CRIME & SAFETY
Fire forces evacuation of West Melbourne hotel
WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. – Firefighters said they worked quickly to evacuate a West Melbourne hotel that caught fire early Thursday. The fire began around 3 a.m. on the first floor of the Fairfield Inn at 4355 W. New Haven Ave., according to Brevard County Fire Rescue. All visitors safely...
Community terrified after alleged arsonist accused of setting neighbor's house on fire
MELBOURNE, Fla. - A Florida neighborhood was terrorized by an alleged arsonist after one home was set on fire, and others could have gone up in flames, authorities said. The suspect, Michael Randolph, was still behind bars on Friday afternoon, but some people are still living in fear after what happened on Tuesday night in a subdivision off Croton Road.
Retired Florida airman stationed at Shaw AFB sentenced for illegally selling TV access codes
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - An airman formerly stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter was sentenced to federal prison after being convicted for providing illegal access to digital streaming services. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Franklin Valverde Jr., 40, of Melbourne, Florida made hundreds of thousands of dollars...
Assault, witness tampering charges against Space Coast Rocket owner dropped in plea deal
Brevard County political consultant Robert Burns pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct Friday, in exchange for prosecutors dropping more serious charges related to an incident last fall in which Burns filmed himself angrily confronting a woman at her Melbourne workplace. A Brevard County court agreed to toss out assault and...
Brevard officers and athletes converge at annual torch run for Special Olympics
MELBOURNE, Fla. — Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across Brevard County converged on Melbourne for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Florida Wednesday. What You Need To Know. Hundreds of law enforcement in Brevard County converged for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special...
ICU patient, visitor overdose after man brings cocaine, pills into hospital
SEBASTIAN — Authorities are working to bring additional charges against a man they said brought drugs into a hospital last weekend, causing him and the woman he was visiting to overdose. Deputies said Forrest Cameron Smith brought 26 grams of powder cocaine and 47 alprazolam pills to Sebastian River Medical Center.
Crime Blotter: April 25
Ricardo Alfonso Barrera, 57, of the 600 block of Stevenson Avenue, Sebastian; Status: Held on $45,500 bond; Charge(s): four counts of criminal use of personal ID information, organized fraud/obtain property under $20K, four counts of grand theft less than $5K, four counts of cash deposit bank item with intent to defraud.
Florida man accused of bringing drugs to ICU patient, causing near-fatal overdoses
A Florida man was arrested for allegedly bringing drugs to a hospital and causing near-fatal overdoses of himself and a patient who was in the ICU at the time. The Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers announced on Monday that Forrest Smith, 47, was found with 26 grams of cocaine and 46 pills of Alprazolam at the Sebastian River Medical Center.
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