Palm Beach County
CHILD SHOT
An 8-year-old boy was shot during a drive-by shooting in Riviera Beach, but is expected to survive. It happened in the 200 block of West 29th Street. Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477.
CARETAKER ARRESTED
Workers discovered a 24-year-old man tied up inside a West Palm Beach apartment when they went there to perform routine maintenance. Marcia Grace Jones, 63, the man’s caretaker, was arrested on charges of neglect and false imprisonment after it was determined she was responsible. It is not clear why she tied him up.
Broward County
IDOL CHARGED
Former teen idol David Cassidy, 65, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving with an expired tag after a crash in Florida last month. Police say Cassidy sideswiped a truck and then tried to cover his license plate before leaving the scene. Witnesses later picked Cassidy’s photo out of a lineup. Cassidy, who starred in The Partridge Family television show, lives in Fort Lauderdale.
SUSPENDED AGAIN
Nick Steffens, an attorney who is active in local Democratic Party politics, has been suspended again. This time he is accused of misappropriating $189,109 from a trust fund. Steffens served on a number of advisory boards, which could be impacted by his suspension from practicing law.
WATSON’S FIGHT
Former Broward Judge Laura Watson continues to fight her removal from the bench. She has appealed a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court and Justice Sonia Sotomayor has taken an interest in her case. Watson was removed over a fee dispute with her former partners in a lawsuit, which occurred prior to her being elected. She contends the issue was known to voters, who elected her and the courts have no say in the issue.
Miami-Dade County
ON THE MOVE
Baptist Health South Florida is merging with Bethesda Health, which owns hospitals in Palm Beach County. Baptist Health is the largest hospital operator in Miami-Dade County. It owns six facilities in the county and Bethesda has two hospitals in Palm Beach County.
NEW COACH
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, after paying big money contracts to Ryan Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh, fired head coach Joe Philbin. Tight end coach Dan Campbell is serving as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is named. The move comes about two years too late.
FIVE FOR FRYAR
Former NFL and Miami Dolphins star player Irving Fryar has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a mortgage scam. His mother, Allene McGhee, also was sentenced to three years probation. Fryar and his mother were convicted in August after they were charged with applying for multiple mortgages and using the same property as collateral.
Monroe County
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Key West City Commissioner Clayton Lopez is proposing that the city memorialize the legacy of black families who founded the historic Bahamas Village neighborhood by naming all of the streets near the Truman Waterfront Park after them. The measure is seen as favorable and has the support of the city’s mayor and some other commissioners.
$13 MILLION BAIL
A judge set bail at $13 million for Roberto Arevalo, 33, of Stock Island. He was initially charged with one count of lewd and lascivious behavior with a child when arrested last month. Six new counts were added with graphic details of sexual battery on a child, prompting the new bail amount.
OFF THE CASE
April Thomason, 43, of Key West is charged in the hit and run death of Verna Collins. She was scheduled to appear in court this week, but Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Mark Jones stepped down from the case because he knew the victim. The case is being reassigned to a different judge. Collins, 49, of Summerland Key, was walking on a Key West sidewalk when a Mercedes Benz driven by Thomason allegedly jumped the curb and ran over her. Thomason left the scene and was captured later. Collins was pronounced dead at a hospital.
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