National Hurricane Preparedness Week coming up

Next week, May 26^th – June 1^st, is National Hurricane Preparedness Week. In this hurricane prone area of South Florida, everyone should take time out to make sure they are fully prepared for the upcoming hurricane season.

·         Make sure you have all necessary supplies on hand in case you have to weather a storm. This includes plenty of water, canned food, batteries, a battery operated radio, necessary medications.

·         Get out your hurricane shutters and make sure they are ready to go if a storm approaches.

·         Make sure you have a plan in place should you have to evacuate. This includes picking up a re-entry sticker for your car, which will expedite your return to the county after an evacuation. Stickers can be obtained from tag offices and Sheriff’s Offices county-wide.

·         Have a plan for your pets as well, including enough food and a way to transport them if you evacuate.

Before, during and after a storm, the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Office will be bringing you up to date information about the event, including protective action orders and recommendations. Information will be available through local radio, television and other media outlets, as well as through Facebook at MCSO – Florida Keys and Twitter at MCSOnews. You can also sign up to receive emergency alert information at http://www.monroecountyem.com/list.aspx and the Monroe County Emergency Information hot-line will be activated during an emergency at 1-800-955-5504.

There are many web sites with detailed information about hurricane preparedness, including Monroe County’s Emergency Management site at www.monroecountyem.com, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office web site at http://www.keysso.net/pio/tropical/tropical.htm, FEMA at www.fema.gov, or their emergency information site www.Ready.gov, the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org,  the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov , and the National Weather Service at http://www.weather.gov.

Body found thought to be that of man spotted floating under bridge

Lower Matecumbe – The body of a man was recovered by the United States Coast Guard Sunday morning, about a mile east of the Channel 2 Bridge. It is thought to be that of the man spotted in the early morning hours yelling for help as he floated under the bridge.

The 56 year old man had identification reflecting a North Carolina address and a Vermont address. His vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe, was found parked at the bridge and had a Vermont license tag.

Two Miami residents fishing from the bridge reported hearing cries for help at 4:30 a.m. and seeing a man floating from the Oceanside to the bayside of the bridge. After attempting to throw him a rope, they called the Sheriff’s Office. A search ensued using boats and helicopters, but the man was not found. The man’s body was later found by a good Samaritan boater, who reported it to the Coast Guard.

Detective Dan Mehler is assigned to investigate the case. There are no obvious signs of foul play on the body which has been turned over to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Detective Mehler is working to notify the man’s next of kin.

Report of man in water; search continues

Lower Matecumbe – Two people reported seeing a man floating in the water yelling for help underneath the Channel 2 Bridge early today. A search has failed to find anyone, however.

A woman from Miami and her brother-in-law told Deputy Dave Stark they were fishing from the bridge at 4:30 a.m. when they heard someone yelling for help from the water below the bridge. The woman said her brother-in-law tried to throw the man a rope but was unsuccessful.

She said he drifted from the Oceanside to the bayside and they lost contact with him. They described him as a white male, 30 – 40 years of age wearing a white shirt.

Sheriff’s dispatchers notified Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Coast Guard and marine deputies with the Sheriff’s Office, all of whom turned out to search. The Sheriff’s Trauma Star helicopter also responded, as did a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard. As of this report, they have not found anyone and no one has been reported missing.

The search continues offshore of the Lower Matecumbe Key area. Anyone with information about anyone missing in the area should call the Sheriff’s Office.

Stock Island man charged for cutting a man with a knife

Stock Island – A Stock Island man was arrested, charged with cutting another man with a knife in a dispute over a woman.

The victim said he and a man he only knows as  “worm” got into a fight over a woman they both had dated. He said he was originally dating her, then she left him for “worm”. After staying with “worm” for a while, she returned to the victim.

He said on Saturday morning, he was on his boat in Boca Chica Channel when “worm” went by in a dinghy yelling profanities. When “worm” got to the Key Haven boat ramp, he threw the victim’s moped into the water.

The victim went to the boat ramp to confront “worm” and a fight ensued. “Worm” pulled out a knife and slashed the victim, cutting his arm.

