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1 wounded in Lehigh Acres shooting

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A Chevrolet Tahoe crashed into Caliber Collision, a business across the street from a shooting where one person was injured Monday in Lehigh Acres (Taylor Bisacky / WINK News)

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. One person was wounded in a shooting around 3 p.m. Monday afternoon in front of a convenience store, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

The victim of the shooting near the 7-Eleven at 501 Sunshine Blvd. N. was taken to a hospital and a suspect was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said. No other suspects are sought in the shooting.

A Chevrolet Tahoe crashed into Caliber Collision, a business across the street from the store, at about the same time, employees said, but it’s unclear if that’s related to the shooting, the sheriff’s office said. It’s unknown if anyone was hurt in the crash.

Sunshine Boulevard was briefly shut down but reopened around 4:30 p.m.

No further information was immediately available.


On one year anniversary, mother honors killed son, then sees suspect in court

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FORT MYERS, Fla. Family and friends gathered on Monday at the site of where Adam King, 18, was killed in a hit-and-run exactly one year ago.

“Every day I wake up and I wonder, I wonder what Adam would’ve done in the past year,” said his mother, Tracey Miller.

Miller was also in court on Monday as Adam Costello, who is accused of killing King, faced a judge.

King was riding his motorcycle on Colonial Boulevard when investigators said Costello hit him, then left the scene.

“At first I was kinda really upset but then i thought what better form of karma is that? i mean, i know he knows what today is

AMBER Alert absent from many Lee County cellphones

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FORT MYERS, Fla. Britta Gear saw crime scene vans at the home next door, but her cellphone never went off with notice of the AMBER Alert for the girl who lives there.

“A lot of people said they didn’t get it,” Gear said. “I don’t know why or how that happens.”

Notifications go out through Wireless Emergency Alerts, a public safety system set up through the Federal Communications Commission that sends geographically-targeted messages about imminent threats to safety, including AMBER Alerts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is responsible for the alerts.

Jessica Matias-Francisco, a 14-year-old from Tice, was found safe minutes after the alert was issued Monday morning. But for many in Lee County, their cellphones remained silent.

“I didn’t get the AMBER alert, and I get other ones,” said Julie Rocha, another neighbor.

If Horacio Jones had gotten the alert, he said he would have done something to help the search.

“That’s really bad because I have a big following, so I could have used my social media to spread the word,” Jones said.

But people in other parts of the state, including Collier County and Clearwater, did get the alert. It’s unclear if that’s because of a technological issue or because investigators knew the girl, who was found in Lake City, wasn’t in Lee County.

T-Mobile said no tower issue was to blame for customers who didn’t receive the alert on its system. Sprint said it didn’t have any issues. Other major carriers did not respond to requests for comment. FEMA didn’t respond to a request for comment, either.

Lehigh Acres father accused of shooting, killing son

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LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. A 41-year-old man is accused of shooting and killing his son Monday night, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Jonathan Brunelle, of Lehigh Acres, was arrested and faces one count of second-degree murder after an investigation showed he intentionally shot his 20-year-old son, the sheriff’s office said.

Brunelle called deputies at around 7:26 p.m. to his home on the 4600 block of 28th Street Southwest, the sheriff’s office said. He told deputies his son, Shane Brunelle, was “out of control.”

Jonathan waited outside the home and agreed to leave his gun with a neighbor until deputies could arrive, the sheriff’s office said. Shane agreed to stay with a neighbor until his mother could pick him up.

Shane had scratches on his neck, but denied they were from Jonathan, the sheriff’s office said.

At around 8:19 p.m. deputies were called to the home again — this time on reports of a shooting, the sheriff’s office said.

Jonathan told deputies he “accidentally” shot Shane in the stomach, the sheriff’s office said. Shane was unresponsive when deputies arrived and succumbed to his injuries.

“For something like that to happen just down the road like that … all I can ask is why?” nearby resident Isaac Cartagena said.

No bond has been set. Brunelle will appear in court July 24.

2 found dead inside Lehigh Acres home

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LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. Two people were found dead Tuesday morning inside of a home near Third Street West, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

Brian Patterson, 22, and a young woman were found dead inside of a home on the 3100 block of Third Street West, according to family on scene.

The identity of the woman has not been released.

The circumstances leading up to the incident are unclear at this time.

WINK News reporter Jessica Alpern went live via Facebook near the scene:

No further information was immediately available.

Stoplight fixed at Colonial Blvd., Fowler St.

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FORT MYERS, Fla. The traffic light at Colonial Boulevard and Fowler Street was repaired after an outage Tuesday afternoon, the Fort Myers Police Department said.

Officers were on the scene directing traffic until around 4 p.m., when crews from the Department of Transportation fixed the problem.

No further information was immediately available.

WINK News went live via Facebook from the scene:

Lehigh Acres man receives life in prison for child sexual battery

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FORT MYERS, Fla. A Lehigh Acres man was sentenced to life in prison for sexual battery on a 6-year-old child, the state attorney’s office said Tuesday.

