Parents attack female middle school deputy, steal her taser, bodycam video shows. Sheriff reacts with profanity-laced tirade.



A Florida man and his wife were arrested Tuesday after they attacked a female school resource deputy, authorities said, citing police bodycam footage.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that two parents — 46-year-old Jorge Rivera and 45-year-old Dagmarie Aponte Iturrino — assaulted the deputy at Deltona Middle School on Tuesday morning.

'To be clear, the only piece of s**t in that video is the mother and father. They're the pieces of s**t.'

The confrontation purportedly stemmed from the couple's 11-year-old son getting into a physical altercation with a girl. The parents went to the school to protest a battery charge against their son that resulted in a civil citation, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood told WESH-TV.

According to the bodycam video, the parents confronted the school resource deputy for accusing their son of being the "primary aggressor" in the incident with the girl.

Video shows Rivera responding, "You failed a kid. You’re failing kids right here. We’re not talking about us because believe me, if it were about the adults we could solve this a whole different level. We are talking about kids."

A visibly agitated Rivera told the school resource deputy, "Why are you so worthless? Do you feel proud that you are this worthless, lady? Shut the f*** up because I pay your salary, you dumb b***h!"

"You are a worthless piece of s**t," Rivera told the female law enforcement officer.

The wife unsuccessfully attempted to get her husband to calm down.

Deputy Julia Curtin asked the parents to leave her office at the school.

Rivera is seen on bodycam video in a school hallway putting his hand in the deputy's face.

Suddenly, Iturrino is seen physically confronting the officer, and video shows Rivera jumping into the fracas.

The officer draws her taser, but Rivera apparently punches the deputy in the head, knocking her to the ground. He then rips the deputy's taser from her hand.

A school employee tries to stop Rivera from using the taser.

Deputy Curtin draws her gun and yells: "Put it down right f***ing now! Put your hands behind your f***ing back now!"

Rivera is seen dropping the taser, and the deputy arrests Rivera and Iturrino.

According to jail records, both parents were charged with resisting arrest with violence, trespass on school property after warning, and disputing a school function. Rivera was hit with charges of grand theft, battery on a law enforcement officer, and assault or battery on specified officials or employees.

Iturrino bonded out of jail Tuesday night, WESH-TV reported. In an ironic twist, Iturrino is a pre-K teacher at Spirit Elementary School in Deltona, according to the school's website. WESH said she's been suspended.

Rivera appeared before a judge Wednesday, WESH said, adding that his bail was set at $42,000.

Chitwood blasted the parents in a profanity-laced press conference Wednesday.

'In training, if you lose your taser, you automatically transition to your firearm. If you take a deputy’s taser, you can almost expect to get shot.'

Chitwood claimed the parents' son "bullied and shoved a little girl." He said that the parents were questioning the deputy as to why the girl had not been disciplined in the altercation.

The sheriff played the video clip of Rivera calling the deputy a "worthless piece of s**t."

Chitwood lambasted the parents, "To be clear, the only piece of s**t in that video is the mother and father. They're the pieces of s**t."

He continued, "They attacked my deputy; she suffered a concussion."

Chitwood declared that Iturrino "deserves to be fired" from her teaching job for her role in the alleged assault of the deputy.

"I'm not gonna have pieces of s**t like that come in and attack a deputy doing their job and not expect that they're not going to be held accountable for that," Chitwood proclaimed.

The sheriff noted, "To say I’m furious is beyond. There's no reason I got a deputy home with a concussion for something so goddamn trivial." He said the deputy will be on bed rest for four days, WESH reported.

Chitwood pointed out, "In training, if you lose your taser, you automatically transition to your firearm. If you take a deputy’s taser, you can almost expect to get shot. ... Thank God that’s not what happened in these close grounds."

What's more, Chitwood said the battery charge for the couple's son was not a criminal charge but a civil citation, according to WESH.

"You go before the judge," Chitwood said, according to WESH. "The judge looks at the evidence, and then a judge would impose sanctions, whether it's counseling, community service, whatever it is, and then the whole thing goes away."

