Free Republic

The police chief who oversaw a controversial raid on a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended. The raid, carried out on the Marion County Record on August 11, was personally led by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody . Another raid was enacted on the home of the newspaper's publisher' 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, who subsequently died. The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of a small Kansas newspaper, that saw its 98-year-old owner die the following day, has been suspended. ... The August 11 raids of the Marion County Record office and the homes of its publisher and...

MARION COUNTY, FL — A man wearing a shirt that read, “I’m The Reason The Beer’s Always Gone” was arrested Aug. 16 and charged with driving under the influence, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post. He was nearly three times over the legal blood alcohol content limit at the time of his arrest, the agency said. James Rix Jr. was clocked going 89 mph in a 45 mph during radar patrol near Marion Oaks Boulevard and Marion Oaks Manor. He initially led deputies on a chase, trying to elude them, but he was eventually pulled over...

A search warrant that cleared the way for the raid of a Kansas newspaper last Friday has been withdrawn, according to Scripps News Kansas City. Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey withdrew the warrant that served as the basis for the raid of the Marion County Record, conducted by the Marion Police Department. As part of withdrawing the warrant, Bernie Rhodes, the attorney representing the newspaper, says all items that were seized as part of the raid have been released back to the attorney representing the newspaper. (continues at source)...

MARION — In an unprecedented raid Friday, local law enforcement seized computers, cellphones and reporting materials from the Marion County Record office, the newspaper’s reporters, and the publisher’s home. Eric Meyer, owner and publisher of the newspaper, said police were motivated by a confidential source who leaked sensitive documents to the newspaper, and the message was clear: “Mind your own business or we’re going to step on you.” The city’s entire five-officer police force and two sheriff’s deputies took “everything we have,” Meyer said, and it wasn’t clear how the newspaper staff would take the weekly publication to press Tuesday...

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man is now behind bars after he was allegedly spotted by deputies driving in circles in a church parking lot and subsequently fleeing and eluding arrest, claiming that a cult "told him to," according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. John Souza was arrested Monday on charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, according to an affidavit. On Monday, deputies witnessed a man, later identified as Souza, driving in circles in a wooded section of St. Joseph of the Forest Mission church in Silver Springs, according to an affidavit. A deputy tried...

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man was arrested for allegedly stealing a lawn mower from a woman's yard, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Gary Bebee was arrested Monday and charged with second-degree petit theft, his seventh theft offense in 15 years, deputies said. Deputies responded to a home in the 7700 block of NE 132nd Place after a woman called reporting the theft of her lawn mower from her yard, according to an affidavit. The woman said while she wasn't home at the time of the theft, she saw the whole thing unfold on her home's surveillance...

A man fled a home and hid in a nearby bush after a woman armed with a machete threatened to cut off his genitals. A Marion County sheriff’s deputy responded at about 2 a.m. Tuesday to the couple’s home in Summerfield. The man, who was carrying his infant daughter, was out of breath and soaked in sweat. The man said he had been in bed sleeping when 44-year-old Dawn Marie Hildebrant went through his phone. She smashed the phone and began screaming at the man before grabbing a machete and “threatening to cut off his genitals,” the report said. The...

INDIANAPOLIS — In what has been termed an “update to the City’s gun violence reduction strategy,” Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is prepared to challenge the Indiana General Assembly in its next session to curb access to firearms in Marion County. During an address at the IMPD Academy this afternoon, Hogsett said that an ordinance will be introduced before the City-County Council June 5 that would ban semi-automatic rifles in Marion County, raise the age to purchase a firearm to 21 and rollback the 2022 law banning gun permits. A city ordinance in of itself would not affect change overnight, however,...

A missing Texas woman was found alive last week in a Jeep that plunged into a lake and was almost entirely submerged, police said. The unidentified woman had been missing from Longview when she was found inside the black vehicle in Lake o’ the Pines on Friday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. Pictures from the scene show the hood of the Jeep just barely visible above the water about 40 feet from the shore. The sheriff’s office’s statement said that a fisherman alerted authorities to the vehicle in the morning. Police arrived at the scene about 18 minutes later,...

A third suspect allegedly involved in the shooting deaths of three teenagers in Marion County was arrested, deputies say. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Tahj Brewton, 16, was arrested on Saturday for his involvement in the murder of three teenagers. Brewton was captured just south of Groveland by United States Marshals, with the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said Brewton was arrested on outstanding warrants for carjacking with a firearm, aggravated assault, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and tampering with an electronic monitoring device.

