In early May 2022, Lake Wales Police began investigating a sexual battery involving an underage victim and an adult male. During the investigation Detectives learned the suspect and victim met on social media and began communicating. As conversations progressed the suspect coerced the victim into sending him explicit photos. During later conversations the suspect used the photos to blackmail the victim into meeting him in person, threatening to release the photos on social media for everyone to see if she didn’t meet. During their first in person meeting, the suspect sexually battered the victim.
On Friday May 20, 2022, the suspect traveled to meet the victim a second time using the threat of exposing the explicit pictures as a reason for the meeting. Upon arrival, Lake Wales Police Detectives were present and took him into custody.
Arrested was 19 year old Alex Lavon Cooper of Lake Wales. Cooper was charged with Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment and Unlawful use of a 2-way communication device. During an interview, Cooper admitted to meeting the victim but denied any other wrongdoing.
Detectives do not believe this is Cooper’s only victim. If you think your child may have been in contact with Cooper, please contact the Lake Wales Police Department. If you have any information regarding this incident please contact the Lake Wales Police Department at 863-678-4223.
Writers On the Ridge: “The Commodore and the Powder Monkey” by Mark Barie
The following is an excerpt from “The Commodore and the Powder Monkey”, the award-winning historical fiction novel by Mark Barie. To read the full story, check out his novel on Barnes & Noble and Amazon in e-book and paperback. Follow the links below for more details.
*****
“I thought I’d find you here.”
Charlie dabbed at her eyes and twisted to see the man who interrupted her time alone.
“Dr. Coldwell,” she said, unsmiling.
“Did you enjoy your dinner?” he asked.
“Yes, very much so,” she answered, turning her back on the man.
Nathan shifted from one foot to the other. The awkward silence seemed to make him fidget all the more. Charlie spoke first, still talking to the open lake.
“You came all the way out here to ask me if I enjoyed my dinner?”
Nathan took a deep breath.
“No, Charlie. I wanted to speak with you.”
“I have no interest in listening to another one of your condescending lectures,” she said, pleased that her anger had such a positive effect on her language skills.
Nathan approached the crate and stood in front of her. He stood in silence until she looked up.
“For some time, now, I have refrained from the consumption of alcohol. And I am much the better for it. And while I can easily tolerate the absence of rum, I am not at all sure that I can tolerate your absence.”
Charlie turned away to hide her startled face. Nathan continued.
“My words of the past have offended you. And rightfully so. I wish to formally apologize and beg your forgiveness,” said Nathan, running fingers through his hair and biting his lip.
Charlie refused to look at him. She doubted Nathan’s sincerity and remained angry with him, sincere apology or not. A snide comment about the stubbornness of men rose in her throat but she swallowed the words. She persisted in her silence. Nathan’s head drooped. He turned to leave. She didn’t want the conversation to end in that way.
“I’m still angry with you, Mr. Coldwell.”
Nathan stood motionless.
“I know. I’m angry with myself,” he said.
“I don’t understand,” she said.
Nathan looked for anyone within earshot.
“Charlie, you are unlike any woman that I have ever met in the past.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” asked Charlie, still suspicious of the doctor’s sincerity.
“Yes. It is the highest compliment I can give you.”
He went onto explain that for all of his adult life, women were treated as no more than the accessories of life, by their husbands, their adult sons, their friends and their acquaintances. Nathan’s voice trembled with emotion.
“I learned by their example, Charlie. But I learned all of the wrong things.”
Charlie’s heart pounded in her chest.
“I make no excuses but I am entitled to an explanation. I was never taught to treat a woman as my equal. And then you came along. When you were a boy, I loathed you because I was attracted to you. When you revealed your true identity, I no longer loathed you. I was afraid of you,” he said.
“Because I am your equal?” she asked.
“No, Charlie.”
The girl frowned.
“Because you are better than my equal,” said Nathan.
Charlie rose to her feet. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. Nathan went on.
