The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting a fatal crash has occurred on Causeway Boulevard near 86th Street in Tampa.The crash occurred about 2:25 a.m. Sunday.
According to the FHP a 38-year-old Winter Haven man, riding a motorcycle, was killed when he ran into the back of a semitruck tractor at “a very high rate of speed,”
The motorcyclist was headed West on Causeway Boulevard, when it failed to slow and crashed with the truck in front of him, driven by a 48-year-old Winter Haven woman, FHP said. He was ejected from the motorcycle and landed on the North shoulder of the road.
The Highway Patrol did not release the names of the victim or the truck driver.
Winter Haven, Florida – The Winter Haven Police Department has arrested Brian Bell Sr. (DOB 09/21/1987) for Domestic Violence By Strangulation and Knowingly Abusing Child Without Bodily Injury.
According to a report from the Winter Haven Police Department the incident occurred on February 7, 2021. According to the report the suspect (Brian Bell Sr) attacked a female juvenile. Police were alerted to the incident by a family member of the victim.
According to the arrest affidavit Brian Bell Sr., is accused of brutally attacking the juvenile girl at a home at 902 9th St NE. The girl was witnessed to have numerous injuries to include a bloody nose, bruises and swelling on her forearms/wrist, and a laceration to her left foot. The victim was transported to Bartow Regional Medical Center, for medical care.
X-Ray and CT scans were administered with no fractures discovered. Mild bleeding from the left nostril with dried blood, closed head injury without loss of consciousness, left foot pain (laceration), bilateral wrist pain, and traumatic ecchymosis of left and right wrists were noted by medical staff. Two sutures were applied to the victim’s left foot (plantar). was later discharged.
Winter Haven Police interviewed the victim who advised while she was in the living room the suspect struck her repeatedly about the head and upper body with open hands, closed fists and bloodied her nose. The victim also alleged the suspect, grabbed her by her hair and physically forced her into the kitchen. As the attack continued dishes were knocked to the floor shattering and cutting her foot. The affidavit goes on to say that the suspect then started chocking the victim from behind cutting off her airway. It was only after her two other juveniles approached that he let go.
The suspect was apprehended on 02/20/2021 in a traffic stop for having an expired tag and driving on suspended license.
The suspect also has a domestic violence charge from allegedly abusing his wife on February 8, 2021. According to that affidavit the abuse occurred after an argument regarding the suspects alleged drug addiction.
Bell has additional domestic battery charges prior to these two incidents.
A hospital employee was arrested on Thursday night after stealing more than $900 in cash from a COVID-19 patient’s wallet.
Yolanda Curtis-Deliz, 46, is charged with grand theft. Curtis-Deliz works as a certified nursing assistant at AdventHealth Heart of Florida.
Curtis-Deliz was working in an area of the hospital restricted for COVID-19 patients when the victim was admitted on Feb. 19. The patient placed his wallet in a bedside table drawer when Curtis-Deliz insisted that he go to the bathroom to “freshen up” while she “refreshed” the room.
When the patient exited the bathroom, he noticed the table where his wallet had been placed was turned in a different direction and the drawer opened. The patient happened to be a former law enforcement officer and was cognizant of the way the room was prior to leaving for the bathroom. After he returned, he opened his wallet to find that $920 had been taken.
Curtis-Deliz was working in the COVID-19 ward of the hospital. During the course of the investigation, it was learned that Curtis-Deliz had an active warrant out of Osceola County for dealing in stolen property and providing false information to a pawn broker.
“Curtis-Deliz does not represent the fine people working in the healthcare industry who have taken tremendous risk and worked tirelessly to care for patients during this global pandemic,” Chief Jim Elensky said. “Her egregious actions are unconscionable. I’m grateful for the hospital administration who were incredibly transparent, helpful and worked closely with us throughout the course of this investigation.”
Detectives are currently investigating similar incidents at AdventHealth Heart of Florida. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Haines City Police Department at 863-421-3636. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477 (TIPS).
Lake Alfred, Florida – A Lake Alfred 18 yr. Old has been arrested and charged with Sexual Battery By Custodian With Victim Under 12 Yrs Old. According to an arrest affidavit by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office the incidents which led to the arrest had been going on since the victim was 3yrs old and the suspect, Wilburn-Saviano was 16.
According to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office report the victim advised a care giver on January 31, 2021 that the suspect had put his “pee pee in my butt”. The suspect was confronted by family in a recorded phone call and the suspect allegedly admitted to molesting the child twice.
The following is an excerpt from the arrest affidavit:
On 2/23/21, an interview was conducted with the suspect, Christopher Wilburn-Saviano, at his residence located in Lake Alfred. During the interview, Christopher confessed to engaging in penile/anal sexual intercourse as well as penile/oral sex with the victim, when he (Christopher) was 16-years-old and the victim was 3-years-old between two (2) and five (5) times. Christopher confessed to engaging in penile/anal sexual intercourse as well as penile/oral sex with the victim, when he (Christopher) was 17-years-old and the victim was 4-years-old between two (2) and five (5) times. The suspect confessed to engaging in penile/anal sexual intercourse on one (1) occasion when he (Christopher) was 18-years-old and the victim was 5 years-old.
