Alleged property dispute reportedly
triggers alleged murder attempt
Suspected shooter jailed

Mugshot By GCSO-Graphic By HardisonInk.com

By Jeff M. Hardison © March 13, 2025 at 8 a.m.
     BELL – A man who has a Williston residential address for 20 acres of property he owns in either the Town of Bell or in the unincorporated part of Gilchrist County known as “Northwest 30th Street,” near Bell, was arrested on Wednesday morning (March 12) for attempted murder and aggravated battery, according to public records and information in a press release from Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Lt. K. Weatherford, public information officer. 

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     Stuart Robert Skrabec, 40, of Bell and Williston is charged with attempted homicide and aggravated battery, Lt. Weatherford noted in a GCSO press release sent at 8:16 p.m. on March 12.
     On March 12 at approximately 8:50 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), GCSO dispatch sent that local law enforcement agency to “the 20th Block” of Northwest 30th Street in Bell, Weatherford said, in reference to a shooting that had reportedly occurred there.
     At approximately 8:56 a.m., deputies were on scene, Weatherford said, and they helped provide medical assistance with personnel from Gilchrist County Fire Rescue to an individual who had been shot multiple times.
     The victim was transported to a hospital in critical condition, Weatherford said. There are no hospitals or trauma centers in Gilchrist County, Dixie County or Levy County, therefore the “local hospital” noted by Lt. Weatherford is in Alachua County.
      Deputies identified the suspect shooter as Skrabec, Lt. Weatherford said.
     The shooting appears to be the result of a property dispute, Lt. Weatherford noted. The investigation into this incident is ongoing, he added.
     “Sheriff Bobby Schultz sends his thoughts and prayers to the victim and their family and is praying for a complete and quick recovery,” Lt. Weatherford noted. “He also acknowledges and appreciates the professionalism exhibited by members of the GCSO and the Gilchrist County Fire Rescue.”
 

LCSO nabs sex offender who absconded
from Gilchrist County
and was allegedly chatting
with one or more juveniles

Photo By LCSO-Graphic By HardisonInk.com

By Jeff M. Hardison © March 12, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
     CHIEFLAND – A 46-year-old man was quickly removed by deputies from a derelict truck parked at the back of a property in the Manatee Farms Subdivision on Tuesday (March 11), according to a March 12 press release from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.     Investigation leading up to the capture of found Todd Joseph “TJ” Thompson, 46, and his subsequent arrest on several felony charges began when an LCSO school resource deputy on March 11 was made aware a student who had been caught using a cell phone during school, the LCSO said.
     The phone was taken from the student and school staff members discovered the student was using the social media known as SnapChat to communicate with another person, the LCSO said.
     “The content of the conversation was sexually charged,” the LCSO said. “The School Resource Deputy reviewed the SnapChat messages and saw where the other party identified themselves as a 46-year-old man.”
     The LCSO school resource deputy contacted LCSO Cpl. Mike McNeil with the Criminal Investigations Division and asked him to investigate this incident further, the LCSO said.
     McNeil identified the owner of the SnapChat profile, the LCSO said. This profile owner was found to be in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections as a sentenced inmate (15-year sentence) and was therefore excluded as a viable suspect, the LCSO said.
     The investigation gained momentum when McNeil identified the location of the device sending these chat messages was in Chiefland, the LCSO said.
     That is when detectives converged on the location and found Thompson in the truck in the Manatee Farms Subdivision, the LCSO said. Thompson did not immediately exit the vehicle when ordered, the LCSO said, and the man “began making suspicious movements. Detectives feared he was destroying evidence and quickly removed him from the vehicle.”
     Thompson was convicted of first degree sexual assault in Arkansas in 2004, the LCSO said, and he is designated as a sexual offender.
     Thompson moved to Florida and registered as a sex offender with the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office as required by Florida law, the LCSO said. In 2024, Thompson failed to register and fled Gilchrist County, the LCSO said. A warrant for his arrest was issued shortly after he absconded. Thompson has successfully evaded capture since the warrant was issued, the LCSO said.
     Thompson used an Internet name belonging to someone else to conceal his online identity, the LCSO said. He purchased a cell phone from an unidentified person on the street, the LCSO said. This phone allowed Thompson unfettered access to the Internet, the LCSO said, as well as access to this incarcerated individual’s social media profiles, including SnapChat. 
     Thompson used this phone and SnapChat profile to begin chatting with the student, the LCSO said.
     The investigation is still active, and detectives believe other victims may be discovered, the LCSO said. 
     The LCSO is asking anyone who has information on Thompson and his online activity to contact Cpl. Mike McNeil at 352-486-5111, extension 240.
     Thompson was arrested and has been booked into the Levy County Detention Facility (Levy County Jail) on March 11 at 5:51 p.m., according to records.
     As of March 12, Thompson has been charged with obscene communication use of an electronic device to seduce or solicit a child; transmission of harmful material to a child; use of a two way communication device to facilitate a felony; possession of a controlled substance; sex offender fail to comply with registration; sex offender fail to register Internet identifier (SnapChat); and sex offender fail to register phone number change. 
     In addition to the $1.3 million for these charges in Levy County, Thompson had bond set at another $300,000 for allegedly absconding from Gilchrist County in 2024, the LCSO said.
     “We are all too familiar with sexual predators and how they exploit the Internet to find new victims,” Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum said. “This is a classic example of how quickly our children can become the victim of a heinous crime at the hands of a sexual predator. Thompson thought he was hiding his identity by using a phone belonging to a state inmate.
     “Thankfully the quick thinking of our Levy County school officials and my school resource deputy we were able to protect this child,” Sheriff McCallum added. “Words cannot explain how proud I am of all involved in this case, most especially our detectives, who worked feverously to locate and apprehend this dangerous criminal and put him exactly where he belongs -- in jail.”
 

