FORT MYERS, Fla. One person was killed after a plane crashed into Chico’s Daycare Saturday morning on Metro Parkway, the Lee County Sheriff”s Office said.

A Piper PA-28-181 aircraft crashed into the daycare center just before 8:00 a.m. at 11215 Metro Parkway during takeoff from Page Field, officials said.

The pilot managed to get out of the plane moments before the plane burst into flames.

“He was staggering down the sidewalk…he was out of the airplane,” said Dan Boggs, the National Transportation Safety Board’s lead investigator in the crash. “Before anybody could get around the corner, it burst into flames.”

The passenger was killed while the pilot was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, Boggs said.

No one was inside of the daycare at the time of the crash, deputies said. The building sustained significant damage.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified, deputies said.

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

No further information was immediately available.

Boggs held a press conference Saturday afternoon with the latest updates on the crash:

WINK News reporter Jessica Alpern was live at the scene:

WINK News reporter Chaning Frampton shared a video from a viewer on scene on Twitter:

#BREAKING – witnesses say a plane crashed along Metro Parkway in Ft. Myers. Cell phone video shows the flames #planecrash #FloridaNews pic.twitter.com/FEyJSlFafi

— Channing Frampton (@ChanningWINK) June 24, 2017

CAPE CORAL, Fla. A 52-year-old woman sustained life-threatening injuries Friday morning in a single-vehicle crash on Midpoint Memorial Bridge, the Cape Coral Police Department said.

Gail Phillipa Smith, of Cape Coral, was taken to a local hospital following a wreck that shut down the bridge for over three hours, police said.

Smith was driving a 2003 Toyota Avalon west in the outside lane of the Midpoint Bridge, police said. Smith’s vehicle spun out of control after she attempted to mover over into the inside left lane.

Smith’s vehicle hit the concrete center median barrier, the right barrier, and rolled over several times before landing on top of the center median barrier, police said.

Smith suffered life-threatening injuries and was transferred to a local hospital, police said.

Speed was a factor in the crash, police said. It is unclear if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

PINE ISLAND, Fla. A precautionary boil water notice was issued for all of Pine Island and the Pine Island Center due to a drop in pressure at the Pine Island Water Association water treatment plant, the association said.

Residents are asked to boil drinking and cooking water for one minute prior to consumption or use bottled water.

Clearance from the health department is anticipated for either Monday or Tuesday afternoon,  the association said.

SANIBEL, Fla. (CBS) A camera lost on vacation was found and returned to its owner five years after it went missing.

Josh Zuelke, of Chicago, took home what remained of the waterproof camera after he spotted on the beach while vacationing in Sanibel.

“It didn’t really look like a camera at the time,” he said. “It was all rusty and had barnacles on it.”

Zuelke carefully cut the memory card from the layered grip of aged calcium and debris, and posted the images on Facebook, determined to find the owner.

Eleven days and 3,000 shares later, Kristin Cirillo, of West Palm Beach, came forward.

“The trip with my family is priceless because we never go on vacation together so those were some really really special photos to be found,” she said.

Zuleke managed to save nearly 200 photos from the camera.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a B.O.L.O., or be on the look out, Saturday for a couple that may be heading to the area.

Stormie Clemmer, 15, ran away from her Alpine, Texas home Thursday with her boyfriend, 20-year-old Andrew Akers. The pair is believed to be traveling in a a black 2000 Ford Ranger extended cab pickup truck with a temporary Ohio license plate, the FDLE said.

The truck has fender flares and five spoke chrome ribs.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Akers.

Anyone with information on Clemmer’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Brewster County Texas Sheriff’s Office at 432-837-3488.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The city opened its first HIV/AIDS mobile testing unit Saturday at Rascals Bar and Grill on U.S. 41.

Operated by the staff at McGregor Clinic staff, the unit is a custom-built vehicle that will provide free HIV test results in three minutes.

Staff members had been borrowing a unit from Tampa, which prompted them to raise $125,000 within the last year to purchase one for the Southwest Florida community.