According to the arrest affidavit probable cause was established to charge Christopher Wilburn-Saviano with a violation of FSS 794.011 Custodial Sexual Battery of a Child (Defendant 18yoa or older / Victim < 12yoa) by engaging in penile/anal sexual intercourse with the victim while babysitting the victim. Probable cause was established to charge Christopher Wilburn-Saviano with two (2) violations of FSS 794.011(2) (b) Sexual Battery of a Child (Defendant < 18yoa / Victim < 12yoa) by engaging in penile/anal sexual intercourse with the victim while babysitting the victim once while the victim was 3yoa and the suspect was 16yoa and once when the victim was 4yoa and the suspect was 17yoa.
Currently Christopher Wilburn-Saviano is in custody and not eligible for bond.
Winter Haven High School student arrested after a loaded handgun was found inside of his backpack. No students or faculty were injured.
On 2-26-2021, during class change, a teacher at Winter Haven High School smelled marijuana when he encountered 18 year-old DeShawn Lee Williams (DOB 8-24-02). The teacher sent an email to the school administration and an assistant principal responded to the room. The assistant principal asked Williams to allow his backpack to be searched. Williams refused and actively resisted causing both Williams and the assistant principal to fall to the floor.
A radio call went out and the school resource officer responded where he was able to gain control of Williams. As the backpack was searched by school officials, they found a loaded handgun inside. Further investigation found that the gun was stolen from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. No drugs were found in the backpack.
“I applaud this teacher for acting on a suspicion,” Public Safety Director Charlie Bird said. “This could very well have prevented something much more serious from occurring, whether on campus or off.”
Williams was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail on the following charges: Possession of a Weapon o School Grounds (F.S. 790.115(2)(B) Carry Concealed Firearm (F.S. 790.01(2) Possession of Stolen Handgun (F.S. 812.014(2)(C)5 Battery on School Employee (F.S. 784.081(2)(C) Resisting Officer W/O Violence (F.S. 843.02
Motorcyclist killed in crash on Burns Avenue in Lake Wales
On Thursday February 25, 2021 at around 4:18 PM, emergency
personnel including Lake Wales Police, Lake Wales Fire and Polk County EMS
responded to a vehicle crash on Burns Avenue at 9th Street in Lake
Wales. After emergency personnel arrived, it was learned that a blue 1981 Honda
motorcycle being driven by 30 year old Max Beagen of Lake Wales had collided
with a 2017 Buick Sedan being driven by 84 year old Allen Carmean of Lake
Wales.
During the initial investigation, it was learned that Beagen, along
with his passenger, 19 year old Alanna Goodson of Lake Wales, were traveling
East on Burns Avenue. Carmean, the lone occupant of the Buick, was traveling
North on 9th Street and had stopped at the stop sign at Burns
Avenue. For unknown reasons, Carmean pulled onto Burns Avenue in an attempt to
travel West, directly into the path of the motorcycle.
When the vehicles collided both Beagen and Goodson were thrown from
the motorcycle critically injuring Goodson. She was treated at the scene and
then transported by air to Lakeland Regional Health with life threatening
injuries. She later died while being treated there. Beagen was first
transported to Advent Health in Lake Wales before being transported by
ambulance to Lakeland Regional Health for non-life threatening injuries.
Carmean was also transported to Advent Health in Lake Wales with non-life
threatening injuries.
If you have any information regarding this crash, please contact
Officer Sean Robertson or Officer Rocky Meyers at the Lake Wales Police
Department at 863-678-4223.
Working with the youth of our community is second nature to Officer Derrick Doles – even after retirement. Derrick Doles starting with the Winter Haven Police Department as a dispatcher in 1989 moving to Police Officer in 1991. His 28 year career with the agency has been anything but typical. Officer Doles is an avid cyclist who has a huge heart for our youth. He led the Department’s PAL Unit and made a huge impact on hundreds of kids’ lives. Doles was instrumental in partnering PAL with the Chain of Lakes Achievers, a Winter Haven Organization dedicated to guiding youth through their school studies and helping carve a path for success. He was the Vice President of the State PAL Board and is currently Sergeant at Arms. During his career, Doles served on the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and was a School Resource Officer at Denison Middle School until retirement. Retired? In one sense of the word yes. He has remained a Reserve Officer with the Department and serves regularly at Winter Haven Christian School watching over the campus and continuing to mentor the youth he encounters.
Appliance thefts continue to occur at new home construction sites. On Feb. 16 around 1:21 a.m., the vehicle shown, appearing to be a newer silver or white Ford F150 Crew Cab, went to a new home on Lake Smart Circle and backed into the garage. When the site manager arrived later in the morning, he found the range, worth $600 missing from the home and the refrigerator moved, possibly staged for a return trip. The truck has a tag on the front. It’s hard to make out, but someone may recognize it. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Detective Maldonado at 863-291-5676.