Suspects Jailed March 3, 2025 through March 9, 2025
Published March 10, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Suspects Jailed March 3, 2025 through March 9, 2025
Published March 10, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Suspects Jailed March 3, 2025 through March 9, 2025
Published March 10, 2025 at 8 p.m.

FWC discontinues
weekly law enforcement report
with one last report
100 boating crashes in February
By Jeff M. Hardison © March 6, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
     TALLAHSSEE – As Gov. Ron DeSantis calls upon every state agency that provides services to the public to cut back via his Feb. 24 announcement of the creation of the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) task force, which will work to further eliminate waste within state government, save taxpayers money, and ensure accountability in Florida, the public can expect a reduced degree of service from the state government.
     One visible cutback is the end of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement halting its weekly list of reports.
     In this final-ever notice sent on March 6, the FWC Division of Law Enforcement notes the following for the period of Feb. 21 through Feb. 27.
     This report represents some events the FWC handled over specified weeks; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.
     “This is the final issue of the Division of Law Enforcement’s Weekly Report,” the FWC noted.
Southwest Region
CASES
Manatee County
     Officer Specialist Miller observed a subject throwing a cast net in a retention pond along S.R. 64. A resource inspection revealed the subject had caught and kept eight Florida bass and five bluegills. The subject will have to appear in Manatee County Court for their violations. 
     Senior Officer Hinds was on land patrol around I-75 and the Manatee River when he observed a subject throwing a cast net. The officer identified the subjects were catching and keeping Florida bass. A resource inspection revealed the subject had caught seven Florida bass with a cast net. The subject was issued a notice to appear in Manatee County Court for the violations. 
     Officer Specialist Miller observed a subject throwing a cast net along Fish Eating Creek (aka Fisheating Creek). The officer conducted a resource inspection and found the subject had caught and kept numerous freshwater gamefish with a cast net. The subject will have to appear in Manatee County Court for the violations.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
Charlotte County
     Officer Lejarzar received an emergency call regarding two subjects who were aboard a boat and in distress. The seas were rough with high winds and waves consistently between 4 to 6 feet. The vessel had lost its anchor and was stuck in the remnants of a public fishing pier that was destroyed by recent hurricanes. Officer Lejarzar responded to the scene and coordinated with responding officers from Punta Gorda Police Department. Officer Lejarzar took charge and advised the other units of their responsibilities as he attempted to position the patrol vessel close enough to the distressed vessel, which was taking waves over the bow and filling with water. Officer Lejarzar maneuvered the patrol vessel to the distressed vessel just long enough for the other officers to grab the one subject and pull her to safety. A second pass had to be made to get close enough to rescue the second subject. The two subjects were rescued without injury and relieved to be safe.
South A Region
SEARCH AND RESCUE
Palm Beach County
     Lieutenant Warne and Officer Defeo responded to a call about a lost individual stranded while riding an e-bike in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. The subject had been stranded for over 24 hours and spent the night in the woods. The officers located the individual and transported him to safety.
Lieutenant Warne responded to a call for help from two individuals at the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area at approximately 4:30 a.m. The individuals had illegally driven off-trail earlier in the night, causing one vehicle to become disabled in water while the other ran out of gas. In the early morning, Lt. Warne used a swamp buggy to extract the three people from the area. He then transported them to safety and the individuals arranged for the removal of their vehicles.
COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING
Okeechobee County
     Lieutenant Davis and Reserve Officer Allen assisted with the three-day Battle of Okeechobee Reenactment at the Okeechobee Battlefield State Park. During each day of the event the historical Battle of Okeechobee was reenacted for the participants. Officers assisted with parking and fielded questions from the hundreds of visitors that attended the reenactment.
     Lieutenant Davis, Investigator/Drone Pilot Wright, Public Information Officer Matthews, Officer Crosby and K-9 Officer Madsen participated in the Okeechobee County School District Career Fair at the Indian River State College campus in Okeechobee. The officers fielded multiple questions about how to become an FWC officer. They also discussed what an FWC member does, including demonstrating different units within the Division of Law Enforcement such as drone pilot and K-9 officer. 
     There were more than 1,000 thousand fifth, eighth and tenth grade students in attendance.