Deputy Kim Trullender was dispatched to reports of a fight at the boat ramp at 10:45 a.m. He found no one there, but a short time later he found the victim at the Tom Thumb store on Stock Island. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injury. He told Deputy Trullender what happened.

Jeffery “Worm” Ballard was found by Deputy Joe Cortner walking on College Road at 1:15 a.m. He had blood on his face and head, and told the deputy he’d been beaten up by the victim of the earlier fight. He was arrested and charged with aggravated battery. Photos were taken of his injuries and Detective David Brummer will be continuing to investigate. Ballard was checked at the hospital, then booked into jail.

Three burglary suspects additionally charged

Islamorada – Three Miami residents charged with burglarizing a Key Largo home were also charged with burglarizing a cargo trailer full of tools parked in Islamorada.

The three were charged with burglary Thursday after a neighbor saw them trying to force their way into a home on Bowen Drive in Key Largo. The neighbor gave the Sheriff’s Office their vehicle tag number and their car was stopped in Islamorada. All three were arrested for burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Inside the car, detectives found 16 assorted power tools in the back seat, including a chain saw, a leaf blower and a circular saw. One of the suspects claimed the tools were his.

On Friday, the Sheriff’s Office received a report the cargo trailer had been burglarized. It was parked less than a block from where the suspects were arrested in Islamorada. The reporting person identified the tools found in the suspect’s car as being from the trailer.

25 year old Yasmany Caballero, 27 year old Judit Reynoso and 31 year old Yosvany Sosa, all Miami residents, were  already in jail and were additionally charged with burglary grand theft and criminal mischief.

Prom and Graduation are coming up – be careful and be safe

It is prom and graduation season, with Marathon’s prom tonight, Coral Shores High School prom tomorrow night and Key West High’s on June 3^rd. Graduations are coming up for all three schools in early June. Many students are planning to attend those events and many also intend to go to parties before or afterward.

Remember: no one wants to end their prom or graduation night in jail or in the hospital, so make sure to follow the law when it comes to alcohol and drugs. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or ingest alcohol. Possession of illegal narcotics is, of course, a serious crime as well.

And parents, it is against the law to provide alcohol to someone under the age of 21, even in your own home under your supervision.

Make sure your teen is safe. Know where they are going and who they are going with. Check in with them frequently to make sure they are safe and sober. No one wants a student in Monroe County to wind up dead or badly injured because they made the wrong choice and chose to drive while impaired.

Crime rate decreases in Sheriff’s jurisdiction

The crime rate in those areas patrolled by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office decreased in 2012, according to a report released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE tracks Major Index Crimes on a yearly basis for all counties and municipalities. Major Index Crimes include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny (theft), and vehicle theft.

“We are proud to say our crime rate continues to go down due in large part to the strong partnership our agency has with the community,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “Our deputies and detectives work hard to keep our community safe and they do a great job, but their job would be much harder without the help of everyone who lives, works and visits the Florida Keys.”

The crime rate in Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction has consistently gone down on a yearly basis since the early 1990s. The number of crimes is now more than half that of the rate in 1991. In 2012, the rate decreased by 3.4% from 2011.

Overall, the change was spread out over all the index crimes. There was a significant decrease in larceny crimes, with small increases in burglary, aggravated assault and robbery. Murders went from one in 2011 to two in 2012. Rape remained the same.

“We are particularly pleased because we saw our clearance rate for crimes increase,” said Sheriff Ramsay. “Clearing crimes in a county with as many visitors as we have is very difficult sometimes. Victims go home and are hard to find, suspects are often from another jurisdiction. Many crimes go unreported for long periods because we have so many part time residents.”

There are two ways to clear a case: by arrest, or "Cleared by Exception", which means an offender has been identified but there is something beyond the agency's control which keeps that offender from being arrested. An example would be that the offender is dead, extradition is denied, or the case involves a juvenile offender who cannot be charged for some reason.

Alert neighbor foils burglary; three arrested

Key Largo – Three people were arrested for burglary after an alert neighbor spotted them trying to force their way into a Key Largo home and confronted them.