Shane O’Neal Puryear, 49, was convicted of the November 2014 battery, which took place while he was helping the victim’s family prepare for a Thanksgiving celebration, the state attorney’s office said.

Fort Myers man arrested in connection to Lehigh Acres shooting

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LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. A 24-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection to a shooting at a convenience store near Sunshine Boulevard, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Fabian Devon Brunson, of Fort Myers, was inside the 7-Eleven at 501 Sunshine Blvd. N. when he got into an argument with Charles Herzberger, 23, witnesses told deputies. Shortly after, the altercation got physical.

The circumstances leading up to the argument are unclear.

Brunson pulled out a black handgun and fired two rounds of gunshots inside of the store, witnesses told deputies. Herzberger collapsed outside the store.

As Brunson was running out of the store he was hit by an SUV driven by Justin Skeens, 28, deputies said.

Skeens told deputies he saw the shooting as he pulled up to the gas station, feared for his life and began to pull out of the parking lot, the sheriff’s office said. Brunson crossed in front of the truck and pointed his gun at Skeens.

Skeens swerved his SUV to avoid being shot, crossed through all lanes of traffic on Sunshine Boulevard North and crashed into Caliber Collision, a business across the street from the store, the sheriff’s office said.

Brunson was taken to the Lee County Jail and faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into or within an occupied dwelling or vehicle.

His bond was set at $165,000. He is due in court July 24.

 


Debate emerges over proposed Fort Myers Beach boardwalk

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FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. Some nearby residents believe a proposed private beach boardwalk is necessary, but others contend it encroaches on a critical wildlife area where endangered birds nest.

 

Cape homeowner warns others after wild animal kills pet

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. Tracks still mark the area where a man says a wild animal ripped through his lanai and killed his cat two weeks ago.

Now Hank Appleton is on a crusade to raise awareness about the the danger to pets near his home in the southwest part of the city.

“I want people in the city to realize that there is an issue with this and it’s not going to go away,” Appleton said.

The wild animal, which Appleton believes was likely a coyote, punched its teeth through the lanai screen and tore a hole that allowed it to enter and go after the cat, named Jack, he said.

“The entire yard had flower pots and debris thrown everywhere, so whatever happened, Jack went out with a vengeance,” Appleton said.

Appleton has started a Facebook group called Jack’s Place to provide a forum for people to share photos and warn others about coyote sightings in the city.

He wants to spread the word about precautions that can keep pets safe.

“Well, No. 1 is to not feed animals outside of any kind,” Appleton said. “Try to keep (pets) indoors if at all possible. I’m trying to acclimate mine to do that a little bit more.”

Jack was likely trying to protect his sibling when the attack took place, Appleton believes.

“I was so stunned at first and then angry that my property was actually broken into by an animal that really doesn’t belong here,” he said. “And killed my animal and walked off with it like he owns the place.”

 

Cleanup of former Dunbar toxic dump could cost millions

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FORT MYERS, Fla. Residents near a former toxic dumping ground in Dunbar are pushing to get the site cleaned up.

City leaders estimate a cleanup could take anywhere between $3 million and $17 million, and no plans are in place to do so.

No hazardous levels of arsenic remain, nor is there any existing threat to groundwater, the Department of Environmental Protection said, citing recent tests.

Still, many residents near the land only recently found out arsenic was discovered in the soil 10 years ago.

“Clearly the signs point to deliberate conduct by the municipality,” University of Miami law professor Anthony Alfieri said.

Long-term exposure to arsenic can cause cancers of the bladder and lungs, according to the World Health Organization.

“To think now that we could have been exposed to something serious and deadly is traumatizing, really,” nearby resident Annette Miller said.

The potential for damage transcends health concerns, since the mere knowledge of what took place on the site could lower property values, Alfieri said.

The city-owned land, bounded by Henderson Avenue on the west, Midway Avenue on the east, Jeffcott Street on the south and South Street on the north, was used for the disposal of sludge from a water treatment plant from the 1960s until the 1980s. Homes were built around the site during that period.

Of the 44 soil samples taken from the site in 2007, 43 of them exceeded residential standards for arsenic, the DEP said. Three tests of well water in 2012 showed excessive arsenic levels.

The latest tests don’t indicate a threat. Another round of official tests is scheduled for September 2018, though students from the University of Miami’s Environmental Justice Clinic are considering conducting tests of their own.

The students are soliciting phone calls from residents who live or have lived near the site at 305-284-5199.

 

Lee mosquito control seeks $1.5 million piece of land

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ST. JAMES CITY, Fla. The Lee County Mosquito Control District is seeking a $1.5 million piece of land it contends would make spraying efforts more efficient.

