SEMINOLE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

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A multi-acre fire engulfed Seminole County and parts of Volusia County on Sunday, according to the Seminole County Fire Department.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office released bodycam footage of officers arriving on scene at a wedding where guests claim they were served marijuana-laced food without...

Many guests at the reception reported feeling extremely ill and high — some were vomiting and requesting to be taken to the hospital.

Deputies search for driver following suspicious death at mosque (Seminole County Sheriff's Office)SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating a suspicious death at a mosque. At about 8:45 a.m. Thursday, deputies said they found a man dead at the Husseini Islamic Center on Hester Avenue. Deputies said a suspect was seen fleeing in the area in what appeared to be a minivan. READ: Florida man killed in crash after hitting 11-foot alligator on roadwayThe sheriff’s office said the person should be considered dangerous and asked people not to approach them. READ: Deputies find human remains near missing woman’s carDeath investigation near Sanford (WFTV.com News Staff)Anyone with information that leads to an arrest could be eligible for up to a $10,000 reward from Crimeline.

Julie Noppinger Julie Noppinger, 37, was last seen walking out of the Walmart on E. Colonial Drive in Orlando at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 26, deputies said. (Seminole County Sheriff's Office/Seminole County Sheriff's Office), Fla. — A missing woman’s vehicle has been found in a parking lot as well as nearby human remains that have not yet been positively identified on East Colonial Drive, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Julie Noppinger, 37, was last seen walking out of the Walmart on E. Colonial Drive in Orlando at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 26, deputies said. Noppinger entered her 2013 red Nissan Altima and headed east on Colonial Drive toward Alafaya Trail, according to deputies. The investigation has been assumed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Kurtus Hayes A Seminole County man is accused of lying to receive thousands of dollars in state benefits. (Seminole County Sheriff's Office)SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Seminole County man is accused of lying to receive thousands of dollars in state benefits. Investigators say Kurtus Hayes underreported his family’s income to collect food stamps and Medicaid benefits illegally for more than a year and a half. State investigators said Hayes lied about his and his wife’s income to the Department of Children and Families. READ: ‘I killed a lady on the bridge’: Text messages released after bridge tender’s arrestAccording to court documents, Hayes collected more than $11,000 in food stamps and Medicaid benefits.

A Seminole County daycare worker is now out of jail and facing child abuse charges after video from the daycare’s live feed showed her abusing an 11-month-old boy, according to Winter Springs police.

The sheriff’s office released video from Saturday night in Casselberry, showing a green laser light pointing into the sky.

A vehicle connected to the death of a woman whose body was found along a Volusia County trail led to a shooting in Sanford that prompted a school lockdown, authorities said.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A Seminole County sheriff’s deputy struck and killed a Geneva woman who was standing in a road while talking to her boyfriend, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The fatal crash was reported at 7:50 p.m. Sunday on Snow Hill Road near Winding River Lane, a remote area north of Chuluota. The FHP said the deputy, a 28-year-old Sanford woman, was driving a marked Seminole County sheriff’s SUV south on Snow Hill Road and hit the woman. FHP is investigating after a Seminole County Sheriff’s deputy hit and killed a woman on Snow Hill Rd last night. Snow Hill Road was closed immediately after the crash, but it was later reopened.

Cornelius Blue rose through the ranks of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office over the last three decades after making a promise to his grandmother in 1990. “How can I not be in Ministry and law enforcement,” Blue said. “We pay for their Academy, and they’re essentially working full-time receiving a salary while they’re in school or the academy and is being paid for by the Sheriff’s Office,” Blue said. “We wanted do a better job of recruiting minorities and people with the level of diversity to help police and provide service to our community.”The Sheriff’s Office now also recruits at historically black college and universities. Blue said already the Sheriff’s Office is looking to hiring several minority recruits as deputies or corrections officers.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is looking for a missing 75-year-old man. Investigators said James Hlinka was last seen around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday when he left his home on Riverbend Boulevard in Longwood for a doctor's appointment. The Sheriff's Office said Hlinka has dementia. Deputies said he was last seen wearing a maroon shirt, greeinish-gray khaki shorts and beige crocs. He does not have a phone and he is believed to be driving a 2012 white Subaru SUV bearing the Florida tag number of Z8WPL.