The neighbor saw a car drive up to a home on Bowen Drive at 8:40 p.m. Thursday. He walked over and saw two men and a woman. One man was trying to pry open a screen door on the house. The second man was trying to pry open a shed door. The woman was standing beside their vehicle. When he asked them what they were doing, they said they were “looking for family” then they ran to their vehicle and fled.

The neighbor was able to get the license tag number of the vehicle the three suspects fled in. He called the Sheriff’s Office, giving dispatchers the tag number, vehicle description and details of what he had seen.

A notice to be on the lookout for the vehicle was issued over police radios and the car was spotted in Islamorada. It was stopped by Deputy Nestor Argote at the 88.9 mile marker of the highway. The witness was brought to the scene of the stop where he identified all three suspects. A pry bar was found in the rear pocket of the driver’s side seat. Other tools were found in the vehicle as well.

25 year old Yasmany Caballero, 27 year old Judit Reynoso and 31 year old Yosvany Sosa, all Miami residents, were  arrested.  All three were charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools. Their car, a 2010 Honda Accord, was seized for possible forfeiture.

Traffic stop results in drug arrest

Two men were arrested after a traffic stop revealed the presence of crack cocaine in the vehicle they were in.

Detectives with the Special Investigations Unit spotted 26 year old Harold Reece of Miami and 55 year old William Beagle of Marathon in a white Dodge Ram truck on 55^th Street in Marathon at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. They recognized both men and knew they had both been arrested previously for drug related charges. Neither man was wearing a seat belt, and the driver, Beagle, had a suspended driver’s license so the detectives called for assistance from road patrol to pull the vehicle over.

As the detectives followed the vehicle, they saw Reece look back and spot the unmarked patrol car, then say something to Beagle. The two men then began moving around inside the truck as if they were trying to conceal something.

The truck was pulled over on Highway U.S. One. A K-9 team was called to the scene to do a sniff of the outside of the vehicle. The dog alerted to the presence of narcotics. On the floorboard of the truck, between where the two men had been sitting, detectives found a plastic bag with what appeared to be crack cocaine inside. The substance tested positive for the illegal substance and weighed 6.2 grams.

Drug charges on Big Pine Key

A deputy on patrol Thursday night on Big Pine Key charged one person with possession of cocaine and issued a notice to appear in court to a second person for having a small amount of marijuana.

Deputy Chris Fraser turned onto Bailey Road at 8:44 p.m. and saw a large group of people in the street. As he approached, a number of people left but a group of six people remained clustered around a parked van with its passenger door open. As the deputy approached he could smell the odor of marijuana.

Looking inside the van, the deputy saw marijuana in the center console. As he spoke with and conducted searches of the others in the group, he discovered one man with marijuana in his pocket and a second man with marijuana and 4.6 grams of cocaine in his pocket.

22 year old Alain Pico of Big Pine Key was issued a notice to appear in court for possession of marijuana. 30 year old Bradley Whetstone of Little Torch key was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was booked into jail.

Sheriff's Office participates in seat belt enforcement

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office will be participating in the upcoming National Click-it-or-Ticket campaign. This means zero tolerance for seatbelt violations. Make sure you always have your seatbelts on for safety!!!

Did you know:

• Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year. In 2011 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide.
• In fatal crashes during 2011, 77 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were thrown from their vehicles were killed. However, only 1 percent of crash victims who were buckled up were totally ejected from their vehicles, compared to 31 percent of those who were unbelted.
• Motorists are 75 percent less likely to be killed in a rollover crash if they are buckled up.
• Click It or Ticket works. High-visibility enforcement is credited with increasing the national seat belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to an estimated observed usage rate of 86 percent in 2012—an all-time high rate.
• In 2011, of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, 52 percent were NOT wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.
• From 2007-2011, 53 percent of the 121,507 passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes were unrestrained.
• Younger motorists—young men in particular—are most at risk. Among teens and young adults, ages 18-34, who were killed in fatal crashes in 2011, 64 percent were NOT buckled up at the time of the crash—the highest percentage of any age group. The number jumps to 66 percent when only men in this age group are included.
• Pickup truck drivers and passengers are also at risk. In 2011, 65 percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up at the time of the crashes, compared to 46 percent of passenger car occupants who were killed from not buckling up.
• Nationally, 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes overnight (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 43 percent during the daytime hours.
• Motorists should buckle up every time they go out, both day and night. Law enforcement agencies across the country are prepared to ticket anyone not buckled up…no warnings and no excuses. Click It or Ticket.