“You are so smart, Charlie, and I don’t mean book smart. My brain is filled with the stuff of medical journals. But I know a fraction of what you know, about a man’s heart and soul. You are kind and generous and loving. Even to underserving men like me,” Nathan said, his voice soft, his eyes moist with tears. “And you are the bravest woman I know,” he added, biting his lower lip as several tears escaped and ran down his cheeks.
Charlie trembled. Her voice choked with emotion. She used the sleeve of her fine, blue jacket and wiped at the tears that streaked both cheeks.
“You have accomplished the impossible, Nathan Coldwell. I am without words,” she said.
“I’m not finished,” he answered, his voice stronger and more determined.
She panicked, thinking that his next words might erase all of those perfect words.
“My heart is full, Nathan Coldwell. You need say nothing more.”
“But I must,” he said.
“What is it?”
“I love you, Charlotte Wheeler.”
###
About the Author
Mark Barie is an Award-Winning author, originally from upstate New York. His debut novel, the first installment in a trilogy on love and war, garnered national attention when War calls, Love Cries, a Civil War love story, was designated as a Finalist in the Prestigious Eric Hoffer book Awards. It also won a gold medal for Historical Fiction from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. (FAPA)
His second novel, Sister Marguerite and the Captain, about a nun who leaves the convent and ends up spying for George Washington, received rave reviews and a silver medal from FAPA for its beautiful cover.
Barie’s third novel, The Commodore and the Powder Monkey is about a girl, disguised as a boy, on the Commodore’s flag ship during the War of 1812. This mesmerizing love story triggered an international reaction. The Independent Publisher Group awarded the novel its bronze medal for Military Fiction. More than 5000 authors from all over the United States, Canada, and a dozen countries in English-speaking Europe, vied for these prestigious medals, in what is now the largest book awards competition in the world.
For more information about his work, visit his website at: https://www.markbarie.com
Welcome, World Travelers! Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is Nuts! (Spoiler-Free Review)
by James Coulter
As someone who grew up in the 1990s, I loved the Disney Afternoon. Every day after school, I would hop off the bus, turn on the television, and spend my free time watching cartoons like TaleSpin, Darkwing Duck, and Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers. So I am the target audience for the Rescue Rangers movie. While the show was not my favorite (that honor belongs to Darkwing Duck), I was at least intrigued by a live-action theatrical adaptation.
And then the trailer was released earlier this year. And…well, it was certainly…something!
Chip was a 2D-animated character voiced by John Mulaney. Dale was a 3D-animated character voiced by Andy Samberg. They both resided in a live-action setting where people and cartoons live together like in Roger Rabbit—and Roger Rabbit is also in it! Other characters include those from non-Disney properties like My Little Pony, 2019’s Cats, 2005’s Beowulf. And, apparently, the villain is a character who looks like a middle-aged, overweight Peter Pan.
Again, the trailer was…something!
Most people had no idea what to make of the movie. Some assumed it would be awful. Others, like myself, hoped it would at least be so bad it’s good. But now that it has officially been released on Disney Plus, how is the Rescue Rangers movie? Did these two gumshoes pick up the slack, or is this some crime that slipped through the crack?
In this movie, Chip and Dale reside in a live-action world where people and animated characters live together. They’re both actors who played their respective roles in Rescue Rangers. After its cancellation, they had a falling out and went their separate ways. Nearly 30 years later, Chip is working as an insurance agent, while Dale has converted himself into a 3D-animated character who now makes guest apperances at fan conventions. Both former friends reunite following the disappearance of their co-actor, who has become one of many missing toons in a string of kidnappings. Can the two rekindle their friendship and solve this mystery?
Rescue Rangers is most evidently trying to emulate Who Framed Roger Rabbit by portraying animated characters in a live-action setting. To its credit, this movie surpasses Roger Rabbit in the technical aspect by incorporating characters of various animation styles including CGI, stop-motion, and even puppetry. This variety allows for many creative and clever scenes. One character is a police officer who is a stop-motion clay figure who uses his body to collect fingerprints and other clues. No spoilers, but he’s later involved in a fight scene that truly utilizes the flexibility and pliability of his body in cleverand entertaining ways.
