle, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

·        David Aaron Guzman, 28, of Pompano, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for Trespassing

·        Sevan Hashas, 23, of Fort Pierce, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

·        April Keller, 26, of Bushnell, Florida was arrested at the Sandbar offshore of Holiday Isle by the Sheriff’s Office for Indecent Exposure.

·        David John Marrero, 33, of Palm City, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for trespassing.

·        Gabriel Eugenio Mendoza, 25, of Miami, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

·        Magda Osorio, 23, of Miami, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle on an outstanding warrant.

·        Jeffrey Allen Rand, 31, of Melbourne, Florida was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

·        Camilo Viafara, 26, of Miami was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office at Holiday Isle for possession of marijuana.

·        Christian William Daniels, 20, was issued a notice to appear in court for possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Deputies working off-duty details as well as those on duty, working in the vicinity of Holiday Isle, were kept busy responding to frequent calls in the area. From Sunday night to Wednesday morning, deputies responded to approximately 44 calls for service during that time period just on the property of Holiday Isle. This number does not include calls for service in the area surrounding the resort. The week prior to the expo, on the same corresponding days, deputies responded to one call for service at Holiday Isle.

The calls included:

·        8 Medical Emergency calls

·        9 Narcotics calls

·        8 Trespassing calls

·        Other miscellaneous calls included disorderly conduct calls, battery reports, vehicle tows, domestic disputes, warrant arrests, vehicle burglaries, Marchman’s Act calls (Marchman’s Act is Florida’s protective custody statute), boat patrols and boat stops, Citizen Assists and many more.

May 13, 2003

Arrests take place at event held at Islamorada resort

Islamorada – Fifteen people have been arrested so far by various law enforcement agencies working in the area of the Holiday Isle Resort during this year’s “Hospitality Expo”.

The Holiday Isle Resort sponsors the event every spring, and hires a large number of off-duty officers to work extra security on and around the premises. In addition, in an effort to maintain the safety and security of both the event attendees and the residents of Islamorada, the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies try to station as many on-duty officers as possible in the area. This year, as in past years, the Sheriff’s Office has officers working undercover drug details, as well as uniformed traffic patrols.

All participants in the expo are issued wrist bands in an effort to make identification easier. When a person is arrested, he or she is automatically issued a trespass warning for the property and is not allowed to return.

Between Sunday night and Tuesday morning, fifteen people were taken in to custody in the vicinity of the resort. Most arrests were took place on resort property, and some were made outside the confines of the resort property. The following people were arrested:

·        Brad Camino, 23, Miami was arrested Monday by the Sheriff’s Office for Disorderly Conduct at Holiday Isle

·        Osvaldo Capdevila, 31, Hialeah Gardens and Arturo Marchena, 34 of Hollywood, Florida were arrested together Monday at Holiday Isle by the Sheriff’s Office when an undercover officer saw Marchena give Osvaldo a pill which turned out to be Ecstasy. A subsequent search of Marchena’s Ford F150 truck turned up 13 more ecstasy pills and a small amount of marijuana. Both were charged with possession of a controlled substance. Marchena was additionally charged with possession of marijuana. The truck was seized.

·        Carlos Castillo, 29, of Miami was arrested Monday at the 87.5 mile marker by the Fish and Wildlife Commission for Reckless Driving and Fleeing from a law enforcement officer. LEO (FWC).

·        Jason Hammock, 19, of Ft. Lauderdale was arrested Monday in the Whale Harbor Channel by the Fish and Wildlife Commission for Boating under the Influence.

·        Ryan Knueppel, 26, of Naples was arrested Monday by the Sheriff’s Office for Trespassing at Holiday Isle.

·        Ronald Richmond, 26, of Miami was arrested Monday at Holiday Isle by the Sheriff’s Office for Possession of cocaine and marijuana. He was found by undercover officers in one of the resort’s bathrooms with the drugs.

·        Wesley Thompson, 21, of Sunrise, Florida was arrested Monday at Holiday Isle by the Sheriff’s Office for Possession of marijuana and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was found with drugs in the parking lot of the resort.

·        Samuel Tomassi, 39, of Homestead was arrested Monday at Holiday Isle by the Sheriff’s Office for Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest without violence.

·        David Guzman, 28, of Pompano was arrested Tuesday morning at Holiday Isle by the Sheriff’s Office for Trespassing

The following five people were issued notices to appear in court by the Sheriff’s Office for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

·        James Schillenger, 36

·        Jacob Berkey, 22

·        Troy Gilchrist, 23

·        David Marrero, 33

·        Anthony Parrillo, 25

May 12, 2003

Big Pine man injured in unknown circumstances

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Big Pine Key – A Big Pine Key man suffered serious injuries early Saturday and was airlifted to Miami. He does not remember what happened to him, and detectives are investigating the circumstances.