Content warning: Language:

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Multi-millionaire hired numerous hitmen in murder-for-hire plots against wife — then killed himself as cops closed in: FBI



A prominent south Florida developer hired numerous hitmen to kill his wife of 32 years, according to the FBI. The multi-millionaire reportedly killed himself just as law enforcement officials were closing in on him.

The FBI said they have recorded phone calls that have incriminated several suspects accused of traumatizing Tatiana Pino — the estranged wife of Sergio Pino.

Investigators believe the motive for the husband's alleged murder-for-hire plot was because his wife rejected his divorce settlement offer of $20 million.

On June 23, a male allegedly pointed a gun at Pino's daughter — 26-year-old Alessandra Pino. The daughter reportedly told a 911 operator, "Oh my gosh. My mom is here. They might have shot her."

Pinecrest Police Department Chief Jason Cohen told Fox News, "[Tatiana] came home from her morning errands, and as she pulled in the driveway, this person pulled up, got out of the car with a firearm. Her daughter actually came out of the house and kind of went face to face with this gunman who clearly wasn't there for the daughter because he, from what I understand, he had the ability to shoot her if he wanted to, and he didn't."

Cohen added, "The guy ended up fleeing because our officers started responding, and he was not able to do what we believe he was there to do that day. We think he was there to likely take her life, Tatiana's life at that point."

A year earlier, someone slammed a rented Home Depot truck into an SUV that Tatiana was driving — in the same driveway where the gun threat took place.

Cohen explained, "She came home from being out, and when she pulled into her driveway, there was a Home Depot flatbed rental truck that was sitting on the street waiting for her. And as she pulled in, it kind of rammed her vehicle and took off."

"It was brought to our attention that this incident here was likely much more than just somebody crashing into her while she's coming home," Cohen stated. "We were made aware of a lot of the background of what had been going on with Mrs. Pino, the accusations of her being poisoned or drugged by potentially her soon-to-be ex-husband … it started to make sense that this was just another piece in that big puzzle."

Tatiana filed for divorce in April 2022.

The murder-for-hire plot to kill Tatiana reportedly began as early as July 2022.

'Now you can’t shake the rap. Your two boys now, or whoever the f*** they are, they can shake the rap.'

U.S. attorney Markenzy Lapointe said hitmen even "obtained fentanyl to assist Sergio Pino in his effort to kill his wife."

"Mrs. Pino had to die before their next divorce proceedings," Lapointe said.

The FBI investigated the case and zeroed in on Sergio Pino.

On July 16, the FBI conducted a search and arrest operation at the Pinos' $8 million waterfront Coral Gables home, but Pino allegedly committed suicide just as law enforcement officials were closing in on him.

The FBI said in a press release that "Sergio Pino was discovered by the FBI inside the residence deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Sam Rabin, Pino’s criminal defense attorney, stated that "Sergio Pino took his own life today. The level of law enforcement activity at his residence was unprecedented and unnecessary, especially since we had offered to surrender him, should that have become necessary. Today’s events mark a very tragic ending to an investigation that we were confident we could successfully defend. There were many rumors and allegations, but what was lacking was evidence."

Pino's alleged suicide ended the criminal case against him, but police have been scrutinizing other suspects.

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced in a July 31 news release that suspects have been charged and indicted for their "respective involvement in a campaign to stalk, torment, and attempt to kill" Tatiana Pino, including Bayron Bennett, 33; Fausto Villar, 42; Avery Bivins, 36; Clementa Johnson, 47; Diori Barnard, 47; Jerren Keith Howard, 38; Michael Jose Dulfo, 42; and Edner Etienne 27. If convicted, the suspects would face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The FBI said it has recorded phone calls between Villar and Bivins. Both served time in Florida state prison — Bivins for attempted felony murder and armed robbery and Villar for armed robbery.

“It’s going to be good, everything gonna be straight,” Bivins allegedly told Villar.

