Mom sets up her own sting operation to confront man allegedly sexting her 13-year-old daughter — and soon bullets are flying



A Florida mother set up her own sting operation at a Popeyes fast food restaurant to confront a man who was allegedly sexting her 13-year-old daughter. The face-off ended with the suspect being shot multiple times.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Chief of Investigations Alan Parker said during a press conference Monday that 18-year-old Cerry Rodriques Banks "was having an inappropriate text relationship with a 13-year-old female."

'As the officer reaches the corner of the business, he observes the suspect pull the pistol from his waistband.'

The girl's mother allegedly became aware of the illicit communications. She then took her daughter's phone and texted with the suspect, pretending to be her underage daughter.

The mother then set up a meeting with the 18-year-old man around 7 a.m. Sunday at a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant in Jacksonville.

Banks arrived at the fast food restaurant, believing he was meeting with the girl — but instead, he was met by the mother as well as her daughter and 11-year-old son.

The suspect brandished a gun and reportedly told the mother, "When you hear the shots tonight, you know what’s up."

The unnamed mother rushed her children into the Popeyes, and the suspect allegedly walked to the rear of the fast food restaurant — and the mom contacted authorities.

Police said the suspect had ample time to vacate the area, but he stayed outside of the restaurant.

Police officers confronted Banks and gave the suspect "multiple verbal commands" to "turn around and show his hands."

The suspect disregarded the commands, however, and fled.

Parker of the sheriff's office stated, "As the officer reaches the corner of the business, he observes the suspect pull the pistol from his waistband."

The officer reportedly instructed Banks to drop his weapon, which the suspect refused to do.

With that, the officer — a 7-year veteran — shot the suspect multiple times.

"The suspect continues to flee and, near a neighboring business, drops the gun," Parker said.

Banks was able to get away from the pursuing officer, but other officers set up a perimeter.

With assistance from a K-9 unit, the suspect was apprehended in a drainage tunnel without further incident.

Parker said the suspect was shot in his hand, torso, and possibly “in the leg.” He received medical assistance at the scene before being transported to a local hospital to treat his wounds.

Police said they recovered the gun, and the weapon did not appear to have been discharged during the incident.

According to jail records from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Banks was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct by an offender 18 or older with the victim less than 16, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and travel to meet after using a computer to seduce/solicit/lure a child.

Bond was set at $700,018.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said he understood the mother’s concern but that parents should allow law enforcement to handle situations such as this.

“We’d absolutely love to handle every situation, but this is a mother who’s concerned about her daughter. So, I get it, I understand," Waters said during the press conference. "But, I would say that in most cases, in situations like that, call us and let us come out and deal with the situation, so it doesn’t unfold like this.”

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Violent felon accused of fatally shooting off-duty corrections officer who intervened after suspect allegedly beat female



A felon with a violent criminal history is accused of fatally shooting an off-duty corrections officer who intervened when the suspect allegedly was beating a woman at a Florida truck stop early Saturday morning.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested 29-year-old Demaurea Grant at 7:30 a.m. Sunday at a home in Gastonia, North Carolina, and is pending extradition to Jacksonville, the Florida Times-Union reported, citing Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters' announcement during a news conference.

Grant is charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in public.

Grant is accused of killing Officer Bradley McNew, a sheriff's office corrections officer and 24-year veteran of the department, the Times-Union said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said a male and female were involved in a violent dispute around 1:20 a.m. in the 12900 block of Duval Road. You can view surveillance video of the incident here. The suspect was observed exiting a black Mustang, placing a black handgun on the hood, removing the female from the driver’s seat, and then battering the female, throwing her against the vehicle and the ground.

Off-duty Corrections Officer Bradley McNew had just finished his shift, heard the disturbance, and went to check on the female victim, the sheriff's office said. The suspect approached McNew, said it was a family matter, re-engaged with the female, and then pointed the gun in Officer McNew’s direction, the sheriff's office said.

The suspect and female returned to the vehicle, and as they were leaving the scene, the suspect was observed hanging out of the window, firing the handgun, and striking Officer McNew, the sheriff's office said, adding that he was taken to a hospital where he died. The Times-Union said McNew was in plain clothes at the time.

The sheriff's office noted that the Mustang had a North Carolina license plate of RHL-4285.

Sheriff Waters said the U.S. Marshals took Grant ― a felon with a violent criminal history ― into custody without incident, the Times-Union said, adding that tips from citizens as well as the investigation by detectives from the Sheriff's Office, the Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, and the State Attorney's Office led to his arrest.

Grant is charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in public, Waters said, according to the paper.

The sheriff added that a female who was with Grant was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant regarding a North Carolina crime, the Times-Union said, adding that the sheriff's office didn't release her name or say what her relationship, if any, might be to Grant.

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Dumb crook returns to house where he pointed gun at homeowner's head and tried to his steal car. This time, victim is ready.