The unit will open for HIV Testing Day on June 27 at the Walgreens at 3593 Cleveland Ave.

It will also make appearances at upcoming health fairs, businesses, restaurants, clubs and community events.

Click here to see the dates for future events.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The remains of a downed plane were removed Sunday morning from the roof of a day care center on Metro Parkway following a deadly crash.

A Piper PA-28-181 aircraft crashed around 8 a.m. Saturday into Chico’s day care on 11215 Metro Parkway following takeoff from Page Field, officials said.

A passenger was killed. Pilot Anthony Greco, president of the Fort Myers Flying Club, managed to get out of the plane moments before it burst into flames.

Grego was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

WINK News reporter Jessica Alpern uploaded video and went live via Facebook throughout the removal process.

The remnants of the plane will move to an aircraft salvage facility near Jacksonville, according to officials.

The facility was empty at the time of the crash, but the structure suffered significant damage.

The pilot, Anthony Greco Jr., president of the Fort Myers Flying Club, managed to exit the plane before it burst into flames. Greco suffered serious injuries and was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital.

The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct a further investigation once the remains of the plane are removed.

“Planes are a lot safer than cars, and pilots are very well trained,” said Dan Boggs, a National Transportation Safety Board Investigator. I’ve been a pilot for 22 years and you go through a lot of training.”

Following removal, it will take approximately 10 to 14 days to conduct a comprehensive investigation, according to officials.

The circumstances leading up to the incident and identity of the person killed in the wreck were unclear.

MIAMI The ex-husband of Cape Coral Mayor Marni Sawicki is facing a battery charge after a Saturday arrest at the Fontainebleu Hotel.

Kenneth Retzer, 48, of LaBelle, was arrested and initially taken to Mount Sinai Hospital after an altercation, Miami Beach police said.

He was later transferred to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, police said.

FORT MYERS, Fla. A 21-year-old man was arrested after a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy was hit by a vehicle early Monday morning on Palm Beach Boulevard, the sheriff’s office said.

Jesse H. Freifeld, 21, of the 20100 block of Ballylee Court, is accused of driving his light gold Nissan Altima over the left foot of Deputy Morejon, the sheriff’s office said. Morejon was identified only by his last name.

Freifeld was also in a collision involving a Lee County deputy June 12, according to the sheriff’s office. He’s accused of dragging the deputy while fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run crash.

Monday’s collision happened just before 4 a.m. at the intersection of Palm Beach Boulevard and New York Drive in Tice.

Morejon was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries, deputies said.

The collision is under investigation, according to deputies.

Freifeld is facing five charges stemming from Monday’s collision, including resisting an officer, knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license, aggravated battery and fleeing or eluding police.

Those are on top of the charges of DUI and fleeing the scene of the crash he faces from the June 12 encounter. He was released on bond Saturday.

Freifeld is now in custody with no bond set for Monday’s arrest.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The group of pilots whose president flew the plane that crashed into a day care Saturday is stopping further flights until inspections are performed.

Fort Myers Flying Club President Anthony Greco Jr. was injured and his passenger was killed when the plane crashed into the day care at Chico’s corporate headquarters on Metro Parkway.

Accudata Vice President of Sales Marc Scott, 37, was identified as the passenger Monday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Certified aircraft mechanics will perform the inspections, which are on top of the annual inspections the planes have already undergone, Fort Myers Flying Club Vice President Mike Jackson said.

The move is a precaution designed to ensure the club’s pilots of the safety of the planes, Jackson said. The club hopes the inspections are completed in a week.

Greco managed to get away just minutes before the plane burst into flames. Following the crash, he was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, but was not listed as a patient Sunday.

A Piper PA-28-181 aircraft crashed into the structure — which sustained significant damage– around 8 a.m. Saturday following takeoff from Page Field, officials said.

The day care center remained closed Monday, though Chico’s headquarters was open. Parents reliant on child care are able to work from home until further notice.