SEMINOLE COUNTY – The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a 60-year-old man with dementia who went missing Saturday. Deputies are looking for Raymond Bartlett, who walked a way from an assisted living facility in Winter Springs at around 7:45 p.m., deputies said. Bartlett is 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, and was wearing a dark blue shirt with white shorts, deputies said. If you know of his whereabouts, please call 911.

click to enlarge Photo via Adobe Stockclick image Seminole County Sheriff's Office via FacebookTwo kayakers, whose inflatable boat was flipped over by an alligator on the Econlockhatchee River, wait to be rescued by the ALERT team at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office on Monday. Imagine your nice, relaxing kayak ride being rudely interrupted by an alligator who flipped over your inflatable boat. The report says that the inflatable kayak hit something in the water and started deflating. The two younger boys and one of the teens stayed with one mom, while Haviland stayed behind with the other teen.The Sheriff's Office has reported that the kayakers were rescued and brought to safety without injury. The "Econ River" runs through Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties and is nearly 55 miles long, making it the longest river in Florida.Check out the rescue video from the Seminole County Sheriffs Office below.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Law enforcement teamed up with transportation and school leaders on Wednesday to spread the word about the effects of Florida’s new texting and driving law. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol pulled over several vehicles near Woodlands Elementary in an effort to remind drivers to focus their attention on the road. “Keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel and focus on the task at hand,” Chief Dan Purcell said. "The goal here is to get people to not touch their mobile device while they're in a car," Purcell said. After Wednesday’s enforcement exercise, officials said they will continue to monitor the area and may perform a similar exercise if needed.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Body camera video released Tuesday shows the controversial arrest of an 18-year-old bicyclist on fleeing and resisting charges after Seminole County deputies say the teen didn’t stop at a stop sign. Video shows two deputies were posted at the intersection of Florida Avenue and Van Arsdale Street with a radar gun, clocking motorists as they went by. “Here’s the deal: He went by I told him to stop, he didn’t stop. About 20 minutes into the video, the deputy begins driving Lopez Ayala to the Seminole County Jail. Seminole County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Bob Kealing said it will be up to the State Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges are appropriate in this case.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The arrest of an 18-year-old cyclist for running a stop sign and not stopping for a Seminole County deputy has advocates demanding an apology and for the charges to be dropped. The deputy said he then attempted to handcuff Javier Lopez Ayala, 18, writing he was fleeing and eluding. Maney said Lopez Ayala and his friend were leading the pack of about 12 riders who ride together in rural Seminole County every Saturday. Maney said she also wants to know why only Lopez Ayala, who moved to Central Florida from Puerto Rico last year, was arrested. “He’s never been a troublemaker, he’s never been in trouble with the law,” Maney said.

Im the Orlando Easter Bunny, Google it." Disguised as the Easter Bunny, the brave defender neutralized his opponent with a hailstorm of haymakers, and his heroic throwing of paws was captured on video.Naturally, the courage and anonymity sparked local and national interest. Eventually, the costumed crusader revealed his identity to beLast week, McDonald allegedly used the same fluffy disguise to garner a different sort of anonymity. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office arrested him attempting to escape a hit-and-run while dressed in his infamous Easter Bunny getup.And it appears some of that fur-suited hero's notoriety might have gone to his head, according to the arrest report. Deputies stopped the car and saw an injured McDonald in the back, according to the report, dressed in his (surely by now rather tattered) bunny suit.

SEMINOLE COUNTY – A man who was reported missing Saturday afternoon has been found, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were searching for 21-year-old Luke Schmaus. Officials said Saturday evening that Schmaus returned home and is in good health.

SANFORD, Fla. - A teacher at Millennium Middle School in Sanford is facing battery charges after a physical altercation with a student, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said Sunday. Mike Henry, a 56-year-old physical education teacher, was arrested Friday, authorities said. Henry tried to prevent the student from leaving a school locker room without a shirt after the student was upset over a loss in a football game, according to deputies. Henry attempted to stop the student by blocking the door of the locker room, deputies said. According to the student, Henry grabbed him and slammed him against a wall, the sheriff's report said.

