FDLE

The price tag to keep Gov. Ron DeSantis safe more than doubled over the last year, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

A state-owned airplane typically used to transport Gov. Ron DeSantis on state business was tracked travelling to a city in New Hampshire at the same time as one of his presidential campaign appearances.

Officials said there are now 58 deaths attributed to Hurricane Ian, according to an update by FDLE on Sunday evening.

Authorities are looking for Marcus Lyles, who was last seen in the area of the 2500 block of Turkey Lake Road in Orlando.

A missing 1-year-old boy has been found safe and unharmed, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities are searching for Staci Mckenzie, who was last seen in the area of Charlie Johns Street and US Highway 20 in Blountstown.

FDLE says Ja’rell Lewis was last seen Friday in the area of University Boulevard North in Jacksonville, and may be in the company of 37-year-old Terrell Lewis.

Authorities are looking for 16-year-old Secora Lee and 11-month old Kehlani Hernandez.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has issued a missing child alert for 10-year-old Jerman Octelus from Miami-Dade County.

A South Carolina man accused of writing threats to commit a mass shooting was arrested on Tuesday by Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a missing child alert for a 17-year-old girl out of Pasco County.

A Florida missing child alert has been canceled for two children out of Seminole County.

An Amber Alert has been issued for two children missing out of Panama City Saturday.

Authorities are looking for Alexander Connolly.

Sanura Domond was last seen in South Florida.

Kissimmee police have identified the man who they say shot at Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents who were assisting in a drug bust operation, injuring one of them.

A Florida missing child alert has been issued for 14-year-old Christian Fraley from Jacksonville.

Authorities search for a missing 9-year-old Florida girl.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The heat is still building in Central Florida. For St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, Central Florida is looking at more heat. Thursday the high goes to 90 degrees. Late Thursday, a cold front marches into Central Florida from the Gulf of Mexico. By Friday, Central Florida goes right back to partly cloudy sky conditions and dry conditions.

WINDERMERE, Fla. – A Windermere home owned by former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson was destroyed Tuesday morning in a fire. Orange County Fire Rescue tweeted, “All occupants are reported out safely and no injuries have been noted.”Massive fire destroys Alan Grayson’s home in WindermereGrayson’s wife, Dr. Dena Grayson, later tweeted, “Thank you for your support, friends. Grayson, a Democrat, held Florida’s District 9 congressional seat from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2017. https://t.co/lryzTHbNMr — Dena Grayson, MD, PhD (@DrDenaGrayson) March 16, 2021ACTIVE FIRE: Multiple units are battling a house fire in Windermere on Oak Park. Orange County Fire Rescue reported the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

The FHP says two people were killed in a three-vehicle crash near DeLand. DeLAND, Fla. – Two Apopka women were killed Tuesday morning in a three-vehicle crash in Volusia County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The fatal crash was reported around 7:10 a.m. on New York Avenue at DeLand Crossings Boulevard, east of DeLand. The van driver, a 58-year-old Daytona Beach man, suffered minor injuries, troopers said. Westbound lanes of New York Avenue, which is also State Road 44, were closed in the area.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The state attorney’s office is not pursuing misdemeanor charges against Edenilson Urbina, a man who was shot in the leg by a deputy after a traffic stop late last year. AdBody camera video from Dec. 21, 2020 showed the confrontation involving Orange County Deputy Bruce Stolk, who the sheriff’s office said shot 18-year-old Urbina in the leg. In the body camera video, a deputy can be heard yelling “stop running.”The deputy in the video then yells at the suspect to get on the ground. But the suspect, identified as Urbina, can also be heard apologizing in the video and saying his leg hurts. Later in the video, a deputy confirmed that saying, “one shot fired.”What the video doesn’t show, according to the state attorney’s office, is whether or not Urbina heard the lawful commands.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Rebekah Jones, a former Florida Department of Health data analyst who helped develop the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, was arrested on a charge of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks and electronic devices, officials announced Monday morning. [TRENDING: Data scientist Rebekah Jones arrested in Florida | Disney World not selling any new annual passes | Orlando police search for missing 12-year-old girl]Online records show Jones bonded out of jail just before 11 a.m. Monday. During her first appearance, her judge set her bond at $2,500, conditional on her having no contact with any of the people whose personal information was allegedly downloaded and no contact through state of Florida computer systems. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said an investigation into Jones began Nov.10 when the FDLE received a complaint from the Florida Department of Health that someone illegally accessed a state emergency-alert messaging system, known as ReadyOp. Evidence retrieved from a search warrant on Dec. 7 shows that Jones illegally accessed the system sending a message to about 1,750 people and downloaded confidential Florida Department of Health data and saved it to her devices, according to authorities.

According to an internal FBI bulletin, nationwide protests at state capitols and courthouses are being planned from Jan. 16 until Jan. 20. Montiero said when law enforcement receives a warning like this one, it’s important for agencies to act quickly. So, the FBI has issued their information, you have the FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) that gathers their own and then the sheriff’s offices,” he said. “Of course, they share information and then they begin to put action to prevent anything from happening.”A likely part of the security plans would be to put officers in places where they can be seen. “You’re going to get an obvious response (and) there’s going to be visual deterrents” Montiero said.

