 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 Click on ads below for access to their websites....
Click on the logos below to go to their websites....
|
||||||||||||||||||
 An arrest means only that a law enforcement officer attests there is probable cause to reasonably believe that a crime has been committed. An arrestee is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ~~~~~~~~~~ Week of February 8, 2010 - February 14, 2010 ~ Monday's Local/State News ~ Manatee
Sheriff's Detective: MANATEE COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- On Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office arrested Kevin Fortune, 41, of 721 65th Avenue East, Bradenton, following an investigation by Detective April Dugan.
According to the arrest report, on the night of June 28, 2009, an unnamed 14-year-old girl was scared to go home because she thought her mom was going to be mad at her, so she just knocked on a random apartment door near her house. She said she asked the man who answered if she could spend the night and she would leave in the morning. She identified that man as Kevin Fortune. She explained that Fortune had a girlfriend or a wife there with him and they all watched TV for a little while. The 14-year-old girl said that Fortune and the woman went to a room and she went to sleep on the couch in the living room. She was asleep and woke up to Fortune having sexual intercourse with her, the sheriff's report said. She said that she sleeps "heavy." She did not know if Fortune wore a condom or not. She did not know if Fortune's female friend knew what was going on, but the female was not in the living room at the time. During the course of the sheriff's investigation, the 14-year-old was taken to a medical facility where a sexual battery exam was completed and the results were sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. When the results came back, they were a match to Fortune. An arrest warrant was obtained by Det. Dugan and Fortune was arrested on that warrant for Sexual Battery of a Victim 12-18 Years of Age. Fortune remains in the Manatee County Jail on a bail bond of $250,000. Kevin Fortune has spent two stints in Florida prisons. In 2000, he was convicted of Burglary and ordered to prison for 3 years, 4 months. He was released in 2002. Then, in 2006 he was convicted of Grand Theft and ordered to prison for 1 year, 6 months. He was released in 2006, after only 3 months in prison. Manatee County court records show multiple arrests for felonies and misdemeanors.
MANATEE COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has arrested Kenneth Dean, Jr., 44, of North Carolina.
According to the arrest report, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at about 9:30 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 3900 block of 38th Avenue East, Bradenton, for a harassment call involving the unnamed victim and her husband, Dean. Deputies learned that the victim has been a repeat victim of domestic stalking and harassment and is in constant fear for her life. The victim and Dean are married and lived in North Carolina. The victim moved to Florida in November of 2009, where her parents live, to get away from Dean. Dean came to Florida and has been trying to have contact with the victim ever since. On Thursday, she took her dogs outside, looked up and saw Dean parked in her front yard. He drove off and drove by several more times. He than moved across the field he had a direct line of sight with the victim's house and she could still see him. That's where deputies found him. Investigation showed several text messages to the victim's e-mail account. Dean was arrested and charged with Domestic Stalking. He later posted a $51,000 bail bond and was released from the Manatee County Jail.
BRADENTON, Florida [NMT] -- The Bradenton Police Department has arrested Destin R. Burkholder, 20, of 5317 16th Street East, Bradenton.
The arrest report said on Jan. 31, 2010, at about 8 p.m., a business in the 1800 block of 59th Street West was burglarized. The victim later said at least $200 was missing. An investigation showed security cameras recorded Destin entering the business and was seen going into the office area and taking money out of the petty cash box and some deposits. Post-Miranda, Destin admitted he used his mother's key to the business to gain access. He also admitted he did take money from the petty cash box, but said he only took $40. He admitted entering the business twice before, prior to getting caught. Destin was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, and charged with Burglary to an Unoccupied Structure and Petit Theft. He remains in the Manatee County Jail on a bail bond of $10,120.
MANATEE COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has arrested Albert D. Vallier II, 28, a homeless man.
According to the arrest report, on Friday, Feb. 5, 2010, at about 2:45 a.m., Kurt and Ronald Smith saw Albert pulling on door handles and looking into vehicles in the 1600 block of 31st Avenue East, Bradenton. They then saw Albert get into the cargo bed of a truck and search through items in the truck in the 3000 block of 17th Street East. The Smiths woke up the victim and made him aware of the situation. The witness and victim then chased Albert to the parking lot of 3011 16th Street East, where they detained him and called police. Albert was arrested and charged with Burglary to an Unoccupied Conveyance. As of Saturday, he remained in the Manatee County Jail on a bail bond of $10,000.
BRADENTON, Florida [NMT] -- The Bradenton Police Department has arrested James Howard Matthews, 45, of 1607 9th Avenue West, Bradenton.
According to the arrest report, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, shortly before midnight, Matthews was at 1408 12th Avenue West, Bradenton, with an empty quart bottle in his hand, making verbal threats toward two unnamed victims. Matthews was outside the apartment and the victims were inside when the threats were made. Matthews was told to pick up the empty beer bottle and throw it in the garbage. Matthews said, "Okay." Then Matthews walked toward both victims, who were now sitting on the steps to the apartment and threw the bottle towards both of them. It landed about 1 foot away from them. Matthews was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. He remains in the Manatee County Jail on a $50,000 bail bond.