Disney could have easily utilized only animated characters from its official canon, yet like Roger Rabbit before it, this movie incorporates characters from other properties from other studios—some of which you would never imagine appearing in a movie like this. It certainly says something that adult animated shows like Rick and Morty, South Park, and Bevis and Butthead are referenced in a Disney movie, of all places!
Rescue Rangers is unafraid to push the boundaries of the Disney brand. While it manages to maintain its PG rating, and it never becomes too “dark” or “mature” for children, it certainly has plenty of adult humor and dark and gritty moments that nearly make you forget you’re watching a movie that opened with the classic castle logo. No spoilers, but for a company that’s highly protective of its brand integrity, Disney seemed perfectly fine portraying one particular legacy character from its classic canon the way it did in this movie. It was certainly an audacious choice, to say the least, if not a divisive one!
Unfortunately, despite spectacularly pushing boundaries, Rescue Rangers seems to toe the line with a standard plot and characters. Stripping away the “animated characters in live-action” gimmick reveals a standard buddy cop movie with equally standard character beats. Its mystery is solved halfway through the movie—and anyone who’s seen the trailer can guess who the main villain is. There’s an attempt at a bait-and-switchlater in the film, but the switch can be seen coming a mile away. Some of the meta jokes and commentary are cleverer than they need to be, but otherwise, the humor is quite mild.
Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers is not bad. It has too much effort and ambition to be bad. It not only wants to be like Roger Rabbit, but exceed it by pushing the technical and corporate boundaries of a Disney movie, yet none of its polish can add shine to an otherwise generic plot and characters. It’s too good to be bad, but not good enough to be great. Overall, it’s an otherwise entertaining movie.
My recommendation: this movie is best watched with a group of friends, preferably millennials (Gen X at the oldest, Gen Z at the youngest) who are old enough to remember the Disney Afternoon. This is a movie where watching other people’s reactions to it only adds to the overall moviegoing experience. So invite a bunch of friends over, watch this movie together, and be prepared to hear people laugh, gasp, and exclaim comments like, “I can’t believe that happened!”
Sebring Author Earns International Recognition for His Historical Fiction Novel
by James Coulter
A young girl disguises herself as a boy to work as a “powder monkey” on the Commodore’s flagship. There she finds herself stalked by a vicious predator who knows her secret, loved by a surgeon’s mate who doesn’t know her secret, and caught in the white-hot heat of war during the Battle of Plattsburgh in the War of 1812.
The Commodore and the Powder Monkey, the third installment in author Mark Barie’s trilogy on love and war, has been declared a winner in the 26th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards. The book received a third-place bronze medal for military fiction in the group’s international book awards competition.
The “IPPY Awards”, as they are known, is the largest competition of its kind in the world. More than 5,000 authors, from the United States, Canada, and a dozen English-speaking countries in Europe, compete for the prestigious medals.
Barie was both shocked and thrilled when he first received word of the award. “I did not expect an award from such an auspicious body of writing and publishing professionals,” he said. “To be recognized on an international level by judges who are proffesionals in the industry and to be able to compete with established writers across the world, was a big thrill for me. I’m still basking in the afterglow.”
Barie learned from his wife, an expert genealogist, that he had ancestors that fought in the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. That unexpected surprise triggered Barie’s decision to write about all three wars, using love and war as his theme.
He published his debut novel, War Calls, Love Cries, in 2018. His first book earned him statewide and national recognition. He received a gold medal from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association for Historical Fiction and was designated a Finalist in the prestigious Eric Hoffer book awards.
Whether winning the two awards for his first book or the award for his most recent novel, Barie did not expect that his passion would earn him such acclaim.