Sheriff updates County Commission
about 'illegal aliens' jailed
in Florida's 67 counties

Just before the start of the meeting, there was some social conversation between (from left) Gilchrist County Commissioner Kenrick Thomas, Commission Vice Chairman Bill Martin, Commission Chairman Tommy Langford and Commissioner Darrell Smith.

Story, Photo and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © March 4, 2025 at 9:30 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     TRENTON – On Monday evening (March 3), Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert D. “Bobby” Schultz III told the four members of the Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners present for the bi-monthly commission meeting what he and the other 66 sheriffs in Florida’s 67 counties are dealing with as elected federal and state leaders push for removing illegal aliens from the United States of America.     In addition to giving Commission Chairman Tommy Langford, Vice Chairman William “Bill” Martin and commissioners Darrell Smith and Kenrick Thomas updates on what Florida’s sheriffs are required do via an essentially unfunded mandate, Sheriff Schultz thanked the county leaders again for increasing the budget for the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) so that he could give jobs to five more correctional officers at the new Gilchrist County Jail that just recently opened.
     Gilchrist County Commissioner Sharon Akins Langford was absent from the March 3 meeting due to a critical health issue in her family, Commission Chairman Langford mentioned.


Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz tells the County Commission on March 3 that he will work within the bounds of the law in regard to putting undocumented immigrants in jail. He explains some finer points. He thanked the County Commission for agreeing to fund the five added correctional officers at the new jail. Tso see and hear the video, click on the PHOTO.
This video is by Jeff M. Hardison  All Rights Reserved

