South Daytona man charged in killing
A South Daytona man has been charged with stabbing a man to death because he was angry when his ex-girlfriend accepted a ride home with the victim, officials said.
Wayne Prinkey and ex-girlfriend, Dawn Gregor of Port Orange, were at a Finnegan's bar in South Daytona June 10, where they reportedly got into an argument, police said. The victim, David D. Stonebeck, an acquaintance of Ms. Gregor, was at the bar and offered to drive Ms. Gregor home.
Meanwhile, Mr. Prinkey drove to Ms. Gregor's Port Orange residence, forced his way into her house and waited for Ms. Gregor to arrive, police said.
Mr. Stonebeck dropped Ms. Gregor off at her home a short while later, unaware that Mr. Prinkey was hiding inside, police said. Police said Ms. Gregor entered her home and was confronted by Mr. Prinkey, who then ran outside and stabbed Mr. Stonebeck several times.
Mr. Stonebeck tried to flee in his car, but crashed into a tree several hundred yards away in the 5400 block of Isabelle Avenue. The Ormond Beach resident was transported to Halifax Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Mr. Prinkey was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He remains in Volusia County Branch Jail with no bond allowed, police said.
Guns stolen from South Daytona gun shop
Seventeen semi-automatic guns are out on the street after they were stolen from the Brothers Guns and Ammo shop this week.
South Daytona police responded to a burglar alarm at 1701 S. Ridgewood Ave., around 1 p.m., Sunday, officials said.
When police arrived, the outside of the building was secure and no cars were in the parking lot, police said. The responding officer noticed a missing air-condition vent, but could not contact the business owner.
An hour later, the owner arrived at the shop and reported that plywood on the back door had been broken and that handguns were missing from two display cases, police said.
Other guns and rifles displayed were not taken, police said.
Police have not determined how the burglar got in. It may have been through a vacant building next door or through a small air-conditioning vent, police said.
Police found plywood unscrewed over a broken window next door and a ladder placed under an attic that leads to the gun shop. Blood was found on the window blind covering the broken window, but it's not known how long the blood has been there, police said.
The damaged plywood on the back door may have been broken from the inside, police said.
There is no way of knowing where these guns will show up, said Lt. Ron Wright, South Daytona police spokesman.
"That's our concern," he said.
Alleged sexual predator appears in court
A South Daytona man nabbed in an Internet sex sting filmed by Dateline NBC appeared in court June 7 at the Flagler County Courthouse.
William Roach, 31, was charged with lewd and lascivious battery, lewd and lascivious exhibition, computer pornography and child exploitation and transmission of harmful materials to a minor. He appeared at a hearing in Judge Kim Hammond's courtroom regarding a motion to suppress filed by his attorney, Irwin Connelly, of the public defenders office.
The motion to suppress refers to statements Mr. Roach made to Dateline NBC staff and law enforcement officials as well as items seized from Mr. Roach's vehicle, computer and cell phone.
Mr. Roach allegedly sent sexually explicit pictures and chatroom dialogue to a female decoy he believed to be 13 years old.
Due to time constraints, Mr. Roach's case was not heard that day and will be rescheduled, said Linda Pruitt, State Attorney spokesperson.
Mr. Roach is out on $40,500 bond.
7-Eleven robber gets life in prison
It will be life in prison for a 21-year-old man who was sentenced June 7 for robbing a 7-Eleven store on Granada Boulevard.
A jury found William P. Gordon, of Holly Hill, guilty of robbery with a firearm before Circuit Court Judge Julianne Pigotte.
Because he was still on probation from a 2005 conviction, the defendant received an immediate life sentence for the July 7, 2006, robbery. He was released from prison in September 2005 for carjacking and fleeing from police, officials said.
Residents may notice that water tastes or smells differently
City residents may notice a change in the taste or odor of water while the city of Ormond Beach Utilities Division flushes and treats the water distribution system.
The process began Monday and should be completed by July 2. It is being done to improve the quality of water provided to city residents and businesses.
The procedure involves changing the disinfectant residual from chloramines to free chlorine, according to the utility department.
Over a three-week period, a free chlorine residual will be maintained throughout the water distribution system while a thorough flushing of all water mains is carried out. After the flushing, the system will return to the chloramines now being used as disinfectants.