State law enforcement agents waited about 20 minutes outside the home of Rebekah Jones, an ex-health department employee, Monday before serving her with a search warrant, body camera video released from the FDLE Thursday shows. Jones initially refused to answer the door for 20 minutes and hung up when agents called her, according to FDLE. On Thursday, FDLE released two body camera videos totaling about 30 minutes showing Tallahassee police and FDLE agents trying to serve Jones with a search warrant for her electronics. FDLE Commissioner Richard Swearingen said in a statement the agency released the video to show “FDLE agents exercised extreme patience” and agents had been “vilified over the past few days.”“I am proud of the way these FDLE agents performed. Jones previously released video from inside the home showing agents walk inside with guns drawn but it does not show upstairs.

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement raided the home of a former Department of Health employee Monday credited with creating the state’s COVID-19 tracking dashboard. Agents were looking for evidence that she unlawfully gained access to a health department messaging platform, according to the warrant. Rebekah Jones was fired from the Florida Department of Health in May after she says she declined to “manipulate” state virus numbers. Agents were given permission in the warrant to seize computer hardware, software and other documents in the Dec. 3 warrant. Officials with the Florida Department of Health declined to comment for this story, directing News 6 to the FDLE.

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The office of a Florida county administrator was illegally bugged last year, but investigators don’t yet know who was responsible. Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told the Pensacola News Journal that the agency was contacted Aug. 1 about a hidden recording device in the office of Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley. The case was closed in late September when investigators couldn't develop additional information, Plessenger said. “I didn’t want to be overreacting, but it was recommended to me that we do a sweep,” Gilley said. Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh said Gilley told him about the discovery of a device and that the FDLE was sweeping all of the offices on the fourth floor of the county building for more devices.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has issued a missing child alert out of Dade County. According to authorities, 12-year-old Anastasia Vela-Fernandez went missing on Aug. 25. The child was last seen in the area of the 6000 block of NW 30th Avenue in Miami wearing a black shirt and are fatigue pants, authorities said. The 12-year-old may be with Jimmy Vela, 31, who has multiple tattoos, one visible on the right side of his neck. Investigators said if found, do not approach the pair and instead call law enforcement immediately.

Since then, hours of body camera video from the shooting has been released as protesters have called for the sheriff to fire the deputy who opened fire. When asked about the release of the video compared to other Central Florida agencies who release video sooner, the sheriff said he was following protocol. Daytona Beach police officers shot and killed an attempted murder suspect on Saturday morning, the department released the body camera video that night. “Our deputies are trained that anytime they’re in fear for their life or the lives of others they are authorized to use deadly force,” Mina said. The first body camera video from the shooting at the Florida Mall was released on the evening of Aug. 18, Florida’s primary election day.

FDLE officials said Deputy Brian Calkins, with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, gave Volusia County Deputy Phillip Donaldson two firearms he said he got from a cousin. Calkins asked Donaldson to dispose of the revolver and semi-automatic pistol, according to the FDLE investigation. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood requested the FDLE investigation in June, according to the FDLE. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Calkins was hired in May 2018 and assigned to youth services. He was formerly employed by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, records show.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Advisory Committee is expected to finalize and vote on recommendations it’s making for the agency’s use of force policy during its meeting on Thursday. Chairperson Allie Braswell said the committee has worked for months to come up with the recommendations. The committee is meeting virtually Thursday night, nearly three weeks after an Orange County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Salaythis Melvin outside the Florida Mall. He said they won’t get the opportunity to review it until after the FDLE, the State Attorney’s Office, and the sheriff’s office completes their investigations, which is standard procedure. The citizens advisory committee virtual meeting starts at 6 p.m. Click here for more information.

The five Ormond Beach police officers who fatally shot a former Chicago police officer after she shot her husband were cleared by the state attorney following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into the use-of-force incident. According to the FDLE use-of-force investigation, Deanna Owsianiak, 55, and her husband David Owsianiak, 56, were arguing when she fatally shot him during a struggle over a weapon. State Attorney R.J. Larizza reviewed the FDLE investigation and said no action would be taken against the officers involved. Eventually, Deanne Owsianiak walked toward the water and David Owsianiak followed, according to the report. David Owsianiak served as a firefighter locally for several years but spent most of his career with the Chicago Fire Department.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. Following a two-year investigation into misconduct allegations against Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh, state prosecutors will not pursue charges against the elected official running for re-election. Singh was accused of altering Orange County Property Appraisers records that were submitted to the comptrollers office during a 2015-2016 audit. This week the state attorneys office announced they would not be pursuing charges against Singh based on the investigation. Investigators found Singh submitted an altered photo to justify his attendance at the Curry Festival in Tampa taken two years after the event. The communication manager for the Orange County Property Appraiser sent this statement in response to the conclusion of the investigation.

HOBE SOUND, Fla. – Update, Thursday: Authorities canceled the Amber Alert and have found Kimberly Newberry-Ohler. An Amber Alert was issued Thursday afternoon for a missing 13-year-old Martin County girl, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said. The FDLE said Kimberly Newberry-Ohler was last seen late Wednesday in Hobe Sound. She was last seen wearing a black and white striped shirt, black pants with a red and white stripe and white Crocs. The FDLE said Kimberly may be in the company of two white men who were in a black two-door truck with a roof rack.

[WEB EXTRA: Geotagging guide]Special Agent Steve Brenton says the GPS setting for smart phone cameras including iPhone and Android models provide a "geo-location" that allows anybody to track "exactly where that photograph was taken." The information is precise including the exact longitude and latitude of the location where the shot was taken. "Bad guys know the social networking sites and social media sites that kids are going to," Brenton says. "They spend more time on the computer than the kids do, just to find the kids on these social networking sites." Each smart phone has a different setting to disconnect the GPS mode.