No one was inside the day care at the time of the plane crash.

The National Transportation Security Board removed portions of the wreckage to be taken to a salvage facility in Jacksonville. The comprehensive investigation is expected to take between 10 to 14 days.

ESTERO, Fla. A proposal to turn a citrus grove, located about four miles from the intersection of Corkscrew and Alico roads, into a development of 1,400 homes has prompted traffic and environmental concerns from nearby residents who shared their thoughts during a public hearing on Monday.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The legacy of a Fort Myers High School student killed while boarding a school bus will live on in stiffer penalties Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Monday.

The Cameron Mayhew Act, named after the 16-year-old student who died in June 2016, subjects drivers who don’t stop for school buses to a fine of $1,500, strips them of their driver’s license for a year and forces them to serve 120 community service hours in a trauma center or hospital.

Zachary Treinin, the driver who hit Cameron Mayhew, was fined $1,000, had his license suspended for six months and was required to take a driving class.

The bill passed the Florida Senate on May 2, 11 months to the day after the collision.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The man accused of shooting a Sanibel police officer in November was kicked out of court Monday after causing a commotion.

Jon Hay, who is charged with attempted first-degree murder on a law enforcement officer, began to lash out at his lawyer during a competency hearing.

“Don’t talk to me,” Hay said. “I don’t want you as my counsel. All I wanted was a ‘Nelson hearing.’ That’s all I wanted.”

A “Nelson” hearing is one regarding a defendant’s wish to remove a court-appointed lawyer.

Judge Bruce Kyle ordered officers to remove Hay from the courtroom. Hay is scheduled to appear in court again next month.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The NAACP invited community members to ask Fort Myers officials Monday about the goals of the city’s police department and the black community.

But there were more police officers, who were required to attend, than members of the public among the few dozen who showed up for the NAACP Supports FMPD/Law Enforcement Town Hall.

Chief Derrick Diggs, who’s made community outreach one of his primary focuses since taking over the job in August, nonetheless called the forum at Dunbar High School successful.

“Any time we can go and meet the community, talk to the community, get involved with the community, that’s a success,” Diggs said.

Some of the few who attended said they see racial inequality in the police department, which was the subject of a scathing audit released in February.

“Not only are they discriminating against the community, the Freeh report detailed how black and minority officers are treated differently from their white colleagues in their own agency,” community activist Anthony Thomas said. “So you can put sugar on top of this manure, but it’s still manure.”

The audit, conducted by Freeh Group International Solutions, LLC., a Delaware-based risk management firm hired by the city to review the department, recommended steps be taken to improve community engagement.

Diggs, who began a series of outreach programs months before the audit’s release, contends his officers are professionals trained to be sensitive and treat everyone equally.

“Our officers can recognize if we’re not communicating the way we need to communicate,” Diggs said.

City officials say they’re working to make it easier for people to file complaints against the police department. Only two were brought forward Monday.

Shirley Chapman, first vice president and education chair of the Lee County NAACP, said she’s noticed progress.

“I see them (police officers) in the community more often without having to be called, and they seem to be in a friendlier nature,” Chapman said.

This story is the latest in WINK News’ continuing series about the FMPD audit.

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. A 14-year-old girl was found in Indiana with several other missing children, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

The girl is safe and doing well, a family member said. The girl’s sister-in-law identified her as Catarina Castro.

The sheriff’s office initially believed Castro may have been a human trafficking victim, but U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement determined neither human trafficking nor human smuggling investigations were warranted.

An alert was sent out through an organization called “A Child is Missing,” but the situation did not meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert, Lee County deputies said.

Castro, who had just immigrated from Guatemala, left Lehigh Acres in search of work, said Dulce Guerrero, her sister-in-law. The family is trying to raise money to bring her home from Indiana.

Deputies were initially called Saturday to her home on the 800 block of Chipley Street East when the family wasn’t sure of her whereabouts.

After several attempts, the family was able to make contact with the girl.