The victim, Peter Branning, was transported to Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon, then airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center by the Sheriff’s Trauma Star helicopter. Deputies at the scene say he had what appeared to be severe head and facial injuries. He is now listed in stable condition.

Deputy Marlena Ramos and Sgt. Joe Passerelli were on Big Pine Key at 5:30 a.m. Saturday when they were flagged down by a man who reported seeing someone lying on the ground on Palomino Trail, bleeding. When they checked the area, they found Branning lying on the ground on the front passenger side of his truck. He was semi-conscious and could only tell them his name was “Pete”. He was unable to tell them what happened to him.

Detective Chris Scott was initially assigned to the case. She spoke with him several times over the weekend, and he said he was still unable to remember what happened.

Anyone with information about this case should contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of the Florida Keys. If the information leads to an arrest, the caller would be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. The Crime Stoppers hot line number is 1-800-346-TIPS.

Layton man charged with battering another man over his driving

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Layton – A Layton man is in jail, charged with beating another man in an incident which stemmed from the victim’s driving habits.

The incident occurred on Friday. According to reports, 49 year old Mark Parmenter was walking on Layton Drive with his daughter and his dog when he saw the victim, Keith Duff, driving at a high rate of speed. In an attempt to slow the victim down, he stepped in front of the man’s vehicle, but he was not successful. He saw the man stop at a residence on the street, so he confronted him. Parmenter said Duff became aggressive, so he left the area.

Parmenter returned later and confronted the victim again. He said Duff became aggressive again, and Parmenter said he hit him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He then hit him several more times “so he would not get up.”

Duff was transported from the scene by the Sheriff’s Trauma Star helicopter. He was flown to the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami. Parmenter was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and he was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

May 8, 2003

May 2, 2003

Criminal mischief to Jewish Community Center sign

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Tavernier – Someone painted swastikas on the Jewish Community Center sign Thursday night. The vandalism took place sometime between 7 and 7:30 p.m. at the center, located at the 93 mile marker of Highway U.S. One.

According to reports by Deputy Michael Christensen, the swastikas are approximately a foot and a half high. They were painted on both sides of the sign in green spray paint. No witnesses have come forward to report seeing the incident occur, but a man walking his dog in the neighborhood spotted the deed after it was done, about 7:30 p.m. He reported it to the center’s president, Joe Pollack, who called the Sheriff’s Office. Pollack says he arrived at the center at 7 p.m. and there were no swastika’s painted on the sign at that time.

Normally such a crime would be a misdemeanor criminal mischief. In this case, however, the penalties are enhanced because the case is classified as a “hate crime”. A crime is a “hate crime” if during the commission of the crime, the suspect “evidences prejudice based on the race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, mental or physical disability, or advanced age of the victim.”

Crime stoppers offers a reward for information which leads to the arrest of people who commit hate crimes. Callers may remain anonymous. The Crime Stoppers hot line number is 1-800-346-TIPS.

May 1, 2003

Stock Island woman charged with robbery and aggravated battery

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Big Coppitt Key – A Stock Island woman is in jail, accused of robbing another woman and cutting her with a box knife.

The incident took place in front of the victim’s Big Coppitt Key home on April 24^th. The victim told Detective Pat Scribner she was attacked by two women who hit her and ripped a gold chain from her neck. She identified one of her attackers as 29 year old Lonnie Artique, of Stock Island.

She said about 15 minutes after the initial attack, Artique returned with two other women in a black truck. She said the two women held her down while Artique hit her. Artique then allegedly used a box cutter type knife to cut her several times in the armpit.

The victim was transported to the hospital where she received eight staples to close the wounds left by the box cutter.

Detective Scribner spoke with a number of witnesses, all of whom were able to identify Artique as one of the attackers. The Detective then obtained a warrant for Artique’s arrest. On Wednesday, she was picked up on Stock Island. She was charged with robbery and aggravated battery and she was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

Teens charged with breaking windows and damaging construction equipment

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Key Largo – Three teens were charged with criminal mischief after they were seen shooting an air rifle at the windows of buildings under construction at the 101 mile marker in Key Largo Tuesday evening.

Deputy Jose Carballo took an initial report Tuesday afternoon from an employee at the construction site about damage to windshields on some of the heavy equipment at the site. Several hours later, employees at the site saw a group of six or seven kids walking around the site throwing rocks at the equipment and shooting an air rifle at windows. They called the owner of the property, who contacted the Sheriff’s Office.

When Deputy William Schlegelmilch arrived, several of the kids were still visible on the property. When he questioned them, they admitted to walking around the property shooting an air rifle. When the deputy was talking to them, he heard running feet in a wooded are nearby. Construction workers from the site looked in the woods and found an air rifle, abandoned on the ground. None of the teens would claim ownership of the gun.

Three boys were charged with criminal mischief in connection with the damage done to the site. They were given a date to appear in court, and they were turned over to the custody of their parents.

Armed fugitive surrenders without incident