A brain cell-deprived crook who pointed a gun at a Jacksonville, Florida, homeowner's head Thursday afternoon, tried to steal his car, and ran away when he couldn't pull off the crime actually returned to the same residence not long after and confronted the homeowner again.

As you might expect, the victim was ready this time — and one might say the suspect is lucky to be alive.

What happened?

Police told WJXT-TV a K9 officer attempted a traffic stop on Springlake Drive in regard to a vehicle that was believed to have been stolen in Suwannee County.

But the 30-year-old male kicked a woman out of the vehicle and sped away, Sgt. Karen Dukes of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office noted to the station. Police told WJXT the woman is cooperating with the investigation, and police said she could be the victim of a crime and that she said she didn't know the vehicle was stolen.

The male who sped away abandoned the vehicle near Justin Road West and ran to a home on Oxbow Road near Herlong Road where a home invasion took place, the station reported.

Police said the male entered the home through the garage, pointed a gun at the homeowner’s head, and ran away after his carjacking attempt was unsuccessful, WJXT reported.

However, the male returned to the residence and approached the homeowner again, the station said.

But this time, the homeowner was armed, WJXT added.

Dukes noted to the station that the homeowner "expressed fear, told him to stay away, the suspect kept advancing toward him." WJXT said the homeowner shot the male in the leg.

The suspect was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the station said.

'Very shocking'

Neighbor K.P. Lancaster told WJXT the incident was "very shocking" as violent crime in the community is practically non-existent.

“I just heard gunshots and people going every which way to search him out,” Lancaster added to the station.

WJXT said the homeowner is cooperating with the police, who said they're investigating if the homeowner’s actions were justified.

Westside homeowner shoots suspect who returned to home after unsuccessful carjacking: JSO youtu.be

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6 Planet Fitness gyms in Florida evacuated over bomb threats

6 Planet Fitness gyms in Florida evacuated over bomb threats



The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded to at least six bomb threats alleged to be part of a nationwide hoax perpetrated against Planet Fitness.

Planet Fitness, a discount gym chain, has been at the center of controversy for weeks and is now allegedly being subjected to a series of bomb threats.

At least 17 Planet Fitness locations have reported recent bomb threats, according to Action News Jax. Police in Jacksonville, Florida, have investigated several of the threats, all taking place within a small area in the city. First Coast News also reported multiple locations in Orlando, Florida, received similar threats, all of which led to evacuations.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said that it had "responded to several locations in the city in reference to a reported bomb investigation which has since been determined not to be a threat. Occupants of those locations voluntarily evacuated and JSO K9s responded."

The gym chain is known for low prices, pizza and bagel giveaways, and the "lunk" alarm; which sounds an air raid siren any time a member "grunts, drops weights, or judges" another member.

However, the fitness chain had a rough March 2024 when it dropped $400 million in stock in just five days on the heels of banning Patricia Silva, who complained about a biological male shaving in the female locker room.

The Daily Mail revealed Planet Fitness allegedly has a transgender policy that the "discomfort" of sharing a change room with a member of the opposite sex is "not a reason to deny access to the transgender member."

Woman in Planet Fitness claims she went into the bathroom and this man who thinks he\u2019s a woman was in there shaving.\n\nWhy does @PlanetFitness allow men to use the women\u2019s bathroom and invade women\u2019s private spaces??
— (@)

Following the incident, Silva claimed that Planet Fitness "canceled [her] membership and allowed the pedo to stay!!" Silva did not offer evidence that the individual in question was a pedophile.

In reaction to the events, Elon Musk responded to a post about the woman and said that Planet Fitness "sounds like a creepy place."

@libsoftiktok Planet Fitness sounds like a creepy place
— (@)

The alleged Planet Fitness operations manual also stated that staff should "work with members and employees to address" the discomfort of transgender members "using the same locker room facilities" as the opposite sex.

The gym also reportedly wrote that it hoped to "foster a climate of understanding" while directing its staff to adhere to "names, titles," and "pronouns" of transgender members.

For example, the alleged document said that a "transgender woman shall be referred to by her preferred name and female pronouns," and a transgender man should be referred to by "his preferred name and male pronouns."

"Planet Fitness reserves the right to terminate a person's membership immediately for any violation of this policy," the page read, with a date of September 2014.

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Justice Dept. ends probe of cops' use of force in drug suspect's arrest; suspect's lawyer calls fed's decision 'unfortunate'



The Justice Department ended its probe of Florida cops' use of force in a late September arrest of a drug suspect, the Associated Press reported.

James Felte Jr. — the department's criminal section chief — wrote in a letter to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters that the arrest of Le’Keian Woods doesn't present a prosecutable violation of federal civil rights laws, the AP said.

What's the background?

Woods ran from police after a traffic stop and appeared to resist arrest, even after getting hit with a taser.