“A lot of authors suffer from what we call ‘impostor syndrome’,” he said. “We may have written and published a book, but we don’t feel like a real author until someone other than family and friends tells you that your writing is well done.That is the biggest thrill about winning an award. It is proof positive that your writing is professional and worthy of recognition by your peers in the publishing world.”
Barie credits the community in which he grew up for the success of his latest novel. “I was born in Plattsburgh and grew up in the area. Writing about the historic battle which took place there was a pleasure and a privilege. When you write about your hometown and you know the history and the geography, I think that genuine knowledge and real-life experience comes through in your writing. I like to think it makes a difference.”
Barie is already hard at work on his next novel. It will detail the mysterious 1898 explosion which sunk the USS Maine, in Havana, Cuba. The sinking of the Maine triggered the Spanish American War. But the precise details of who and what caused the battleship to blow up are hotly debated even to this day. Barie hopes that his painstaking research will force his readers to consider another and more likely explanation. So far, he has written nearly 10,000 words and expects to have the book published by April 2023, just in time for the 125th anniversary of America’s declaration of war against the Spanish.
“Every day, I wake up and I have a choice. I can write, or I can do research, or I can do marketing. It doesn’t matter. I’m having a blast,” Barie concluded.
The Commodore and the Powder Monkeyis available at Barnes and Noble.com and at Amazon.com. To learn more about Barie and his work, visit his website at: https://www.markbarie.com
Around 3:10 p.m. on Friday, May 27, 2022, the PCSO Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received a 911 call regarding a three-vehicle crash with injuries on CR 547 (AKA Davenport Blvd) at 10th Street North, in the city of Davenport. The Davenport Police Department, Davenport Fire Department, Haines City Police Department, PCSO, and Polk County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the scene.
Upon their arrival, 20-year-old Jose R. Perez Marcano of Kissimmee was found deceased in his Honda Civic. His passenger, 18-year-old Naomi Perez of Kissimmee, suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital as a trauma alert. Davenport PD requested the PCSO Traffic Unit and Crime Scene Investigators to respond and investigate.
Evidence and statements indicate that 80-year-old Robert Drumtra of Haines City was was northbound on 10th Street North at the intersection with CR 547 in his gray 2021 Hyundai Sonata. There is a stop sign on 10th Street North. Jose was eastbound on CR 547 approaching the intersection with 10th Street North in his 2000 blue Honda Civic (there is not a stop sign on CR 547).
As the Civic began to pass by 10th St. the Sonata began to make a left turn onto westbound CR 547. The vehicles collided, at which time the Civic rotated and slid into the westbound lane and into the path of a 2018 burgundy Honda CR5 bring driven by 31-year-old Ginellie Ginel of Davenport, which had just exited a residential area. The front of her Honda impacted Jose’s Civic in the driver door causing significant intrusion all the way into the passenger compartment.
Drumtra and Ginel suffered minor injuries and were both taken to a local hospital. CR 547 was closed in both directions for approximately four hours during the investigation, which is ongoing. Naomi Perez remains in serious condition.
On Wednesday, May 25, 2022, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Walgreens located at 395 Cypress Parkway, Kissimmee, regarding a report of a Carjacking. Upon arrival, the elderly female victim advised an unknown Hispanic male entered her vehicle and sat in the front passenger seat. The male reached over and turned her vehicle on and immediately began yelling at her to not call anyone. The male began to climb into the driver’s seat. The victim was in fear and ran from her vehicle. The male suspect then fled the parking lot in the victim’s vehicle. Detectives were able to locate the vehicle traveling in the area. The vehicle fled upon sight of law enforcement. The suspect abandoned the vehicle in the parking lot of the Wal Mart located at 4444 W. Vine Street, Kissimmee. The suspect fled on foot, but was apprehended in the garden center of the Wal Mart.
The suspect cooperated with this investigation and advised his vehicle broke down in Poinciana. The suspect advised he carjacked a vehicle so he could get Heroin.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to serving our community and increasing public safety. Anyone with information related to this case or any other similar incidents, please contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 348-2222.