     Sheriff Schultz told the Gilchrist County Commission on Monday evening that he had been on at least seven Zoom calls during the past week in regard to how the GCSO is going to oversee people suspected of being in the United States from another country without the proper authorization.
     The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as several other federal agencies have become more active than before given the current movement against people residing in this country without first attaining proper passports and visas.
     For instance, the crew of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos repatriated two aliens to the Dominican Republic Saturday (March 1) following a Puerto Rico police interdiction of a suspect vessel with five people on board just off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, as noted in a March 4 press release sent to news outlets. One of the interdicted aliens, with a prior criminal history in the United States, is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico on charges of attempted illegal reentry into the United States, the Coast Guard noted.
     In addition to federal action, there is state action to remove people from the United States who are in violation of laws.
     The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Tuesday evening (March 4), sent a press release to news outlets regarding one of its most recent actions in this campaign.
     The FDLE announced on March 4 the arrest of five criminal aliens in the Tampa Bay area. The suspects were arrested by FDLE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on March 4.
     In two separate operations that Tuesday, agents from FDLE and HSI were serving federal arrest warrants when they first located and arrested a wanted Honduran national living in a Tampa residence. Three additional illegal Honduran nationals were found residing in the same home, all of which were subsequently arrested during the visit.
     During the second operation of the day, FDLE agents located and arrested a wanted illegal Guatemalan national in Plant City.
     All five suspects are in the country illegally, the FDLE Public Information Office noted in the press release this evening. The arrests stem from an active, ongoing criminal investigation conducted by FDLE, the FDLE said.
     As for the Florida sheriffs, Sheriff Schultz shared information with the Gilchrist County Commission on Monday evening.
     Schultz said he does not know the effect or impact on Gilchrist County from arrests resulting in people being booked into the new Gilchrist County Jail.
     Schultz said there are 700,000 “administrative detainers” issued across the nation right now.
     Federal resources show these are people in the United States with “administrative warrants,” which are issued to those who have violated civil immigration law and otherwise have no criminal record. Those violations include -- but are not limited to --crossing any United States border without permission and living in the country with expired visas for work and school.
     Schultz said the GCSO, like every other sheriff’s office in Florida, cannot enforce those civil immigration laws.
     If a person calls the GCSO to report a person in Gilchrist County with one of these civil warrants, the sheriff said he has zero authority to take them into custody or arrest them.
     Members of the Florida Highway Patrol, Sheriff’ Schultz said, are being trained at a rapid pace to conduct those arrests of people suspected of violating civil immigration laws.
     “How can the county hold people in our jail who are not criminally charged?” Sheriff Schultz asked.
     The Florida sheriffs have reached an agreement with state government and with ICE that they will be holding “those folks who are administratively detained” for up to 48 hours, Schultz said.
     As for the federal government reimbursing Florida counties for those sheriffs holding civil violators, Schultz said “Maybe.” The number that has been used so far is $50 per person per day of incarceration in the jail. The sheriff did not say if that$50 daily fee would cover the costs for those detainees.
     What happens after 48 hours pass and ICE does not pick up the suspected immigration civil law violator?
     Suspects collected south of Marion County, the Gilchrist County sheriff said are picked up by ICE relatively rapidly.
     “North of Marion County,” Schultz continued, “not so much.”
     One option mentioned, he continued, is requiring sheriffs to transport the suspects to collection areas. This would hurt the GCSO, he intimated, because the county is working at the most efficient level possible. There are zero correctional officers or deputies available for this added duty.
     The Gilchrist County Jail has an 84-inmate capacity, and as of Monday evening there were 61 or 62 inmates, Schultz said. 
     “We are in complete compliance with everything the governor and the president have asked us to do,” Sheriff Schultz said. “All 67 counties, whether Democrat or Republican, they’re all in compliance. 
     “They’re all in agreeance that we’re going to do what we’re supposed to do,” he continued.
     The state has tentatively set aside $250 million, Schultz said. While this sounds like a lot of money, and it is, he said, that money also covers the cost for building jails, wings and other capital improvements, especially in financially constrained counties like Gilchrist, Levy and Dixie counties.
     The sheriff added that if one of these detainees needs medical care, he must assign a deputy to be with that inmate at the hospital. There are no hospitals in Gilchrist, Levy or Dixie counties.
     The sheriff added another potential conundrum. If 10 of these detainees are brought in one night, are they to be mixed with the actual suspected criminals? Those detainees are being held for suspected civil infractions of immigration laws.
     The sheriff promised to keep the County Commission appraised if things change.
     There was some conversation about the possible impact on farmers who use migrant workers for planting and harvesting watermelons and other crops.

Motorcyclist dies in Dixie County
Pothole results in death
By Jeff M. Hardison © March 2, 2025 at 7:30 a.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     DIXIE COUNTY – A 63-year-old man with a Steinhatchee residential address died Saturday evening (March 1) in a single-vehicle crash, according to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) press release sent at 9:46 p.m. on March 1.
     The victim’s next of kin had not been notified when the press release was sent.
     On March 1 at approximately 5:40 p.m., a motorcycle was traveling northbound on Dixie County Road 361, the FHP noted in the press release based on information from a crash investigator and a homicide investigator.
     The driver lost control of the motorcycle after it hit a pothole in the road, the FHP said.
     The motorcycle fell onto its side and struck the roadway, the FHP said, resulting in the man, who was not wearing a helmet, to become separated from the vehicle. He hit the ground, the FHP said.
     He was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries suffered in the crash, the FHP said.
     As of May of 2020, the Florida Highway Patrol stopped providing names of people and some other information from crashes as part of its press releases.
     Prior to May of 2020, the FHP formerly provided that information via those public records in its press releases.
     The FHP and some other law enforcement agencies in Florida are abiding by a version of something known as “Marcy’s Law” of California, which is allegedly used to protect victims of crimes. The Florida version of “Marcy’s Law” was adopted after Florida voters chose to change the Florida Constitution to exempt more public records from view.
     Although not every vehicle crash involves crime victims, which may have been the legislative intent of the Florida version of “Marcy’s Law” approved by voters, the FHP adopted its current blanket exclusion of some information as part of its process in sending press releases.
     Although the FHP adopted this new practice, not every law enforcement agency has done so.
     For instance, the Chiefland Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Ocala Police Department all have provided crash information in press releases or traffic crash reports, except when there is an actual victim of a crime, as demonstrated in the reports provided to the press since the onset of the FHP’s revision in its press release practices in May of 2020.
Crash Report Purchasing
https://services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing/
Florida Crash Data
https://www.flhsmv.gov/traffic-crash-reports/crash-dashboard/
Victims’ Rights Information
https://www.flhsmv.gov/victimsrights/ 
     Publisher’s note: Anyone who would prefer that the FHP return to its previous practice of releasing the names of crash victims -- who are not victims of crimes – as well as the make, model and year of the vehicles involved, may want to contact the governor, as well as every member of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate.
     Given a trend of reduced public service and more secrecy by elected federal and state government leaders, this may be a lost cause – however, hope springs eternal.
 