“Straight. But the f***ing smoke has to clear,” Villar replied. “Everything has to clear, smoke has to clear. So with what you got, try to fend off.”

“It’s going to be good, everything gonna be straight,” Bivins tells him.

“When this b**** gets over and done with, know this — we’re all good, you know what I’m saying?” Villar allegedly told Bivins. “Everything is going to be good.”

After members of Bivins' crew was arrested, Villar became worried about law enforcement cracking down on them.

“Why would you, if you get pinched, they’re going to have, this becomes now a conspiracy,” Villar reportedly told Bivins. “Now you can’t shake the rap. Your two boys now, or whoever the f*** they are, they can shake the rap.”

Villar advised Bivins to delete his social media accounts.

The FBI said Bivins agreed to a deal of $150,000 from Villar to murder Tatiana and had already paid him $75,000. Reportedly, there was a $150,000 bonus in the offing if the act were to have been carried out without law enforcement detection.

Cohen said of the case, "I've been in law enforcement for 27 years, and something like this ... it seemed like something out of a Hollywood movie, but this was unfortunately real life."

Investigators believe the motive for the husband's alleged murder-for-hire plot was because his wife rejected his divorce settlement offer of $20 million. Financial statements revealed in the couple's divorce case showed the pair's 2022 net worth at more than $153 million and as much as $359 million.

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Nazi-tattooed 'Deadpool Killer' Wade Wilson sentenced to death for 'heinous' murders of Florida women



A Florida man known as the "Deadpool Killer" was sentenced to death on Tuesday for the "heinous" murders of two Cape Coral women in 2019.

Wade Wilson strangled 35-year-old Kristine Melton and 43-year-old Diane Ruiz to death within hours of each other on Oct. 6, 2019, in Cape Coral.

Wilson — also known as the "Cape Coral Strangler" — was convicted of two counts of first-degree felony murder and two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in June.

The convicted murderer has a stitched-on smile tattoo on both sides of his mouth, which is similar to that of the Joker's permanent ‘smile’ scars.

A Florida jury voted in favor of the death penalty — 9-3 in Melton’s case and 10-2 in Ruiz’s murder.

In April 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was joined by parents of the victims of the Parkland mass school murder to sign a law that reduced the jury votes needed to administer capital punishment — dropping the previous requirement from unanimous to a supermajority of eight out of 12.

On Tuesday, Lee County Circuit Judge Nicholas R. Thompson found “no basis” to overrule the jury recommendation and sentenced Wilson to death.

"Given the facts of the case, nothing in defendant's background or mental state would suggest that a death sentence is inappropriate," Judge Thompson said before sentencing Wilson to death.

Wilson’s attorney, Lee Hollander, had requested the court impose two life sentences instead of the death penalty. Wilson's attorneys argued that he had suffered brain damage from drug addiction and had abandonment issues from being given up for adoption by his biological parents.

During the trial, Wilson's adoptive parents pleaded for clemency in a letter that claimed their adopted son was "a joyful child."

"Wade was a joyful child, loved his parents and sisters, and was loved immensely in return," the parents wrote. "But over the teen years, and then especially in the early years of adulthood, Wade began to slip away from us, becoming withdrawn, erratic, and depressed at first. Then his addiction was added to mental illness and [he] became, frankly, paranoid and delusional and a sense of loss became increasingly sharp."

The parents continued, "They put a tiny band-aid on it, and then sent him back into the world without a diagnosis, medication, and without follow-up care. We tried to hold pieces together but had no idea how to find the support Wade needed to be the person he was inside."

"In those tragic moments when the cancer of severe mental illness and addiction won, we lost our son, grandson, brother, nephew, and uncle," the family said.

The parents concluded, "Despite everything, Wade is still our son and we love him. The hopes and dreams of his life are already lost, but the human is still in there somewhere, tortured beyond what most of us can even imagine."

Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner noted during the motion hearing, "Mr. Wilson’s decisions were not only pitiless and consciousness less, but they amounted to tragically reducing Ms. Melton, as well as Ms. Ruiz, to nothing more than memories and photographs."