A shirtless, babyfaced 12-year-old was led cuffed from a Florida police station to be transported to jail after being charged with a triple murder Thursday night. Christopher Atkins, 12, and Robert Robinson, 17, were both hauled in and charged by the Marion County Sheriff over the deaths of three other minors whose bodies were found earlier this week. A third suspect, Tahj Brewton, 16, is still being hunted by police, who have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest. In the video of Atkins, who was arrested at his home, he appears stony faced...

Channel 9 has been reporting on three teenagers that were found dead in the Ocklawaha area last week. Woods is planning to speak about the deaths at 9 a.m. from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Watch: Sheriff releases photo of car belonging to 1 of 3 teens killed in Marion County Deputies recently released a photo of one of the three victim’s car and have been asking the public for help is tracking down suspects in the killings.

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida man is facing domestic violence charges after allegedly slapping a woman in the face with a slice of pizza. Marion County deputies responded to a home after receiving a 911 hang-up call and possible domestic disturbance, as per Click Orlando. When they arrived, they met with 39-year-old Ortelio Lazaro Alfonso outside the home. According to a probable cause affidavit, Alfonso said he got into a verbal argument with a woman. When deputies spoke to the woman, she told them Alfonso slapped her on the left side of her face with a slice of pizza...

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Marion County deputies arrested 53-year-old Chuck Legette this Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. Deputies say Legette threatened to hurt another man with a chainsaw before battering him. Deputies responded to a home on Southwest 16th Avenue, where they found Legette intoxicated and uncooperative. Legette has been arrested in Ocala on five separate occasions since 2020. His bond is currently posted at $17,500.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 38-year-old Ocala man after he was accused of carrying a machete inside a local store and threatening several employees and customers. On Sunday, an MCSO deputy responded to the Family Dollar located at 6060 SW Highway 200 in Ocala in reference to a suspicious incident. A store employee had contacted the sheriff’s office to advise that a man, later identified as Carl Jay Woodruff, had walked into the store with a black machete in his hand, according to the MCSO report. Upon arrival at the store, the deputy made contact with Woodruff and...

A Florida man who swiped a Toys for Tots donation jar was behind bars, authorities said. William Thomas Smith, 34, was arrested and charged with theft, Marion County Sheriff's Office officials said in a Tuesday Facebook post. Deputies began investigating last week after the donation jar for the charity was stolen from a dollar store. There was around $800 in the jar that was supposed to go to the charity, authorities said. Investigators were able to identify Smith as the suspect and take him into custody. Authorities said the story has a happy ending, just in time for the holidays....

A Florida man has been arrested for DUI and animal cruelty after punching a dog and throwing it down steps. Deputies responded to a home on SE 149th Place in reference to a disturbance. When deputies arrived they learned that, while he was intoxicated, Deanta Bridges, 27, punched a dog and threw it outside down a set of steps. Deputies say he left the home in a vehicle prior to the deputies’ arrival, despite the fact that he was under the influence of alcohol. Bridges was later located and agreed to perform Field Sobriety Exercises, and was placed under arrest...

A Florida man driving a vehicle missing two tires was pulled over by law enforcement and alleged that paranormal activity was responsible. Andres Orjuela-Montealegre, 29, was stopped on an Interstate 75 ramp near Marion Oaks on October 23 at about 4 a.m. after Marion County Sheriff’s deputies noticed the vehicle's hazard lights were on and that the tires on the driver's side appeared deflated. A deputy then realized that the tires were not deflated but were missing and Orjuela-Montealegre was "driving on what remained of the rim," the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook. When asked about the damage to the...

Facing Circuit Judge Peter Brigham, 25-year-old Kenvonte Lamar Daniel was asked why he should remain a free man? Daniel told the judge he has learned his lesson, has a family, is employed, wasn't trying to hurt anyone and his troubles have opened his eyes that he has to do better. "I'm trying to better myself. I want to be with my family," Daniel said. In 2019, Daniel and Darryn Lake were charged with robbing a man by law enforcement officials. Lake went to trial and was found guilty by a jury of robbery with a firearm and burglary of a...

A prolific car thief was sentenced to ten years in prison and had his driver's license revoked for life after he stole and stripped more than 100 vehicles with the help of his DMV worker girlfriend. Israel Fonseca, 39, would steal the cars, gut them for parts - taking everything from GPS systems to guns stored in glove compartments - and abandon them throughout the streets of Oregon's Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion and Clark counties. He targeted vehicles in movie theatre parking lots, outside malls or parked by the Moda Center sports arena in Portland. Owners would return to the parking...