A passerby recorded cellphone video of Woods' arrest, which showed numerous officers using force to gain control of him, including slamming his head into the ground; the video also showed Woods' swollen face after he was handcuffed.

Jacksonville police release report, booking photo of man accusing officers of brutality youtu.be

Woods' attorney called for a federal investigation and accused Waters of a cover-up, the AP said in a previous story. But Waters ripped critics during a news conference during which bodycam video of the arrest was shown:

"So, it's pretty unbelievable, disheartening, to have to announce that social media is not reality. Its content is not fact-checked by any entity. Because of this misinformation campaign by the anti-police fringe, our agency has come under fire, and individual detectives' lives have been threatened. This intentionally misguiding manipulation of facts is wrong and dangerous, and I will not remain silent while the truth is buried to advance a particular agenda. The truth is Woods sustained facial injuries when he fled from police and was tased [and] fell face-first onto the concrete. Detectives struggled with him, and as I stated before, they used strikes to ... gain control, but he continued to resist arrest. The outcome of Woods' apprehension contrast[s] with that of his friends in the truck who immediately complied with police and suffered no physical injury. Force looks ugly, as I stated before, because all force is ugly, not because the detectives engaged in misconduct. And based on the currently available information, the agency believes that the involved detectives acted appropriately with respect to the law and [sheriff's office] policy."

Here's the video of the news conference. Bodycam video showing the traffic stop, chase, and Woods' arrest begins at the 7:49 mark:

— (@)

Waters and Mike Shell, his assistant chief for public accountability, said officers knew Woods had been accused of murder at one time, was on probation for armed robbery, and had been connected to firearms and drug trafficking when they chased him after the traffic stop, the AP reported.

Woods has been on probation after pleading no contest to a 2017 Tallahassee robbery in which he and his roommate tried to rob a marijuana dealer at gunpoint, the AP noted, citing court records.

The dealer pulled his own gun and fatally shot the roommate as Woods fled, the outlet also said, adding that Woods originally was charged with second-degree murder over his roommate’s death, but a plea bargain was reached last year that released him without prison time.

Woods was charged in this latest encounter with resisting arrest with violence, armed trafficking in cocaine and methamphetamine, and other felonies, the AP noted.

'Unfortunate'

Woods' attorney Harry Daniels told the AP in a statement that "while it is unfortunate that the DOJ’s Special Litigation Section has chosen to close its review so quickly despite the clear evidence before them, it is not surprising. At the end of the day, that’s why we have the civil courts where a jury will ultimately decide justice.”

The outlet, citing his attorneys, said Woods suffered a ruptured kidney, vomiting, and migraine headaches following the confrontation.

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‘You Don’t Get To Come Up Here’: DeSantis Shreds Left-Wing Heckler Blaming Him For Jacksonville Shooting

'I'm not going to accept it'

Media Use Racist Shooting To Smear Ron DeSantis And Chill Debate

Insinuating the governor is partially responsible for racial violence is vile. It's also meant to shut you up.

Sheriff masterfully shuts down anti-gun narrative after 'racially motivated' shooting: 'The problem is the individual'



Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters rebuked on Sunday the leftist narrative that blames guns — not people — for atrocities in which a firearm is used.

On Saturday, a 21-year-old gunman opened fire at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, killing three people before killing himself. The perpetrator left behind multiple manifestos, authorities said, revealing his motive for carrying out the attack. Law enforcement said the attacker was "racially motivated" by his "hate" for black people.

At a press conference providing an update about the attack, a reporter asked Waters "what should have been done" to prevent the atrocity. The problem, Waters explained, is not guns, but people who use them in an evil manner.

"We have to stop people with bad intentions," he said. "The story is always about guns — people are bad — this guy's a bad guy.

"If I could take my gun off right now, and I lay it on this counter, nothing will happen. It'll sit there. But as soon as a wicked person grabs ahold of that handgun and starts shooting people with it, there's the problem," he continued. "The problem is the individual. Now guns are a tool that people use to do horrible things. But it's the individuals that wield these things. So we are working hard to try to stop that."

Watch Live | Sheriff T.K. Waters to give update on racially-motivated mass shooting www.youtube.com

According to Waters, the perpetrator was legally permitted to own the firearms that he used to carry out his attack. In fact, he had no criminal history, and the firearms were "100% legal."

"There was no flag that could have come up to stop him from purchasing those guns. As a matter of fact, it looks as though he purchased those guns completely legally, and all of the [federal firearm licensed dealers] did what they were supposed to have done to make sure that there were no issues," Waters explained.

"Therein lies the difficulty: When a person grabs ahold of a gun with hateful intentions, it's very difficult to stop that from happening," he said.

The sheriff also rebuffed the excuse that the perpetrator was driven primarily by mental illness. Waters said the perpetrator's manifesto, which the sheriff described as the "diary of a madman," showed that while his ideas were "completely irrational," he was "100% lucid."