Inglis man arrested for sexual battery

Mug Shot By LCSO-Graphic By HardisonInk.com

Information Provided By LCSO
Published Feb. 28, 2025 at 4 p.m.
     LEVY COUNTY -- On Wednesday (Feb. 26) deputies with the Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) were dispatched to a disturbance on Southeast 195th Place in Inglis after neighbors reported hearing a female cry out for help.     Deputy Patrick Lockett and Deputy Dakota Dowling arrived and found a female victim clothed only in a blanket. She was in distress.
     The female victim told deputies that she had been physically attacked and sexually battered by Whyitt Wood, 22. Deputies located and detained Wood pending further investigation. The female was transported to a hospital for treatment. There are no hospitals or trauma centers in Levy County, Dixie County or Gilchrist County.
     LCSO Criminal Investigations Division was requested to assist in the investigation. Detectives Shelby Kilian and Joe Barrera, along with Victim Advocate Donna Sanderson and Crime Scene Det. Jennifer Langston responded to the scene.
     Following a lengthy investigation and interviews, probable cause was established to charge Wood with forcible sexual battery, kidnapping-false imprisonment, and domestic battery by strangulation. Wood was arrested and transported to the Levy County Detention Center where he is being held with no bond. 

Hit and run suspect nabbed in Georgia

Photo By LCSO – Graphic By HardisonInk.com

By Jeff M. Hardison © Feb. 28, 2025 at 6 a.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
    BRONSON – A few days after her 64^th birthday, a Bronson woman who became a suspected fleeing felon was captured in Georgia reecntly, according to information released from the Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO).
     As of Friday morning (Feb. 28), Janet Lee Dean, 64, a former Bronson resident was not in the Levy County Detention Center (Levy County Jail), according to records, but as one Eighth Judicial Circuit assistant state attorney had said on Thursday (Feb. 27) in regard to a murder suspect who was testifying in the trial of another suspected murderer, extradition from Georgia to Florida of a suspected felon is a foregone conclusion.
     Law enforcement officers with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) found evidence issue an arrest warrant for Dean last year, according to records. Dean had been in the hospital when the warrant was issued, having suffered from the crash in which she is suspected of having been driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (DUI) resulting in the death of another human, according to records.
     Dean fled before the warrant was executed, the LCSO said in a press release. She was located later and in Tampa, the LCSO said, charged with vehicular homicide and dui with property damage/personal injury.
     Dean posted bond on this first arrest and was released, the LCSO said. She intentionally failed to appear (FTA) for a scheduled court procedure where her presence was mandatory, according to records.
     An FTA arrest warrant was issued, the LCSO said.
     LCSO detectives received information that Dean had fled the jurisdiction in an attempt to avoid prosecution.
     LCSO detectives are part of the United States Marshals Service fugitive task force. They joined with other agencies to find and arrest Dean.
     The LCSO, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office (Georgia) and the FHP received information on Deans’ whereabouts, the LCSO said.
     She was arrested on Tuesday (Feb. 25) in Lowndes County Georgia.
     Dean is scheduled to be returned to the Levy County Jail where she will be held without bond until her first appearance before Levy County Judge Luis Bustamante or some other judge.
     Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum is dedicated to maintaining the safety of traveling motorists in Levy County and frequently works with FHP to keep streets safe in Levy County. 
     DUI is a contributor to crashes resulting in injury and death, and this crime will not be tolerated in Levy County, the LCSO noted.
     “Sheriff McCallum’s hope is that the apprehension of Janet Dean, and her return to Levy County to face justice will allow the family of the victim some comfort knowing that senseless death has not been forgotten,” the LCSO noted in a social media post.