Wade Wilson, 30, is known as the "Deadpool Killer" because he shares his name with the Marvel anti-hero character made famous by actor Ryan Reynolds in the "Deadpool" movie franchise.

Wilson brutally murdered two women within hours of each other.

Wilson, then 25, met Melton and her friend at a live music bar in Fort Myers on Oct. 5, 2019.

The trio reportedly went to another person's home for several hours before leaving in the morning. They allegedly went to Melton's home in Cape Coral. After the friendly left, Wilson strangled Melton to death as she slept in her bed and then stole her car.

Melton suffered bruising to her face and body, hemorrhages on her neck, and contusions to the bladder, colon, liver, and lungs.

Shortly after, Wilson saw Ruiz walking down a street in Cape Coral. He allegedly asked her for directions to a nearby school and lured her into the car.

The Fort Myers-based News-Press reported, "When Ruiz tried to exit the car, Wilson attacked her, beating, and strangling her before pushing her out of the car and running her over 10 to 20 times."

Testimony during the trial claimed that Wilson had "run her over until she looked like spaghetti," according to the New York Post.

Ruiz suffered a nasal bone fracture, multiple rib fractures, a laceration to her left breast, and bruising on both sides of her body.

After the gruesome murders, Wilson reportedly called his biological father — Steven Testasecca. Wilson purportedly confessed to the grisly murders.

The biological parents gathered Wilson's location and told him that they were sending an Uber to pick him up. Instead, Wilson's information was provided to police, who arrested him shortly after.

Newsweek reported that Wilson had several tattoos inspired by Nazis and Adolf Hitler, including two swastika tattoos: one on his right scalp and another under his right eye.

Wilson had a "TTG" on his forehead, "which allegedly stands for "Time To Go" or "Trained To Go." The convicted murderer also has "Bred for war" in big letters under his chin.

Wilson has a tattoo around his left eye that reads: "Why so serious?" This is likely a reference to Heath Ledger's quote in the 2008 "The Dark Knight" movie, where he portrayed the Joker villain. The convicted murderer has a stitched-on smile tattoo on both sides of his mouth, which is similar to that of the Joker's permanent "smile" scars.

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'Mess around and find out': Thief tries to rob the wrong car, gets 'butt whipped' by 66-year-old Florida man



A Florida man suffered a demoralizing comeuppance when he attempted to carjack the wrong person, according to police.

A car thief reportedly attempted to steal a vehicle that was parked outside a residence early Thursday morning. The owner heard a commotion outside his home and called 911 after seeing a man attempting to break into his car.

The suspect – identified by police as 29-year-old Blake Robinson – was confronted by the 66-year-old owner of the vehicle before law enforcement arrived at the crime scene.

Authorities said the pair got into a physical altercation and Robinson knocked the owner to the ground and then kicked him in the head. However, Robert Polk fought back and was able to incapacitate Robinson until police arrived.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook, "Welcome to Brevard County, where we proudly support… 'Play stupid games…win stupid prizes.'"

Brevard County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the crime scene and arrested Robinson, who allegedly had blood around his mouth and "was seemingly having a tough time getting up off of the ground, after getting his butt whipped by a 66-year-old man!"

The sheriff's office wrote, "That’s right Mr. Tough Guy, Robinson, got manhandled by a 66-year-old man who thankfully only required brief medical treatment and was left without any serious injuries!"

Deputies noted Polk's face was red and swollen, and one of his ears was covered in blood.

Robinson needed to get medical attention after being beaten up by the owner, according to police.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office wrote, "As for Robinson, he was fortunate enough to be in Brevard County where he won a few prizes for being stupid including a chauffeured ride to a local medical facility to check his injuries before arriving at his less than luxurious accommodations at 'Ivey's Iron Bar Lodge! At the lodge he was given a freshly washed 2 piece ensemble to get comfortable in, before being shown to his sleeping area in our open floor plan."