Lakes Wales Director Living Dream Of Filming Feature Movie
by James Coulter
Growing up, Willie Young loved making up his own stories with his action figures. Now he’s filming his stories behind the lens of a camera.
This Lake Wales director recently started his own film company, Brave Eagle Production. He previously filmed three short films, and he is currently working on filming a feature-length movie.
Growing up in Lake Wales, Young loved watching movies by Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, mainly action movies starring actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was always a storyteller at heart. The stories he saw play out on the big screen inspired him to create his own stories. He wanted to tell these stories as an actor and later as a director.
“There are so many great stories out there that haven’t been told yet,” he said. “Everyone has a story to tell, and if I had the opportunity to help people tell that story or to give to them help bring that vision to life, come up with an idea for that vision, that was pushing me forward to just see the smiles on people’s faces or see their reaction when they see my work.”
For the longest time, Young had been running track and field. His athletic prowess made other people, including himself, initially assume that he would become an athlete. However, upon careful self-reflection, he decided to give up track and field and become an actor instead.
While attending junior college, he wanted to be a voice actor. His friends admired him for his character and considered him a comedian, yet he was too shy to put himself in front of a camera. So, he decided to share his talent from behind the microphone instead, he explained.
“I was not comfortable yet to try to put myself in front of a camera or an audience because I had a lot of stage fright,” he said. “I always get nervous [about speaking] in front of people…so I wanted to take up voice acting.”
His career path soon shifted from voice acting to actual acting through his college’s theater program. He often performed improv, and he acted in a mini-series and even a horror movie. However, his career path took another change when his love for film shifted from acting to directing.
“Things were not hitting what I wanted to with the acting, so that is when I decided to retire from acting and decided to direct my own stuff and put out my own work,” he said. “That is what really launched me to direct my own stuff.”
Young received a scholarship to attend a two-year college. He attended Arkansas State University. There he started his work on his initial project filming a documentary. However, things did not work out as he had planned, and his project evolved from a documentary to three short films.
He officially launched his company, Brave Eagle Production. Through his company, he released his three short films. They were initially filmed for practice, and the experience he gained filming them he is now using to direct a feature-length film.
Though he is tight-lipped about it, he explained that “Slim,” his new short film, was born from 18 pages of an unused script from his previous projects.
“I figured out a way to turn it into a short film script,” he said. “I sent it to a few scriptwriters to get it reviewed, and one of them is an award-winning writer. She absolutely loved it, [told me] don’t change anything. This is something that needs to happen, something needs to be talked about, and that is where I am right now.”
Through his career, he remains diligent working with his staff. He has shown that he loves working with the people he works with and the films he works upon, explained one of his staff members, Donisha Hayward.
“With everything that he does, everything he writes about, you can tell he is really into it,” she said. “We can tell that he loves what he does and he is friendly with other people…He is a passionate person, and the stuff he does, he wants people to see his vision for his projects, no matter what they could be.”
Currently, Donisha is a college student attending Valencia College in Orlando. She has lived in Florida since 2015, and she has known Young since 2016. She has worked within over the past five years and helped him launch his company back in 2019.
“When he first started off, it was hard because of support, but once he got off the ground, it has been good for him,” she said. “There is a lot…[to] the way he can tell a story and make it seems realistic, in the way he brings it to life, writing it, speaking it, putting it out there for people to see.”
His love for storytelling keeps him motivated in his work, even during a pandemic. He has so many visions that he wants to share with other people, and he hopes to do so through his films.
“That has been what has been driving me,” he said. “I had a lot of people applaud me for the work I have done, and that really keeps me moving forward…I have been really blessed, I have been reaching out to other people, and other people have been noticing my work.”
He expects to see his production company grow and expand. Upon releasing his trilogy of three short films and working on his new short film, he plans on filming bigger and better projects.
“[My big short film] has my full attention right now,” he said. “It is a project I am willing to share with the world, and for young men and women out there to be inspired…I look forward to my other projects.”
For more information about his upcoming movies and projects, visit his website at: https://braveeagleproduction.com/
Taylor’s Roofing is currently seeking an experienced, highly motivated Commercial Outside Sales/Estimator to join our growing team.
Experience / Requirements
• Knowledge and experience with multiple types of roofing installation and manufacturers –Modified Bitumen, Single-Ply (EPDM, TPO, PVC, etc.), Tile, Metal Roof Systems, Sheet Metal Trim and Shingles.
• Strong communication skills with owners, inspectors and crews.
• Capable of reading and understanding blue prints and specifications.
• Assist/perform take-offs and estimating.
• Excellent time management & organization skills.
• Basic computer skills including Microsoft and Excel.
• Ordering materials and supplies.
• Scheduling crews.
• Manage job costs and installation quality.
• Ability to lift over 50lbs.
• Valid driver’s license.
Competitive wages and benefits offered. If you are interested in being considered for this position, please email your resume to [email protected].