MANATEE COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- The Manatee County Sheriff's Office reported the pursuit of a vehicle on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at about 9 p.m. The report said deputies had attempted to stop the vehicle, an older model Chevy Caprice, on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. As deputies attempted to stop the car, it sped off and the traffic stop was terminated. the vehicle was spotted again on Thursday. An unmarked sheriff's cruiser got behind the vehicle at 48th Avenue and 24th Street. It followed the car to the 5300 block of 26th Street West and backed off to allow deputies in a marked cruiser to get behind it. The license tag came back to a Saturn. An older model Chevy Caprice was on the stolen car list out of Sarasota. A traffic stop was initiated, but the vehicle began to flee. Deputies initiated a pursuit. The pursuit ended in less than four minutes when the driver bailed out in the 6000 block of Coral Way. A K-9 unit and the sheriff's helicopter assisted, but the driver could not be located.
SARASOTA COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested Randy Lee Bennett, 27, of 4025 Longhorn Drive, Sarasota.
A sheriff's report said on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, at about 2:30 a.m., patrol units responded to the 3900 block of Longhorn Drive on a report of someone stealing an A/C unit from a vacant house. Responding units located and detained a person who was driving a white Ford pickup a few houses away. The person, later identified as Bennett, was sweating profusely, had gloves in the bed of his truck, along with a piece of dripline PVC pipe. Upon further investigation, two A/C units were discovered down the street at Bennett's house, at 4025 Longhorn Drive. Bennett subsequently confessed to stealing one of the A/C units from a residence in the 3900 block of Longhorn Drive and the other unit from the 3900 block of Mesa Drive. Bennett was arrested and charged with two counts of Grand Theft. There was a witness who reported seeing a second person; however, Bennett would not comment on that. The witness described the second person as being a taller White male wearing dark clothes. No further suspect information was available.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- Charlotte County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit detectives are investigating a reported abduction and sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl in the area of Palmetto Cir., Port Charlotte.
CCSO received the call at 9:36 p.m. Thursday. The girl was walking by herself and reported that two men forced her into their car, a sheriff's report said. The two male suspects are described as both being in their mid-twenties. One was described as a Hispanic male, tall and skinny, with black spiky hair, and wearing a red shirt. The other was described as a White male with glasses, tall and thin, last seen wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. Both suspects spoke English with a Spanish accent. A composite photo was made of the White male (See above). The vehicle is an older white 4-door car, with dark tinted windows, and a reflective stripe down the side. If anyone has information about this case, please call Detective Ian Alvarez at 941-575-5361, the CCSO at 941-639-2101, or Crime Stoppers at 800-780-TIPS (8477).
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Florida [NMT] -- The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Fugitive Task Force reported on Thursdday, Feb. 4, 2010, that Ralph Loosman, Jr., 21, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force at a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The CCSO’s Task Force who are members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force, developed leads that traced Loosman to Arizona where he has been staying with family members. CCSO deputies said when Marshals arrived, Loosman had fled and further intelligence learned he was in Las Vegas. He was under surveillance for a few hours Thursday afternoon before Marshals moved in and arrested him for Vehicular Homicide in the death of Alex Teehee, of Port Charlotte. Teehee was at first thought to be a hit and run victim in Charlotte Harbor nearly two years ago, but a lengthy investigation by Florida Highway Patrol determined it was a homicide. A Grand Jury was called and the charges were issued. No other details are available at this time.
ORLANDO, Florida [NMT/WKMG] -- New evidence against an Orlando police officer accused of groping a mother downtown was released on Thursday, Orlando television station WKMG reported.
Included in the discovery release was taped of interviews with Rachelle Cortez, the woman who made the claims against officer Brandon Loverde. "Then he handed me my water and he kneeled down and he started touching my boobs and talking about how nice they were," Cortez said. The alleged incident occurred outside Firestone nightclub after a concert in December. Loverde was working security at the club while off duty when Cortez and her friends were kicked out. "He told me not to move where I was at, where he put me, so I just stood where I was at. I didn’t move, not one bit," Cortez said. Cortez, who turned 21 years old since the incident, told an Orlando sex crimes investigator that Loverde held her against her will and touched her without permission. Cortez said Loverde escorted her to a dark parking lot alone and took advantage of his position as an officer. She said she just had a child and was lactating, and Loverde squeezed milk from her breast, and said he wanted to do more. Loverde was relieved of duty on Dec. 17 and criminally charged with False Imprisonment and Battery. Cortez said she wants the officer fired. Surveillance video taken nearby shows the sequence of events after Cortez was kicked out of the club, but does not show the incident itself. One of the documents released Thursday shows that Cortez passed a polygraph test.
"The Islander" has news, too...click on their logo to go to their website.
(Click on the logos to go to their website)
  |
||||||||||||||||||
