Mildred Fernandez sentenced to 22.43 months

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:04:22 GMT

Former Orange County commissioner Mildred Fernandez is heading to prison for nearly two years.

Fernandez was sentenced to 22.43 months in prison and four years of probation by Judge C. Jeffery Arnold for campaign finance violations that cost Fernandez her political post and her standing as a community leader.

"I'm as disappointed being here as you are," Arnold said.

Her role in an undercover sting operation, where she was videotaped accepting an envelope filled with five thousand dollars in cash. Fernandez, speaking in Spanish, was also recorded telling the officer "you're buying access."

Fernandez must also pay $14,000 in fines

Before the judge announced his decision, Fernandez addressed the court.

"I lost my job. I lost all my retirement savings. And most important, I lost my place in the community," Fernandez said. "And for that, I am very very sad," she said.

During testimony Thursday afternoon, supporters of Fernandez argued that she was a pillar in the Hispanic community, and her efforts to help her constituents outweighed a mistake in judgment.

"Commissioner Fernandez was the first Puerto Rican born official on the Orange County commission," said Angel de la Portilla, a political consultant who worked with Fernandez in the past.

"She was the most prominent Hispanic in Central Florida," de la Portilla said.

But prosecutors were adamant that by pleading no contest to the charges, the judge was bound to sentence the 66-year old by the guidelines outlined by lawmakers.

"The legislature has said that the intent is to punish. That's the primary purpose," said Greg Tynan, lead prosecutor on the case. "It's not to rehabilitate. It's not to have sympathy for somebody. It's not to have empathy for anybody. It's to punish," Tynan said.

Judge Arnold agreed that Fernandez committed a major violation of public trust, as was evidenced in the undercover recordings and videotape.

During the hearing, Fernandez' defense attorney, Anthony Suarez, argued that his client should not serve prison time at all. He pleaded for probation instead, and said his client was a victim of entrapment by undercover officers.

"That was their intent when they went into that office," Suarez said during emotional arguments.

Fernandez addressed the judge in a dramatic, slowly enunciated speech.

"I have been choked almost to death," she said. "I have been suffocated almost to death. This has been an almost fatal circus of unprecedented proportions."

After the ruling, Fernandez was handcuffed, fingerprinted, and taken away by sheriff's deputies.

Fire ignites at Windermere home

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:04:35 GMT

Orange County Fire Rescue has controlled a house fire in Windermere on Thursday night.

Officials said the house is located on the 12000 block of Water Point Boulevard in the Waterford Point subdivision.

Officials say they are putting out hot spots that are still smoldering Thursday evening.

The house was unoccupied and under construction at the time of the fire, officials said.

Officials think the fire started in the back of the house on the second floor at around 5:30 p.m.

Property appraiser records show the estimated cost of the home is $2.4 million with plans of six bedrooms and six bathrooms and a residential elevator.

No other details were immediately available.

SLIDESHOW: House fire

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3 arrested in home invasion, Amscot robbery

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:50:30 GMT

Osecola County sheriff's detectives have arrested three suspects for their involvement in a home invasion, kidnapping and Amscot robbery.

Christopher Stefan Perry, 41, and his brother Atwood A. Perry, Jr, 40, were arrested Wednesday night in Columbia, S.C. Jonathan Albert Giraldo, 29, was arrested Thursday morning in Lexington, Ky.

Osceola County deputies said Christopher Perry and Jonathan Giraldo live in Kissimmee. Deputies said the three men stormed an Amscot store manager's home in Kissimmee, tied up his family, and forced him to return to his workplace in Orange County and remove cash from the safe.

All three suspects were charged with armed home invasion with a firearm, kidnapping, armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm with intent to commit a felony, wearing a mask during a second degree felony, grand theft, false imprisonment, battery and impersonating a law enforcement officer.

The Perry brothers are being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, S.C., according to deputies. Giraldo is being held at Fayette County Detention Center in Lexington.

All three will be extradited to Osceola County.

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Slot Machine referendum approved for November ballot

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:05:02 GMT

The Volusia County Council agreed at a meeting on Thursday that voters should weigh in at the polls on whether slot machines should be allowed.

The referendum narrowly passed with a 4-3 vote by the council.

If the bill passes it will be up to voters to decide if they want to allow slot machines at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club and Poker Room.

The referendum will be put on the November ballot.

"It would bring in more money, more tourists and more business for all of us," Rhonda Vaughn said Thursday.

Vaughn is the front desk manager at the Daytona Inn Beach Resort and agrees with most business owners that slot machines at the Kennel Club would change the city.

Other people who live in Volusia County said it's a gamble they're not willing to take.

"It would be great for the hotel business, but as a local who lives here I don't know if I would want all those people in my neighborhood," Samantha Ingalls said.

Ingalls works at a local hotel and has mixed feelings about the impact slot machines could have.

She said the extra business would be beneficial but worries about the extra crime gambling may bring with it.

"Any opportunity you give people to win money, they will do whatever they can to get the money to spend," Ingalls said.

A spokesman for the Daytona International Speedway said they're in favor of anything that brings more jobs to the area.

The county council's vote came with some terms. They can pull the question off the ballot if something changes between now and November and if the Senate proposal fails.

Police: Woman used foot stomp to fend off would-be rapist

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:08:22 GMT

A Melbourne woman fought off a man who tried to rape her while she was walking her dog, police said.

The attack happened Wednesday at 9:40 p.m. near the Park Village Apartments.

According to Melbourne police, the woman was walking her dog in the complex when she was approached from behind by a man who grabbed her shirt.

The man told the woman to let go of the dog and then said he was going to rape her, according to police.

The woman began talking to the man to distract him and then stomped on his foot, causing him to let go of her, police said.

The woman, who was not injured in the attack, then ran toward her apartment while screaming, Melbourne police said.

A police search failed to find the man, who was described as 6 feet tall and about 180 pounds with a thin build. He was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and black gloves.

Police said the complex doesn't have surveillance video. They said the woman did everything you should do when being attacked.

Anyone with information about the attack is urged to call police or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.

[SLIDESHOW: Orlando-area mug shot hall of shame]

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Body found in lake confirmed to be missing mother

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:12:00 GMT

Authorities on Thursday confirmed that a body found in a lake is that of a woman who disappeared after dropping her kids off at an Orange County middle school.

Deputies on Wednesday were searching for Loisnett Garcia Rengel, who was last seen around 9 a.m. Tuesday leaving Lake Nona Middle School on Narcoossee Road near the Eagle Creek subdivision. She was reported missing Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. by her husband.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said her body was found around 12:30 p.m. when a detective retraced the walk to school with one of Rengel's children. Officials said they don't believe the child saw the body.

Demings also said Rengel had called 911 at about 9:20 a.m. Tuesday and she was distraught.

"She was calling to make sure someone checked on her kids," Demings said. "The person appeared to be somewhat distraught. The 911 operator tried to ferret through all of that, to try to understand. The person appeared to perhaps been sobbing, very difficult to understand."

The call ended, however, with Rengel saying she didn't want any help, Demings said.

Deputies said Rengel called her daughter, a high school student, shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday and told her she wasn't able to pick her up from school.

Deputies said that Rengel's husband told them she suffered from depression and was on medication.

Detectives searched for Rengel for eight hours Tuesday and called early Wednesday morning to see if she returned to her home. When they found out she didn't, the search resumed.

PHOTOS: Search for missing mother

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