Robinson was charged with burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and felony battery on a person over the age of 65. He was booked in the Brevard County Jail on a $30,000 bond.

Sheriff Wayne Ivey said the suspect "got an enhanced charge for hitting someone over the age of 65 who ended up whooping his punk butt!"

Ivey added, "As we like to say here in Brevard County, 'Mess Around and Find Out!'"

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Florida man in critical condition after 'severe' shark attack on a boat, deputy who saved victim said to be a hero



A Florida man is in critical condition after a shark attack on the east coast of the Sunshine State.

Around 11:15 a.m. on Friday, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit responded to a distress call from a boat reporting a shark bite that caused a "critical injury." The boat was off the coast of Fernandina Beach – which is roughly 35 miles north of Jacksonville.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office posted a video on Facebook revealing the details of the attack and how the deputy saved the man.

The man was on a fishing trip and had been bitten by the shark on the boat.

The man, who was said to be in his 40s, suffered a "severe" shark bite to his right forearm and had "lost a lot of blood."

A Nassau County Sheriff’s Office deputy boarded the boat and applied a tourniquet to stop the heavy bleeding.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said the deputy piloted the boat to the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp – where Fernandina Beach Fire Rescue was waiting.

The victim was immediately airlifted to the nearby UF Health Jacksonville Medical Center.

The shark attack victim is currently listed in critical condition. The man is said to have been alert and expected to recover.

Sheriff Bill Leeper of the Nassau County Sheriff's Office called the deputy a "hero" for the quick-thinking assistance that he provided to the distressed victim.

There had only been eight confirmed shark attacks in Nassau County since 1882, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.

Nassau County is approximately 150 miles north of Volusia County, which is considered to be the "shark bite capital of the world."

There have been 351 confirmed shark attacks in Volusia County since 1882, including 17 bites in 2021.

There were 16 shark attacks in the state of Florida last year, or 44% of all of the attacks in the entire United States and 23% of the worldwide total.

In June, there were three swimmers who were attacked by sharks in two different incidents in the Gulf Coast of Florida.

One woman had to have her arm amputated and suffered "critical injuries" to her hip in the shark attack that happened in Walton County – which is located in Florida's northwest panhandle.

On the same day, two teenage girls were victims of a shark attack near Seacrest Beach, about four miles further east of the first attack.

One of the girls suffered "significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand," while the other endured minor injuries on one of her feet, according to officials.

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Former 'American Ninja Warrior' champion gets 10 years in prison for child porn, coercing minor to cross state lines for sex



A former "American Ninja Warrior" champion has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for charges regarding child porn and coercing a minor to cross state lines for sex.

Andrew Drechsel, 35, was sentenced to 121 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Renée M. Bumb in Camden federal court on Wednesday.

The Florida man from Saint Cloud had pleaded guilty on June 1 to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a minor to travel across interstate lines to engage in sexual activity.

In addition to the prison term, Drechsel was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim.

Between 2014 and 2019, Drechsel lived in Hamden, Connecticut.

Drechsel admitted that he initially met the victim in 2014 through his activities in the parkour community through his reputation as an "American Ninja Warrior" champion, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey's office.

At Drechsel's urging, the underage girl allegedly traveled from New Jersey to his gym in Connecticut in July 2015. The reality entertainment star allegedly had sexual relations with the underage girl.

The child sexual abuse reportedly happened when the victim was 14 and 15 years old.

On Nov. 8, 2019, law enforcement agents searched Drechsel’s phone and found images of child sex crimes, including illicit photos and videos of the underage victim.

Drechsel admitted texting the victim and discussing plans to engage in sexual activity with the victim.

The former celebrity won season 11 of "American Ninja Warrior," a reality TV show.

He reportedly won $1 million on the reality competition TV show and starred in eight seasons.

When the charges against Drechsel were filed in 2020, NBC said they were "shocked and disturbed to learn about the charges alleged against Drew Drechsel."

