A 33-year-old Okeechobee man is charged with sexual battery of a 10 year old girl.
Okeechobee County Sheriff Deputies said the victim went to the doctors office to report the attack on August 6.
Juan Antonio Amador Lopez was developed as the suspect and attempts to local him were unsuccessful at first.
Detectives said Lopez did not return to his residence or go to work and they feared he had fled the country.
They received a tip on Aug. 7 that Lopez was in the Walmart parking lot. When deputies approached him, he allegedly gave them a false name and date of birth.
He also possessed an out of country identification.
Okeechobee Commissioners gave strong grades to administrator Deborah Manzo in her annual evaluation.
Commissioners applauded Manzo for transparency, openness to answering questions and improvements made to county day to day operations.
“My heart is in this county and in my work and with everyone that I work with. Its been my pleasure to work here.”
Commissioner Terry Burroughs said Manzo is very valuable to this community. He applauded her for the time and effort she has put in to make the community better.
A drug dealer was sentenced to 55 months in prison. Casey Casen, 46, agreed to a no contest plea to sale of Molly near a school or park.
He scored 101 months in prison due to prior convictions for battery, attempting murder, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, cocaine and other drug sales.
Casen was arrested following an undercover drug buy in Douglas Park in the 700 block of NE 13th Avenue on January 25, 2024.
He was arrested one day earlier for allegedly selling $50 worth of cocaine in the same location.
The Highlands County Commission approached by supporters of a baseball museum in Avon Park.
They’d like to get some tax money to supplement the $250,000 the community has raised for the project.
Dr. Ron Seveny says there is a lot of public support for the project and he thinks it will be a good tourist attraction.
A 63 year old Indiantown woman faces several charges after a ‘drunken rampage’ Martin County Sheriff Deputies said Thursday.
Laurel Stephens allegedly struck a man an 83 year old man with a glass in the face causing visible injury.
Deputies said the suspect was belligerent, aggressive and profane.
She refused to cooperate with deputies or answer question and threatened to set her roommates dogs on the deputies.
One of the dogs did bite a deputy above the knee and he was able to get stitches.
Charges include battery on an elderly person, two counts of battery on law enforcement officers and aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.