FL Club Owner Torches Own Car, Faces Arson Charges

A Fort Lauderdale club owner is facing charges that he started a fire that burned his own vehicle in his nightclub parking lot.

According to this Sun Sentinel article, Anthony Sannizzaro is facing charges of arson. He is the owner of Club Purgatory on State Road 84. read more

Palm Beach County Marijuana Grow Houses Shut Down

In several raids on Wednesday, officials arrested 13 people and uncovered 5 separate grow houses in the Loxahatchee area. These growing operations were all in residential homes and some were operated in the presence of children.

Thirteen arrests related to the grow houses means thirteen players in the drug trade are now out of the loop. Although this article in the Sun Sentinel doesn’t specify, there is a good chance these plants were supplying the area with a good chunk of recreational marijuana use. read more

Dishwasher Disagreement Results in Florida Battery Charge

In Deltona this past week, an elderly couple got into it over how to load the dishwasher. Now, the 82-year old male suspect sits behind bars charged with battery by strangulation.

Although this article from CFNews13 doesn’t make it clear if the couple was living together, the fact that a protection order is in place leads me to suspect they may have been. You see, domestic violence applies to much more than just married couples. read more

Groveland FL Husband and Wife Charged in Arson of Their Home

A few months back a couple reported a fire at their cabin off of Empire Church Road in Groveland, FL. Soon after the fire was extinguished, the fire marshal was called out because there was suspicion about the cause of the blaze. Now, husband and wife are charged with both causing the fire and then trying to defraud the insurance company.

According to this article from the Orlando Sentinel, Detective Arnie Amoros with the state fire marshal  says that arsons often increase during times of economic hardship. He compares them to a criminal, personal “bail out.” Unfortunately for Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Britton, they won’t be reaping any rewards from this bail out. read more

Assault Rifles Responsible for 8 Year Old’s Sleeping Death

In the early morning hours in St. Petersburg several weeks ago over 50 shots rang out and ripped through a Barlett Park home. Inside, 8 year old Paris Whitehead Hamilton was sleeping. Three of those bullets struck the girl, killing her while she slept. This happened in a scene played out many times across the country involving gang retaliation and assault weapons.

It didn’t take long for officers to arrest the first of four suspects in his apartment. What was found there didn’t surprise the police as assault weapons, drug paraphernalia, and firearms are fairly commonplace in the ruthless world of street gangs. This article from the St. Petersburg Times compares owning an assault weapon to any other teenage trend in that everyone involved in that sort of scene wants or already owns one. read more

Domestic Violence Charges in Florida Grow With Economy Decline

Florida domestic violence workers are noticing a frightening trend that they have seen before. In times of economic hardship, incidences of domestic violence climb. Shelters are seeing a definite increase from last year, and last year’s numbers were also a jump from 2007.

When people are laid off and money is tight, frustrations in the home tend to rise greatly. As this article from the Tallahassee Democrat points out men who have been laid off are also home more, which can increase the incidences of violence.

Domestic violence, under Florida law, doesn’t just occur between a husband and wife. Roommates, former spouses, and people who share a child can all be parties to domestic violence offenses. These pairings can go through serious stress when the bills can’t get paid and when the budget is tight, tempers are short. read more

DUI Courts Mean a 2nd Chance in Some Florida Counties

Getting charged with a DUI once is a difficult and seriously stressful experience. Being arrested and charged on a 2nd or third offense DUI can land someone in jail for an extended period of time and change their life dramatically.

Some counties in Florida are helping DUI offenders get the treatment they need with a second chance and a path that leads to sobriety. The goal is to reduce the incidents of 2nd or 3rd offense DUI charges in Florida, which are often the result of alcohol addiction problems.

Currently only active in three counties, DUI courts are typically available for multiple time DUI offenders. They seek to give people help rather than simply push them through the court system. read more

Gainesville FL DUI with Dangerously High Blood Alcohol Level

Not everyone accused of a DUI charge is guilty. It is easy to be arrested by mistake, or incorrectly.

Of course, some people go out for a good time and underestimate how much they have to drink, resulting in an arrested for a DUI . Very few, however, drink themselves to the point of a near-death experience. According to the Gainesville Sun, Tavaris Linell Hills tested at 4 times the legal limit when he was pulled over for suspicion of DUI.

Hills had passed out in his vehicle at a traffic light where he slept through a few cycles of the light. When witnesses came to his aid he awoke and began crying. When he saw the police, however, he began driving again, but only for two blocks.

When he stopped, Hills exited the vehicle and refused to perform any field sobriety tests. He did, however, submit to a breathalyzer that showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.387%. At this level it would not be out of the question for Hills to have died. Instead, he was arrested and taken to the Alachua county jail. read more

Roadside DUI Blood Tests in Palm Beach

In an effort to crack down on drunk driving the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Department plans on stepping up their checkpoints this month. According to this report from WPBF the department will be “out for blood”.

As it stands citizens can refuse to take a breath test when asked for a sample by the police. The Sheriff’s Department plans on getting blood samples from those who refuse, however. This unorthodox approach is nothing new, just unusual to be done roadside.

It seems the department plans on using this more as a scare tactic than a regular practice. When an officer explains “If you refuse we can get a warrant to draw blood”, it may shake someone up enough to get them to consent to the original breath test. read more

Florida Drunk Driver Denied Bail After Accident that Left 3 Children Dead

According to the Miami Herald, a Miami judge ordered Gabriel Delrisco remain behind bars pending his trial this week. Delrisco was behind the wheel of a minivan that struck a vehicle carrying a father and his three children. All three kids, ages 10, 7, and 4, died as a result of the accident.

While drivers typically charged with DWI/DUI manslaughter are let out on bail, the judge decided Delrisco’s record made him an unusual risk. He remains under suicide watch at the Miami-Dade jail.

The prosecution in the case pointed out that Delrisco has had 26 tickets during the past 8 years including one DUI. He did, however, have a valid license at the time of the accident. read more