Atlanta youth group helps SWFL man rebuild home

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LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. An out of town youth group donated their time Tuesday to help rebuild homes that were completely damaged by an April brush fire.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact 239-369-4001

 

 

Suspect in Fort Myers AMBER Alert faces criminal charge

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FORT MYERS, Fla. An 18-year-old accused of taking a minor from her home without consent is facing criminal charges, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Paulo Mateo Pedro Tomas, of Gadsden, Ala., was listed in an AMBER Alert for 14-year-old Jessica Matias-Francisco, who was reported missing Monday morning from her home on the 400 block of Tyrone Avenue.

Tomas faces a charge of interference with custody of a minor. He remained in the Hamilton County Jail on Wednesday awaiting extradition back to Lee County.

Minutes after the AMBER Alert was issued, their vehicle was stopped by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper on I-75 at mile marker 442. Jessica was unharmed.

Tomas, who is a family friend, attempted to take the girl to Alabama, officials said.

Broward man accused of defrauding Lee County woman

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FORT MYERS, Fla. A Broward County man is facing charges in a fraud scheme that victimized a Lee County woman, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.

Colin L. Ansby, 25, of the 200 block of Northwest 79th Terrace in Margate, is accused of tricking the woman into sending him more than $100,000, the FDLE said. He was arrested and booked into the Broward County Jail.

Ansby was the recipient of the proceeds from an elaborate scheme to defraud victims in Florida and Pennsylvania, the FDLE said. The scheme, known as a business email compromise, used compromised email accounts to convince the victims to wire transfer money they believed was for legitimate business purposes.

The woman thought she was communicating via email with her real estate attorney and wired him the $100,000 for a purchase, the FDLE said. A victim in Pennsylvania believed she received an email from a superior directing her to wire transfer over $20,000 for clothes.

Ansby is facing one count each of scheme to defraud over $50,000, grand theft over $100,000, and grand theft between $20,000 and $100,000.


Body found at North Fort Myers apartment building

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NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. A body was found Wednesday at the Parkway Apartments, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office was called at 9:45 a.m. to the scene at 3458 Hancock Bridge Parkway. The Major Crimes Unit is investigating.

No further information was immediately available.

 

Cape officers won’t face charges from June 2016 shooting

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Christopher Michael Moran, 31

CAPE CORAL, Fla. The Cape Coral police officers involved in the deadly shooting of a man suspected of killing two during a June 2016 shooting spree will not face criminal charges, the state attorney’s office said.

Officers Andrew Miller, John DiGiovanni, Christopher Gugliotta and Robert Reese were justified in their decision to open fire on Christopher Michael Moran, 31, the state attorney’s office said. The shooting took place June 5, 2016, along Skyline Boulevard.

The officers were still on administrative as of earlier this month.

Moran was suspected of killing 54-year-old Jeremy C. Taylor and 26-year-old Sean Strickland and injuring one other person, police said.

Taylor was on a motorcycle on the 2600 block of Skyline Boulevard at about 5:45 p.m. when he was shot in the head. Strickland was working behind the counter at the Circle K at Chiquita Boulevard and Cape Coral Parkway West when he was shot and killed.

The officers shot Moran along the 4900 block of Skyline Boulevard, the state attorney’s office said. Moran’s girlfriend, Maria Rodriguez, and their 13-month-old child were in a red Mazda with Moran when the officers opened fire. Rodriguez and the child were wounded by gunfire but survived.

The officers struck Moran with 12 bullets and grazed him with another, Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas M. Coyne said, according to the state attorney’s office.

Evidence of cocaine, amphetamines and a prescription opioid called buprenorphine were found in Moran’s system, Coyne said.

Police had contact with Moran and Rodriguez earlier on the day of the shooting in connection to domestic issues, the state attorney’s office said.

The Professional Standards Bureau of the Cape Coral Police Department is now investigating the shooting, police said.

Fallen Cypress Lake High student had brain cancer

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SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla. A Cypress Lake High School student who died in March was suffering from stage four brain cancer, an autopsy showed.

The March 18 death of senior 17-year-old Ryan Farrell, who played football and ran track, shook the school community and left classmates grieving. Questions surrounded the circumstances of his death, but examiners concluded it had nothing to do with any football injury.

“These complications would most likely have occurred regardless of coincident trauma,” the autopsy states. “Furthermore, the existence and growth of this tumor likely predated the trauma that had occurred. The manner of death is natural.”

Tumors also lined Farrell’s spine, according to the autopsy.

Those who knew Farrell recalled him as easygoing with a bright future. NCAA Division III schools had shown interest in him as an athlete.

Cape community demands answers a month after toddlers’ drowning

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. It’s been over a month since a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl drowned in a pool at a condominium complex. Now, some residents believe someone needs to take responsibility for the tragedy.

 

 

Relationship rights: What to do if a loved one dies

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FORT MYERS, Fla. Lyndsay Ofaira lost her boyfriend, Steve Pilaroski, last week after he suffered a heart attack while working on a construction site in Sanibel. Although she keeps the memories close to her, she’s now fighting to retrieve his property from the impound lot.

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