"He knew what he was doing," Waters said. "Mental illness is there, but not everyone who is mentally ill grabs a firearm and kills people for no reason."

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Former Microsoft executive's ex-wife charged with having him slaughtered in front of his 2-year-old. She and her new husband could get the death penalty.



Jared Bridegan, a former Microsoft executive and father of four, was slaughtered in front of his infant daughter while removing an obstacle from a road in Jacksonville, Florida, last year. According to authorities, his ex-wife, who was arrested early Thursday, played a "central and key role in [Bridegan's] cold, calculated and premeditated murder."

State Attorney Melissa Nelson said in a press conference, "We promised at the outset of this investigation we would not relent until we uncovered the truth of Jared’s murder — the whole and entire truth."

Nelson indicated that a 4th Circuit grand jury indicted Shanna Gardner for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit first-degree murder, and child abuse, all related to the murder of Bridegan.

Gardner's Aug. 17 arrest comes months after a hitman pleaded guilty to shooting the 33-year-old and implicated Gardner's new husband.

Prosecutors indicated they will be seeking the death penalty for the victim's ex-wife as they have with Mario Fernandez Saldana, Gardner's new husband.

The murder

TheBlaze previously reported that Bridegan was fatally shot on Feb. 16, 2022, in the area of Jacksonville Drive and Sanctuary Boulevard in front of his 2-year-old daughter, who was sitting in the back seat of his car. He had just dropped off his twin 9-year-olds at Gardner's residence.

Responding to a call around 8 p.m., officers found Bridegan's body in a wooded area near the road but his daughter unharmed. Handgun shell casings were found at the scene as well as a damaged tire. The former Microsoft executive was reportedly shot at close range.

Officials indicated a tire had purposefully been set on the road, blocking the way. When Bridegan went to move the tire, police say "he was gunned down in cold blood."

Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said, "This was a planned and target[ed] ambush and murder."

The hitman

In late January 2023, Smith announced that 61-year-old career criminal Henry Arthur Tenon had been charged in connection with Bridegan's killing with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to capital felony, and child abuse.

Nelson noted that as part of Tenon's plea agreement with the state of Florida, "he has agreed to testify truthfully against those he worked with to murder Jared Bridegan. ... Tenon's cooperation has both corroborated evidence collected during the investigation and provided additional evidence against Mario Fernandez Saldana for his role in the planning and execution of Jared's murder."

ABC News reported that phone records showed Tenon and Fernandez had 35 "phone contacts" in February 2022, the month Bridegan was murdered. The hitman and the disgruntled ex-wife's husband interacted by phone on multiple other occasions between March and June, according Fernandez's arrest warrant.

The new husband

Immediately after entering his guilty plea, a judge signed the arrest warrant for 35-year-old Mario Fernandez Saldana. Fernandez was slapped with the same charges his wife would later be hit with, then taken into custody without incident on March 16.

His arrest warrant spoke to his wife's "highly acrimonious divorce" with the victim.

Fernandez's pre-trial began earlier this month.

Kirsten Bridegan, the victim's widow and a mother to two of his children, said of Fernandez's arrest, "We have great relief knowing that two of the people behind my husband's murder are behind bars and are no longer a threat to our family. ... We are also still angry — angry that they were walking free while we were grappling with the reality that Jared wouldn't be here for any future memories, vacations or tender moments with our kids."

The ex-wife

The Florida Times-Union reported that Gardner, who divorced Bridegan in 2015, moved to Washington state with her children as the investigation into her ex-husband's murder prompted speculation over whether she may have had a hand in it.

She had relatives use an LLC to buy her a new home in West Richland, reported the New York Post.

It was there that Nelson indicated agents with the ATF Washington Field Division arrested Gardner.

Gardner will be extradited to Duval County, Florida, to face the murder charges.

"Henry Tenon did not act alone. Mario Fernandez did not plan alone," said Nelson. "Shanna Gardner's indictment acknowledges her central and key role in the cold, calculated and premeditated murder of Jared Bridegan."

Gardner claimed in an interview with WJAX-TV in July 2022 that she was "shocked" when she heard that Bridegan had been killed.

"I fell to the floor because I was devastated for what I was going to have to tell my kids," she said. "Even though we didn't always get along, he was still the father of my kids."

Kristen Bridegan said of Gardner's arrest, "From very, very early on, everything in my body and soul told me she was behind it. ... For 547 days we hoped and prayed that this day would come," reported the Times-Union.

Ex-wife of Jared Bridegan, father killed in Jacksonville Beach, speaks | Action News Jaxyoutu.be

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‘Ron’s Magic Is Gone!’: Trump Takes Aim At DeSantis Over Election Results In Kentucky, Jacksonville

'Ron’s magic is GONE!'