The family told deputies Castro was in a vehicle with a woman who was taking her to someone who could provide employment so she could repay her family for bringing her to the U.S., the sheriff’s office said.

Following the initial call, the sheriff’s office Major Crimes Unit and Fugitive Warrants Unit coordinated with the U.S. Marshal Service and Homeland Security Investigations to find Castro, according to deputies.

ST. JAMES CITY, Fla. It’s a question of what’s worse — mosquitoes or the fight against them.

The Lee County Mosquito Control District, which uses Buckingham Airport in Lehigh Acres for its aerial spraying efforts, wants to buy the private Woodstock Airport on Pine Island, arguing it’s a more efficient location.

But residents like Debbie Memoli, who works across the street from the Woodstock Airport, are concerned about noise, air traffic and the lack of information they’ve received about the district’s plans.

“I just don’t think it’s right,” she said. “I look out here 10 hours a day, this is where my office is and I’m not happy about it.”

Memoli heard about the plans a couple of weeks ago through a rezoning notice in the mail, she said.

“There hasn’t been hardly any information on it,” she said. “We don’t have plans on it; we don’t know what they’re doing with it.”

Shelly Redovan, deputy director of the district, said the purchase wouldn’t cause a significant change in flight patterns and will allow helicopters to fly directly to marsh areas.

“You could actually leave a helicopter or a couple of helicopters there during the evening and then start up the next day straight from there, as opposed to the transition time coming from Buckingham out there” Redovan said.

The district will make its case at a public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at the Pine Island Fire Department on 5700 Pine Island Rd. in Bokeelia.

FORT MYERS, Fla. Junior golfers can work on their trajectory and distance this summer at the Summer Junior Golf Academy.

Clinics take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday through July 31 at Alico Family Golf on 16300 Lee Road. The cost is $35 for children ages 5 to 16.

For more information, visit the golf academy’s website.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. A couple accused of abusing their foster and adopted children appeared in court Tuesday morning.

Cape Coral residents Daniel Wayne Spurgeon, 47, and Janise Rae Spurgeon, 52, were arrested in July 2016 after three of their 10 children managed to escape and find help from someone at a nearby restaurant.

The children were extremely intoxicated when they were found and said their father had given them alcohol, according to a police report.

The couple is facing multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. Daniel is also facing a sexual assault charge for allegedly molesting some of the children.

All of the children remain in protective custody.

WINK News reporter Michelle Kingston is tweeting live from the court room.

I’m back in court today for the Spurgeons hearing. It is expected to last all day.

— Michelle Kingston (@MKingstonWINK) June 27, 2017

FORT MYERS, Fla. A 23-year old mother accused of neglecting a young child with a gunshot wound was arrested Monday, the Fort Myers Police Department said.

Shanquisha Lashay Upshaw, of Lehigh Acres, and her 4-year-old daughter were staying with a friend on the 2000 block of Pauldo Street when the child accidentally shot herself in the leg, police said.

Upshaw knew there was a gun in the home and that it was not properly secured, police said. Upshaw told friends and family the child had injured her knee while playing at a park.

Upshaw agreed to turn the child over to her father about two weeks after the shooting, police said. The father took the child to Lee Memorial Hospital after a family member noticed she was limping and in severe pain.

An investigation and X-rays showed the girl was suffering from a gunshot wound and still had the bullet in her right foot, police said. The shooting took place sometime between May 31 and June 7, investigators believe.

Upshaw, who remains at the Lee County Jail, is facing charges of neglect to a child with great bodily harm. Her bond is set at $10,000.

She is scheduled to appear in court on July 31.

FORT MYERS, Fla. The Lee County school board voted unanimously Tuesday to pull the charter for the Goodwill L.I.F.E. Academy.

The charter school on 5100 Tice St., funded by Goodwill Industries for students with intellectual disabilities, was suffering from financial troubles. Goodwill decided to close the school a few weeks ago, but said it might consider reopening if money was raised by month’s end.

No further information is immediately available.