• While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 20 through June 2, motorists should know that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.
• The national Click It or Ticket mobilization has increased seat belt use and saved many lives over the years, but there is still much more that can be done. High-visibility enforcement and encouraging loved ones to buckle up can turn thousands of lives lost into many more lives saved.

For more about the 2013 mobilization, visitwww.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.

Sheriff's Office honors employees of the first quarter

Employees of the first quarter, honored by Sheriff Rick Ramsay and the Sheriff's Office. Left to right, Victim Advocate Debbie Shepherd, Sheriff Rick Ramsay, Detention Deputy Adelaide Killen and Explorer Kyle Cassidy. Not pictured: Deputy Vaughn O’Keefe.

Distringuished Service award

Capt. Gene Thompson and Sgt. Dennis Coleman received Distinguished Service awards  for dedication and commitment to community service.

Life saving medal awarded

Deputies Garrett Bragg, Anthony O’Dea and EMT Cameron Pottorf were recognized with the Sheriff’s Medal for their actions at the scene of an accident on the 7 Mile Bridge. The three worked together to pull a man from a burning vehicle, saving his life. Left to right, Pottorf, Bragg, Ramsay and O'Dea.

Commendations for work at air show

Deputy David Fernandez (left) and Sgt. Kevin Mimosa received a commendation from Sheriff Rick Ramsay for their hard work during the Naval Air Station air show recently.

Life saving medal awarded

Two civilians, Robert Rhynearson and Mark Mathews, were honored with a Sheriff’s Medal for their life saving efforts at a crash scene in the upper Keys, saving a woman’s life. Sheriff's Aide Donatella Kelly received a commendation for her hard work in contacting all those involved, including the victim who is Canadian and who also contributed a heartfelt thank you to the men for their work saving her.

Dive team trains on Vandenburg

The Sheriff’s Office dive team training this past week on the Vandenburg wreck offshore of Key West.

Sheriff's Office recognized for help with Wounded Warriors

NAS Key West Commander Capt. Patrick Lafere recently recognized the Sheriff’s Office for its ongoing assistance with the Wounded Warrior project. Here he is presenting a plaque to Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

Attorney recognized for contributions to Teen Court

Attorney Manny Garcia (left) was recognized this week by the Sheriff’s Office for his contribution of many hours of his and his associates time to Teen Court. Here he is, left, pictured with Sheriff's Office Juvenile Programs Supervisor  Sherwood “Woody” Hanford.

Traffic stop leads to stolen gun recovery

Key Largo – A traffic stop for speeding in Key Largo this morning resulted in the arrest of two men and the recovery of a handgun stolen in Fort Myers, Florida.

Deputy Matthew O’Neill was on patrol at 2:10 a.m. near the Jewfish Creek Bridge when he spotted a red Mercury sedan traveling at a high rate of speed southbound. With his radar, he measured the speed at 70 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. He pulled the car over at the 106.5 mile marker of the highway.

A check of the two men in the vehicle revealed the driver was a convicted felon on probation and that one of the terms of his probation was he had to give consent to search his vehicle.

Inside the vehicle, Deputy O’Neill found marijuana. He also found a 9mm Ruger handgun which, when checked, turned out to have been stolen from Fort Myers, Florida. Sgt. Jason Madnick, who responded to back up Deputy O’Neill, found drug paraphernalia in the car as well.

The driver, 28 year old Emmanuel Clarke of Lithonia, Georgia and 25 year old Absolum Jones of Newport News, Virginia were both arrested. Clarke was charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Jones was charged with possession of marijuana. Both were booked into jail.