SANFORD, Fla. - A teacher at Millennium Middle School in Sanford is facing battery charges after a physical altercation with a student, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said Sunday. Henry tried to prevent the student from leaving a school locker room without a shirt after the student was upset over a loss in a football game, according to deputies. Millennium Middle School in SanfordHenry attempted to stop the student by blocking the door of the locker room, deputies said. The student, who had a bump on his forehead, said planned on putting his shirt on after leaving the locker room, according to authorities. A representative for Seminole County Public Schools confirmed Henry's arrest, but said the district would defer to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office report for further details.

Shutterstock via CNNALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - AdventHealth has partnered with other local health and law enforcement leaders to bring a new opioid treatment facility to Sanford next year. Officials from the hospital, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, Seminole County EMS/Fire Rescue and the Seminole County Board of Commissioners announced the center Thursday, noting that it's the first time in Florida that a health care system and law enforcement officers have come together to unveil an opioid treatment facility. "Unfortunately, people with opioid issues have been trapped in a cycle of catch, treat, release,'" Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said. "This partnership and new model for using medically based treatment to help those with substance abuse disorder, will help us break that cycle. Deputies said there were 650 overdoses, 82 of which were fatal, in Seminole County during 2018 alone.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - An 11-year-old boy who had been reported missing is now accounted for and in good health, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said late Friday. Earlier in the day, Dyvian Lamar Hall was spotted in Apopka and Longwood. No further details are known, but deputies thanked people for all their help and tips on the child's whereabouts. Copyright 2019 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - Video shows a bank robbery suspect being dragged out of a patrol vehicle he's accused of stealing while trying to evade arrest. The witness said Reyes' dress was about ankle length and made of a shiny gold material. "He was wearing a wig, a dress. Astor chased Reyes across a parking lot as Reyes ignored his commands to stop, records show. Video from the incident shows Reyes slowly opening the door of the patrol vehicle then being pulled out and handcuffed by responding officers.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A woman has been arrested after she allegedly left the scene of an accident and got a massage. Stahon went inside and got a massage and didn't tell staff about the crash or attempt to get help, Deputies said. When deputies arrived, Stahon was in the middle of a massage. Deputies took Stahon outside, where the passengers in the pickup truck positively identified her as the driver of the Toyota. The passengers were also able to identify the car and showed deputies the damage on the front of Stahon's car.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A man suspected of robbing a bank in Seminole County was arrested Wednesday after deputies say he stole a patrol car following an altercation with a deputy. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said units were called to a Chase Bank on Wednesday afternoon on State Road 436 for a possible robbery. A deputy pulled into the bank parking lot and saw a man coming out of the bushes, Lemma said, and immediately confronted the man. Reyes struck a bystander's vehicle, but Lemma said no one was hurt, including the deputy whose patrol car was stolen. News 6 was at the scene around 4 p.m. when a man in handcuffs was placed into a Seminole County Sheriff's Office SUV.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - The Seminole County Sheriff's Office issued a silver alert for David Crosby Wednesday, stating the 88-year-old may be endangered. Deputies say Crosby has dementia and was last seen around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities say Crosby was driving away from his friend's house in the 200 block of Triplet Lake Drive in Casselberry but never made it back to his Chuluota home. According to the Sheriff's Office, Crosby told his friend he had been having car trouble. If anyone sees Crosby or his car they are urged to call the Sheriff's Office at 407-665-6650.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - The Florida woman who burned down a historic 120-foot tree known as the Senator while she was smoking meth has been arrested on a drug trafficking charge, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said Barnes was arrested on a charge of trafficking methamphetamine. In 2012, Barnes climbed inside the hollow 3,500-year-old cypress tree in Big Tree Park in Longwood to smoke meth with a friend and lit a fire so she could see better. The flames spread and destroyed the 120-foot tree. Records from Seminole County show Barnes has been arrested six times since 2012, including Friday's arrest.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - Two bodies have been pulled from a Seminole County lake, according to deputies. The bodies, identified by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office as two men, were found Thursday and Friday in Border Lake, south of State Road 436 near Piedmont Wekiwa Road. The Sheriff's Office said a caller told dispatch a vehicle had been parked by the lake for a few days. Diana Holland, who lives in the area, said she had seen a Chevrolet parked on the edge of Border Lake since last Thursday. Holland said the office building nearby trespasses anyone who uses the lake.

