News Cast for January 28th:
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office C.A.T. Team, arrested fugitive Travis Samuel Allen, 29, of Okeechobee, for failure to appear for trial on child sex abuse charges.
On Nov. 20, 2024, FDLE was requested by the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) to locate Allen after he absconded from house arrest. Allen was on house arrest awaiting trial after HCSO arrested him in 2023 on felony lewd and lascivious battery and felony child abuse by impregnating a child under 16 years old by a person over 21 years old charges.
FDLE agents and HCSO investigators, working jointly on the case, identified a residence where Allen was staying.
While serving a warrant at the residence, Allen was taken into custody after attempting to flee the property by O.C.S.O. Corporal Richard Varnadore.
The Office of the State Attorney, 20th Judicial Circuit, will prosecute the case.
A Glades County jury acquitted Casey Platt of Lakeport on four felony charges related to allegations he molested children.
The State Attorney dropped three other felony charges that include sexual assault and lewd and lascivious molestation.
Three juveniles claimed they had been touched inappropriately by Platt.
The jury found him not guilty and the suspect was released from custody.
An Okeechobee man is charged with traveling to meet a 14 year old girl for sex.
Joshua Jackson faces three felony charges that include use of a cell phone and computer to contact and seduce a child.
Jackson allegedly contacted the child on the social media platform known as Redit on January 15 and arranged to meet the child in the middle of the night at the sports complex.
He was contacted by sheriff detectives when he arrived at the facility.
His bond was set at $325,000.
Sheriff Noel Stephen said even though the state allows speed cameras in school zones, he is not a big fan of the idea.
Other school districts have installed cameras and have started to issue citations.
Stephen said he does support the school decision to add cameras to school bus arms. He wants to stop motorists that
are illegally passing stopped school buses as they pick up and let off children.
Stephen said he’d like to see some improvements made in the school zones.
“We have a problem trying to communicate with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement about our school zone lights. I don’t think it is always the motoring public. We have some school zones that are not well marked.”\
The sheriff said deputies have focused on red light running in recent months especially at the main intersection.
Two construction workers were caught on private property trying to steal $30,000 worth of aluminum, Okeechobee Deputies said.
Edgar Siador Lapitan and Christian Edmark Lapitan were both charged with grand theft over $20,000.
The arrest report said the attempted theft occurred in the 7400 block of highway 710 on Jan. 19.
An employee of the business arrived to find the two men on the property, and one was using a company backhoe to load up rolls of wire onto a trailer.
Christian Lapitan said it was just scrap and I’m just helping when questioned by the Deputy on who gave him permission to take the aluminum.
The company said they have had several robberies of copper in the past at different location and wanted to press charges.
About 15,000 pounds of aluminum had been loaded onto the suspects dump trailer.
Okeechobee County Commissioners approved a grant application with FEMA to hire 13 new firemen.
The county will apply for just under $2.8 million.
Fire Chief Earl Wooten said the plan is to hire four firemen for each shift.
The grant lasts for three years. After that the county would have to keep the firemen hired. The estimated salary per year would be $994,000.
The county wants to hire home grown talent and the students at Okeechobee High School that have entered the new public safety academy.
Okeechobee County will get a new attorney. Wade Vose and his firm gave the county 60-day notice to find a new attorney.
The firm agreed to stay on until a replacement firm is hired.