Highway Interdiction Operation

Law Enforcement agencies participated this week in a Highway Interdiction operation in Key Largo and Islamorada, targeting vehicles bringing illegal narcotics into Monroe County
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, officers conducted 69 traffic stops; during those stops they issued 35 traffic citations, wrote 31 warnings, searched 27 vehicles using a police K-9 team. They made ten arrests, with three of them going to jail and the other seven issued notices to appear in court.

Sheriff’s Special Investigations Unit conducted the operation, assisted by the Traffic Enforcement Unit, Homeland Security investigators, and Miami Dade Police K-9 Unit,
The following people were booked into jail:

• Eduardo Vieyto, 27, of Miami arrested for Possession of Cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
• Alexander Mola-Arango, 28, of Miami Beach arrested for Possession of cocaine.
• Leonardo E. Hernandez, 24, of Hialeah arrested for Possession with intent to distribute Crystal Meth.

The following people were issued notices to appear in court:

• John Downs, 29, of Miami Notice to appear for Possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.
• Stephanie Jiron, 22, of Miami Notice to appear for Possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.
• Michael E. Zayas, 34, of Miami Notice to appear for Possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.
• Pedro Manaois Jr, 34, Tampa Notice to appear for Possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.
• Gonzalo Dejesus Correa, 55, of Miami Notice to appear for driving with a suspended drivers license.
• Ivan Hernandez, DOB 22, of Homestead Notice to appear for driving with a suspended drivers license
• Michael C. Luya, 26, of Homestead, Notice to appear for possession less than 20 grams of marijuana

Woman charged with credit card fraud

The employee of an upper Keys business was arrested Tuesday, charged with stealing clients credit cards and selling the information.

The owner of Vacation Travel Club in Tavernier called the Sheriff’s Office after she received information about the crimes. Someone called the business and said two of her employees had been stealing client credit card information and selling it.

Detective Bob Dosh was assigned to investigate. He confronted one of the employees, 24 year old Ashley Spivey who admitted to stealing the credit card information from five accounts and providing it to another employee, who then sold the information to someone in Miami.

Spivey was arrested and charged with five counts of credit card fraud. Detective Dosh is still investigating the case and expects to make additional arrests in connection with his investigation.

Business check for alcohol sales to minors

On May 10, 2013 the Special Investigations Division conducted an operation checking businesses that sell alcohol in Islamorada and the Upper Keys. Eight businesses were checked including restaurants, convenience stores and bars. Three of the businesses served alcohol to minors during our investigations. The three people who sold the alcohol were given notices to appear before a Monroe County Judge.


The following are a list of the Business, and suspects who sold the alcohol:

·         Paradise Pub 102041 Overseas highway Key Largo, Fl manager / attendant –James Joseph Clinton III, DOB 02/04/1967. Notice to appear issued.

·         Big Chill 104000 Overseas highway Key Largo, Fl Bartender – Juan Mata – Adams, DOB 08/11/1971.  Notice to appear issued.

·         Caribbean Club  104080 Overseas highway Key Largo, Fl Bartender – Lawrence Irvin Perkins, DOB 12/16/1963. Notice to appear issued.

The Sale Clerk violations are up to 60 days in jail $500 fine, $235 in court cost, $75 in cost of prosecution, and $40 in cost of investigation.

The Licensee Violations are:

·         1st offense $1000 fine and 7 day suspension

·         2nd offense $3000 fine and 30 day suspension

·         3rd offense Revocation of license.

The remaining business checked, were in compliance with the law.

This operation was conducted in cooperation with the Monroe County Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Community. 

Stock Island man charged with knife threats

A Stock Island man is in jail, charged with threatening people with a butcher knife.

When Deputy Lazaro Valdes arrived on Suncrest Street at 4 p.m. Sunday, he saw a group of people in the area. He also saw 26 year old Yendry Vega holding a butcher knife in a threatening manner, as if he were going to attack the group. He held Vega at gunpoint until backup officers arrived to help.

Investigations and interviews with witnesses revealed Vega had been making noise in the yard of his residence, throwing things and yelling obscenities. A neighbor who is friends with Vega attempted to calm him, holding him in a “bear hug” until he calmed down. When he let Vega go, Vega agreed to go back inside his residence. He returned a short time later, though, with the butcher knife.

Vega was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. He was booked into jail.