OVIEDO, Fla. - The city of Oviedo is rallying around a firefighter whose young daughter drowned over the weekend at a neighbor's house in the Pickett Downs neighborhood in Chuluota. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office said the girl, identified as Danny Forrest's daughter, Ella, was found in the pool Friday evening. Her age was not released in the sheriff's report. The sheriff's report said it's not known if the gate that leads to the pool was open or closed when Ella entered the area. The sheriff's report said the Forrests had only been in the neighborhood a few days and it was their first gathering with their new neighbors.

LAKE MARY, Fla. - A Lake Mary High School student was arrested Thursday on suspicion of having a disassembled but loaded gun at school, according to school officials. School officials said the student will be disciplined per the district's code of conduct. Due to the increased security on campus, school officials said another student was arrested Friday when students reported information about another possible weapon on campus. Lake Mary High School officials said a 15-year-old student was found with a 7-inch fishing knife and was arrested. He is charged with possession of a weapon on school property, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office arrest report.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - Youth boxing champion Armani Almestica may no longer be heading to the Olympics as he faces a string of felony burglary charges. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office said Almestica was part of the trio that sent deputies on a chase throughout an Oviedo subdivision after stealing an SUV. Two of those suspects tried to hide from deputies in garbage bins; Almestica was one of them. Almestica's boxing career began in 2011. Copyright 2019 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - An 82-year-old man sounded disoriented around the time he went missing Tuesday morning, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said a friend spoke to Weaver Tuesday morning and Weaver told him he was driving around in his vehicle and was lost. Weaver sounded disoriented, according to a news release. Weaver is believed to be driving a 2009 burnt orange Kia Rio bearing a Florida Panthers specialty license plate with number P6996. Anyone with information concerning Weaver's whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Seminole County Sheriff's Office at 407-665-6650.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A man previously in the running for a Seminole County judicial seat is accused of having sex with a teenage girl, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Officials with The Florida Bar told News 6 Tuesday that Jones was in good standing, as he has no discipline history. When The Florida Bar learns of the arrest of a member, the Bar opens a file to follow the progression of the criminal case." Records from the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Office show Jones was running for Group 6 county judge and had raised more than $170,000. According to a letter sent to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections, Jones submitted a written notification of his withdraw from the race on Aug. 26.

ORLANDO, Fla. - School will soon be back in session and your local law enforcement officers are gearing up to give back through back-to-school giveaways and community events. Hosted at local Walmart stores, school-aged children could enjoy breakfast, lunch and cool treats as they shopped for back-to-school clothes. Yesterday our officers and professional staff with the NLPOA Central Florida Chapter and Orlando 5 Star Cuts held their annual backpack giveaway. From camouflage to hero-themed backpacks, elementary school students were all smiles as they received their new tools for a successful school year. Norma Lewis, mother of fallen OCSO Master Deputy Norman Lewis, donated more than $3,000 worth of food to local schools.

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Two cars were hit by bullets in the area of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and First Street in Altamonte Springs on July 18, according to an offense report from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Cory High, 39, of Lake Mary, told officers he was driving south on Ronald Reagan Boulevard around 8:15 a.m. when his 2004 blue Honda CRV was hit by bullets. An officer said he could see what appeared to be a bullet hole near the center of the rear door of the Honda. While the Lake Mary man was talking to an officer, a 50-year-old Winter Springs woman said she was driving her 2019 gray Lexus NX300 just ahead of the Honda. High also said that he is counting his blessings that his young children werent in the vehicle at the time.

Seminole County sheriffs deputies at the courthouse were a body was found Tuesday June 25, 2019 in a retention pond. (Image: SCSO)SANFORD, Fla. - Deputies with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said a man's body was found Tuesday morning in a retention pond near the Seminole County Courthouse. The man was found in the pond along State Road 17-92 in front of the courthouse, according to the Sheriff's Office. No other details were provided, including the man's identity. Copyright 2019 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office has a new team designed to help addicts get treatment. Copyright 2019 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.

Man arrested for pointing laser at police helicopter In Florida, deputies with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office arrested 19-year-old Trevor Ragno and charged him with a felony for pointing a green laser light several times at Alert 2 -- one of the SCSO's helicopters. The incident was recorded by a camera on Alert 2.