ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Sheriff's Office held a press conference Friday detailing two operations the office has been working on over the past several months.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said Operation Orange Crush, which took place in April 2018, was a sex sting that focused on adults who traveled to meet minors for sex. Demings said it also concentrated on catching sex offenders and sexual predators who failed to comply with registration requirements.
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Demings said the other operation, named Operation Sunrise, placed "heavy manpower" in Holden Heights and in the Oak Ridge corridor.
Orange Crush resulted in six arrests on charges of traveling to minors, one of which went to the state attorney's office for prosecution, according to Demings. It also resulted in 13 arrests on charges of sexual offender registration violations.
Sargent Richard Mankewich, who was the supervisor of Operation Orange Crush, said the suspects ranged from a college student to retirees.
"It's really a snapshot of our entire community. You just don't know who these guys are until their picture shows up here," Mankewich said.
Some of the suspects traveled from other states, such as Wisconsin and South Carolina, to Orange County, Demings said.
Demings said Operation Sunrise took place from February 23 to April 20, and during that time, overall crime was reduced by 14 percent. He said 572 arrests were made, 180 of which were felonies. More than $10,000 worth of narcotics were seized, Demings said.
Demings said that OCSO increased law enforcement presence in the Holden Heights and Oak Ridge areas as well as focusing on prevention of drug incidents.
"The operation was just another step in reducing crime and the fear of crime in these areas for the residents," Demings said.
Even though the operation is over, Demings said OCSO still intends to concentrate on the areas.