"'American Ninja Warrior' is a family show that has inspired countless people, and we will not let the actions of one contestant tarnish the hard work and amazing stories of so many. Moving forward, the 'American Ninja Warrior' brand will sever all ties with Mr. Drechsel, including his appearance on future seasons of the show," NBC told The Hollywood Reporter.

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Florida man goes to beach searching for sea turtle nests, finds over $4.8 million in cocaine instead



A Florida man recently went searching for sea turtle nests, but he actually discovered more than 70 pounds of cocaine on the beach.

An unnamed man went on a search for sea turtle nests on Amelia Island Beach near Jacksonville on the Atlantic Ocean coast. However, the man found cocaine bricks weighing 71.4 pounds. Law enforcement believes the street value of the drug stash is worth approximately $4.8 million.

The bricks of cocaine reportedly washed up on the beach while the man was looking for sea turtle nests. The cocaine bricks were reportedly wrapped in plastic with a picture of an eagle on top.

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said, "It's very rare here in Nassau County. Many years ago, there were bales of marijuana that washed up on the beach, but to my knowledge, something like this washing up is certainly a rare event."

Leeper continued, "This significant seizure demonstrates the importance of community vigilance and cooperation with law enforcement. We're grateful for the alert resident who reported this discovery. Our team is working diligently to trace the source of these drugs and keep our communities safe."

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "The street value of the drugs is around $4.8 million. The discovery, weighing 71.4 pounds, was made after a watchful citizen spotted suspicious contents washed up on the shore."

The department pointed out that the investigation is active and ongoing.

In May 2021, a wildlife manager stumbled upon roughly $1.2 million worth of cocaine while performing a sea turtle nesting survey at the beach at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

"While I was waiting for them to arrive, I drove a little further and noticed another package, and then another. At that point, I called SFS back and suggested they bring their UTV, or Utility Terrain Vehicle, as I counted at least 18 packages," said Angy Chambers – a 45th Civil Engineer Squadron wildlife manager.

Flight Sergeant Joseph Parker added, "After securing the scene and collecting the contraband, a Brevard County Sheriff’s Office narcotics agent performed a field test on one of the packages and verified that it was cocaine. We then documented all 24 packages and placed them in evidence bags."

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Florida grand jury investigates COVID criminal activity; exposes ‘expert and media lies’



The hits to those behind the COVID response just keep coming — and for good reason.

A Florida grand jury has added to the recent revelations about the COVID response when they investigated potential criminal activity or wrongdoing by the media, pharmaceutical companies, and all of the authorities who promoted the vaccine during the pandemic.

The investigation was requested by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and authorized by the Florida Supreme Court.

The findings unsurprisingly support what conservatives have been saying all along.

One of the findings is that COVID patients gain natural immunity through infection, despite Americans being told for years that natural immunity was no match for the virus.

“They acted like you were a conspiracy nut job if you talked about it,” Pat Gray says, disgusted. “Everybody that didn’t have financial gain at stake knew,” Keith Malinak adds.

The second finding was that government experts knowingly attacked potential COVID treatments if they were not one of the vaccines. The most notable was the expert class war against hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.

The jury reported that well-credentialed scientists and clinicians were dissatisfied with the data the FDA used to justify its decision to revoke emergency use authorization of hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID patients.

“There was even talk of taking away doctor’s medical licenses if they prescribed this stuff,” Gray says. “These quacks are prescribing horse paste,” he adds, mocking the “experts.”

The grand jury’s third finding was that “expert and media lies put lives at risk.”

“It’s despicable what happened here, and it’s great that DeSantis did this, that he put together a grand jury to indict these idiots,” Gray comments.


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Manhunt underway as Florida man strikes again, vandalizes pride mural



The famous "Florida man" headline strikes again.

This time, it’s for a progressive Pride street mural that was supposedly vandalized with tire marks by two drivers. Now, St. Petersburg police are on the hunt for them.