A tractor-trailer delivery driver crashedThursday afternoon into the back of the Publix shopping center on U.S. 17-92 West Wednesday and was arrested and charged with possession of 1.6 ounces of methamphetamine.
Michael Calvo, 51, of Cape Coral was making a delivery in the back of the shopping center when his truck tore an awning off the building and hit an unoccupied pickup truck, pushing it for about 200 feet.
Officers say both vehicles were totaled.
Calvo was approached by Haines City Police Officer Alejandro Tejada after the wreck and asked Calvo if he needed any medical assistance. Tejada aid Calvo told him that he thought he was being “pranked” by a television show and resisted exiting the 53-foot tractor.
Calvo’s erratic behavior caused a commotion in the shopping center with many employees and customers showing up to see what was happening. After a few minutes the officer was able to remove Calvo from the truck and asked him what caused his truck to crash. Officer Tejada asked if he had fallen asleep, been drinking or was experiencing a medical emergency.
“I was smoking my meth pipe,” Calvo responded.
“We appreciate Mr. Calvo’s honest response to the officer’s question,” said Haines City Deputy Police Chief Loyd Stewart. “But using meth is illegal and could have cost someone their life.”
A Winter Haven Police Officer has been arrested and charged with Grand Theft and Property Obtained By Communications Fraud (valued more than $10,000).
Twenty-eight year-old Antonio Arias had been on paid administrative leave since March 22, 2022 when a criminal investigation was initiated following information obtained regarding special detail pay Arias received for off-duty details that he did not complete. Arias was taken into custody today (May 25, 2022) at the Winter Haven Police Department where he responded following the conclusion of the investigation.
Below are the circumstances leading to the investigation.
On March 17, 2022, supervision discovered that Officer Arias did not appear to be at his assigned detail as he reported. It was discovered through technology that his location was not at the assigned detail. A Support Captain requested an investigation to determine if Officer Arias was fraudulently reporting time worked for off duty details. On March 22, 2022, a criminal investigation was initiated and Officer Arias was placed on paid administrative relief from duty. The investigation revealed that Officer Arias had fraudulently reported a total of 387.5 hours, where he claimed to have worked an entire detail but had only worked a portion or none at all. The majority of these hours were Officer Arias leaving his assigned detail to other parts of the City of Winter Haven or just outside the City but claiming to be on site working the entire detail.
Officer Arias was called into the police department on May 25, 2022 and subsequently taken into custody. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending disciplinary process.
Antonio Arias was hired as a police officer August 31, 2020 and during his employment, had one written reprimand issued 1/21/2022. He was issued this reprimand when he attempted to take a call for service over the phone; however, the type of call warranted an in person response and later had to be handled by another officer.
Dundee, Florida – Imagine yout on your Polaris ranger a man comes out of the orange groves and hunkers down in the middle of the road like an animal in front of you. You pass by him and he starts chasing you. Your wife starts screaming at him “what do you want” and he’s growling saying “I want you”. The man allegedly howling with his hands in the air pointing at the sky. He was soaking wet and covered in mud.
This is what happened to a Dundee couple at 1am this morning near the intersection of Scenic Hwy & Welsh Rd. Fortunately the victims called 911. Sheriff’s deputy’s arrive quickly and suspect tried to run but they got him and arrested him. The suspect has been identified as Richard Maness (10/27/1980), possibly of Winter Haven.
Here is an excerpt from the PCSO arrest affidavit (It should be noted that this is an unedited report, victims names have been redacted, of facts by the Polk County Sheriff’s Department. These facts are up for question and everyone is entitled to question the validity of facts by law enforcement in a court of law. The Daily Ridge does not rewrite these facts as some meanings or interpretations could be in error and change context. We hope readers appreciate being able to read the information and come to their own understanding and conclusions
The suspect, Richard Maness, violated FSS. 843.02 Resisting without Violence, FSS 810.09(2)(A) Trespass property other than structure, and FSS. 784.011 Two counts of Simple Assault Threat to do Violence on one occasion.