Ormond native will teach English in Korea
Ormond Beach native Jamal Grimes, a 2006 graduate of Florida State University, has earned a Fulbright Award to teach high school students in South Korea.
Mr. Grimes, a 2003 graduate of Atlantic High School, earned an English Teaching Assistantship in the competitive Fulbright program. The project was established to create a mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.
Nine students received the prestigious award, the most in a single year for the university, an FSU spokesman said.
Mr. Grimes received a Bachelor of Science degree in insurance risk management, with an additional major in finance. In 2003, he received an Associate of Arts degree from Daytona Beach Community College.
Online predators nabbed
A five-month statewide sting targeting pedophiles and child pornography distributors netted 126 arrests including two men from South Daytona and Port Orange, Florida's Office of the Attorney General reported.
Kristopher Storey, 29, of South Daytona, was charged with obscene communication and possession of child pornography. Andrew Wilson, 65, of Port Orange, was charged with possessing obscene materials.
The arrests, part of "Operation Eviction," was led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and involved a joint effort among local, state and federal law enforcement, officials said.
The operation ran from January 1 through May 31 and resulted in the seizure of personal computers, hard drives, cameras, video equipment and thousands of child pornography images, said state officials.
"Florida's law enforcement will not tolerate individuals who prey on the innocence of a child," FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said in a written statement.
Canal Street renovation moves ahead
NEW SMYRNA BEACH - The Community Redevelopment Agency board recently approved the awarding of a $2.3-million bid to refurbish Canal Street. The project will include landscaping, sidewalks, placement of power lines underground, and repair of the canal.
City Commissioners will consider final approval of the bid award to Thad Construction at their June 26 meeting.
CRA Coordinator Noeleen Foster said the bulk of the money for the project will come from the Florida Department of Transportation. $1.2 million has been dedicated to canal repair and a $934,000 grant will go toward streetscaping. The rest of the money will come from the CRA.
"We don't know exactly how much yet, because the project is still being designed," Ms. Foster said.
Public meetings will be held to get the public's input on the project, Ms. Foster said. She expects construction to begin by December and be completed by June 2008.
Fire threat still high
A 50-acre brush fire threatened homes in New Smyrna Beach and surrounding areas last week.
Six fire agencies including New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater and Port Orange responded to the fire.
Despite recent rainfall this was a reminder that dry conditions are far from over, fire officials said.
The 50-acre brushfire occurred June 5 in the area of Turnbull Bay Road between State Route 44 and Shadow Pines Drive in New Smyrna Beach.
Although no mandatory evacuations were ordered, some residents in the area of Shadow Pines and Sugar Mill Subdivisions in New Smyrna did leave voluntarily, officials said.
The fire was contained with no property loss, police said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Recent rainfall has not been enough to eliminate the threat of brushfire because the ground is so dry it soaks up the small amount of rain received, officials said. Recent winds also contribute to the fire threat, they said.
A Volusia County burn ban remains in effect until further notice.
Unregistered sex offender arrested
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested a 33-year-old man in Daytona Beach for failing to register as a sex offender.
Terrell Worthington was convicted in 1999 of misconduct with a minor in Illinois. When he moved to Florida, he did properly register.
However, Mr. Worthington told authorities he was relocating to Indiana, but a person who knew him reported that he was still living in Volusia County.
Based on the tip, deputies visited a fast food restaurant where the convict was employed. The manager of the establishment verified that Mr. Worthington was hired in June 2006 and was still working there.
Deputies located Mr. Worthington at his apartment on Mary McCleod Bethune Boulevard. He was charged with failure to register as a sex offender and transported to the Volusia County Brand Jail.
Police use 'bait car' to catch suspects
Police caught three suspected thieves within a four-hour period by using a "bait car."
Vincent Roundtree, 47, Louis Mitchell, 34, and Eric Maurice Chapman, 35, were arrested May 31 after attempting to steal a high-tech vehicle controlled by police.
All three men were charged with grand theft auto and taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail.
To catch would-be thieves, a car is left on a street, waiting to be stolen. As it is driven away, police are able to disable and lock the car, trapping the driver inside the stalled vehicle.
The cars are also equipped with a hidden camera to capture footage of the crimes.