The first driver made his mark on May 17 at 9:36 am, when he decided to channel his inner NASCAR and zoom through the mural at 2500 Central Ave in his truck. Not to be outdone, a blue two-door car showed up at 2:41 am on May 22, where he spun doughnuts.

The incidents were caught on camera and show the second car spinning in circles on the rainbow walkway.

The second joyride will cost the city about $1,100 to fix, which makes it an official criminal mischief felony.

One LGBTQ bartender who works at Ride’em Cowboy in St. Petersburg told reporters he was “shocked and devastated,” especially considering the action took place “so close to Pride.”

“I think we all need to be careful now. There’s people obviously out there to get us that are a part of the LGBTQ including myself,” he continued, adding, “I was very upset somebody would do this.”

Pat Gray can’t stop laughing.

“They act like these are sacred areas, like they’re Indian burial grounds or something,” Gray says.


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'Every father knows what I'm thinking': Dad of slain daughter, 13, speaks for first time, prime suspect is stepfather hit with 60 child porn charges



The biological father of Madeline Soto – a 13-year-old girl murdered in Florida – has spoken for the first time since the body of his slain daughter was discovered on March 1.

Madeline Soto was reported missing around 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 26 after the 13-year-old girl never showed up for school. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Soto was last seen off Village Park Drive in Kissimmee, near Orlando.

On March 1, Soto's body was found in a rural area of St. Cloud, Florida.

Authorities said Soto's stepfather – Stephan Sterns – was seen in the area changing his tire. Also, Sterns was purportedly seen that morning at a nearby apartment complex in Kissimmee throwing away items in a dumpster. The items were identified as Soto's backpack and her school-issued laptop, according to WOFL.

Sheriff John Mina said of Sterns, "We believe he moved her body in those early morning hours, and all that is still under investigation."

Sterns claimed to have dropped off Madeline at Hunter's Creek Middle School, but she never went inside.

The Daily Mail reported, "Sterns, who has been identified as the prime suspect in her murder, was arrested on child porn charges and sexual battery after police recovered photos and videos on his phone which were described as 'disturbing.'"

In February, the Florida man was arrested and charged with eight counts of sexual battery on a child under 12, five counts of sexual battery with a child 12-18, seven counts of lewd or lascivious molestation, and 40 counts of unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child 10 or more.

Law enforcement investigators accessed Sterns' cell phone and discovered "several explicit photos and videos of a young girl that appeared to have been recorded in the Kissimmee home he shared with Soto and her mother," according to Spectrum News 13.

Sterns abused the young girl at least two times when she was 11 and 12, according to the arrest affidavit.

Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland noted, "No one is not cooperating other than Sterns."

Thus far, no suspects have been charged in relation to Madeline's murder.

For the first time since his daughter's horrific murder, Madeline Soto's biological father is speaking publicly about the 13-year-old's heartbreaking death.

Tyler Wallace told WFTV on Friday, "I love what I had of her, but we’re supposed to have so much more. Maddie was just the most important person to my wife and I."

Wallace revealed that he had last spoken to his daughter on her 13th birthday – four days before she went missing.

Wallace – who lives in Texas – drove 14 hours to Florida after learning that she had gone missing on Feb. 26.

"Maddie was just the most important person to my wife and I, she was just full of joy," Wallace expressed.

Wallace was asked about Sterns – the "prime suspect" in his daughter's murder.

"As far as I was interpreting his demeanor, he seemed like a warm, interested but not responsive person," Wallace said of Sterns.

However, when asked about what he thinks about Sterns now, Wallace said of the stepfather: "I don't want to say that on camera. I can't communicate to you. Every father knows what I'm thinking right now."

Wallace was asked about what he thought Madeline's mother – Jennifer Soto – may have known about her boyfriend in relation to her slain daughter.

"I don't know and I am interested in knowing but I don't have reason to believe one way or the other right now. These are the things that the investigators are looking into," Wallace explained.

Wallace said Madeline "meant everything to us."

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'The light of my life': Family, community members gather in Osceola County to honor Madeline Soto... www.youtube.com