On May 25, 2022, I was on duty in my capacity as a deputy sheriff wearing my agency-issued class B uniform, badge, and duty belt while driving a marked Polk County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle.
Dispatch advised the nature of the call as a suspicious incident where the reportee (later identified asVICTIM1) advised a suspect (later identified as Richard Maness) was currently chasing him and his family as they were on a Polaris Ranger. The reportee was able to provide a suspect description as a white male with dirty shorts who was wet and muddy.
Upon arrival at Scenic Highway/ Welsh Road, Dundee, I arrived at the dispatch location and observed the suspect who matched the description. The suspect was seen walking northbound on the shoulder side of the road. I was in my marked patrol car and we both made eye contact. As I exited my vehicle I gave the suspect lawful orders to come here multiple times. The suspect turn around and we made eye contact again. The suspect refused to follow any direct orders and continued to walk away. The suspect then fled on foot heading northbound into an orange grove.
The suspect fell to the ground and as I was attempting to put handcuffs on the suspect he began to brace, pull away, and refused to comply with my lawful orders. I advise the suspect he was under arrest and was able to secure the suspect in handcuffs. Your affiant read the suspect’s Miranda warnings and post Miranda the suspect admitted to being in the orange grove during this incident. The suspect then stated the reason he was chasing after the victims were because they were chasing after him. The suspect advised when he observed me as a Law Enforcement Officer and ran away from me because he was trying to help people. The suspect violated FSS. 843.02 Resisting without Violence.
I made contact with VICTIM1 and VICTIM2 who advised they were attempting to get away from the suspect due to the suspect chasing after them and yelling at VICTIM2 he wanted her. Due to the suspect’s actions, he placed VICTIM1 and VICTIM2 in well-founded fear fearing for their safety, and believed if the suspect would have caught up to them he would have harmed them. The suspect violated FSS. 784.011 Two counts of Simple Assault Threat to do Violence.
VICTIM1 and VICTIM2 both observed the suspect exit from the orange grove and during my foot pursuit the suspect was attempting to enter the orange grove again. The orange grove has an agency agreement with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and is posted around the orange grove stating “NO TRESPASSING by order of THE SHERIFF” therefore, he violated FSS. 810.09(2)(A) Trespass property other than structure.
A Lakeland man who had a PCSO warrant for his arrest was taken into custody in Volusia County on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 for two counts of possession of child pornography (F3).
The investigation began when PCSO detectives received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) about 71-year-old Donald Eugene McClendon, Jr. who was online pretending to be a female named “Teresa” and engaged in explicit sexual conversations with an unknown male minor.
During the investigation, detectives located flash drives belonging to McClendon which contained two images of children as young as 5-years-old being sexually battered. McClendon was not at the residence, but was staying with a relative in New Smyrna Beach.
Working with the New Smyrna Beach Police Department, PCSO detectives located McClendon and took him into custody.
McClendon told detectives that he was pretending to be a 16 or 17-year-old female online and used a photo of a minor girl as his profile picture. McClendon also admitted the flash drives that contained the child pornography images belonged to him. All of his devices were seized and will be examined – if any additional files containing child pornography are found, he will be charged accordingly.
“I am grateful for the hard work of my detectives and organizations like NCMEC who vow to protect our children from sexual exploitation and abuse. This investigation is still ongoing – more charges related to the felony possession and distribution of images and videos of children being sexually battered are possible after we do a complete forensic analysis on his devices.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
McClendon is currently in the Volusia County Jail being held with no bond on the Polk County warrant. He will be transferred to the Polk County Jail. His previous criminal history includes a charge of Aggravated Battery and Domestic Violence Battery. The attached PCSO jail mugshot is from his May 5, 2022 arrest.
