A Sebring woman pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of DUI manslaughter and three counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, stemming from a deadly head on crash on the night of January 17, 2022. Zasha Colon was driving the wrong way on Sebring Parkway while drunk, resulting in the head on crash that killed a 32-year-old Sebring man and a 4-year-old child. According to a report made by a Florida Highway Patrol homicide investigator, Colon had a blood alcohol level that was well over the legal limit following the tragic crash. Colon was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 15 years of probation. She will also have a permanent revocation of her license as well as various other sanctions, fines and restitution.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has identified three men and one woman, all from Colombia and in this country illegally, who he says are responsible for high-end burglaries at the homes of Asian-American and other business owners. Sheriff Grady Judd described the group as "professional burglars" who do their due diligence, starting with photographing the businesses. Judd says they had "no fear," despite all having a history with federal immigration enforcement. One of the four is in custody in Polk County, a second is in the Pinellas County jail, a third has been deported to Colombia, and no one knows where the fourth is.
There’s good news to report in the search for a missing woman. Alabama’s Lea Marie Lankford was reported missing this week after she didn’t show up at work following a vacation in Orlando last week. The 37-year-old was last seen at a hotel on University Boulevard. Fox 35 reports officials in Alabama announced yesterday Lankford was found safe. No details were released.
Hurricane Ernesto is expected to create dangerous surf conditions along Central Florida’s coast. The National Weather Service in Melbourne says the distant storm system will generate strong swells, leading to a high risk of rip currents at area beaches today and into the weekend. There is currently a moderate risk of rip currents in effect between Flagler County and the Volusia-Brevard County Line.
An Orlando man is accused of threatening violence against companies that support Israel. The U.S. Justice Department announced yesterday Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen was indicted last week. The 43-year-old is accused of threatening to use explosives and destruction of an energy facility. The charges date back to June when he allegedly smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind threatening letters. In the letters, he allegedly threatened to destroy or explode everything in America, especially companies and factories that support what he calls the racist state of Israel. Hnaihen is also accused of breaking into a solar power generation facility in Orange County, destroying solar panel arrays, smashing panels, cutting wires and targeting critical electronic equipment. Deputies arrested Hnaihen last month after he allegedly left a threatening letter at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
Investigators are trying to figure out what caused a school bus carrying more than two dozen students to catch fire in Brevard County early yesterday morning. Palm Bay officials say the bus was heading to Life Changers Christian Academy when it became engulfed in flames near Bass Pro Drive. The driver and all 29 students on board were able to safely evacuate before the fire quickly burned through the interior of the bus. Everyone was checked by paramedics at the scene.
New College of Florida is accused of committing a brazen act of censorship. That’s what the ACLU of Florida said yesterday after the Sarasota school threw out hundreds of books from its library. School officials say it was weeding out books that are old, damaged or no longer serve the college’s needs. The school also removed a separate set of books about gender studies. The ACLU of Florida says this is a clear and dangerous signal of the extent to which political interference is poisoning our educational institutions.
More than two dozen rural communities in the Sunshine State are getting help to boost the economy. FloridaCommerce is giving out more than one-point-five-million dollars in grants for a variety of job creation efforts. Twenty-five cities, counties, and organizations, mainly located in north and central parts of the state, will use the money to help redevelop their local infrastructure. Since 2019, FloridaCommerce has awarded nearly six-million dollars in grants to more than 90 communities.