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Drunken bicyclist arrested after trying to order Taco Bell in drive-through

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A drunken New Smyrna Beach bicyclist whose drive-through order at Taco Bell was rejected because he wasn’t in a car refused to leave the restaurant then tussled with police, according to an arrest report.

Gabriel Harris, 33, was charged with resisting an officer with violence in the late-night incident and was out of the Volusia County Branch Jail on $1,000 bail, records show.

According to the report, Taco Bell workers called police at 3:10 a.m. Sunday after Harris and a woman, both intoxicated, would not leave the restaurant at 1860 State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach.

Police found Harris on a bicycle by the menu speaker, a report states.

Aron Tobler, the employee, said he refused service to Harris and Sarah Haliburton because “they placed an order on bicycles” in the drive through window, the report states. Haliburton was not charged.

Police said Harris got to the restaurant after it closed at 3 a.m.

As police were asking Harris to leave, they spotted a red Swiss Army knife on Harris’ belt loop and tried to reach for it. Harris grabbed the officer’s wrist and Harris was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. Harris suffered a scraped forehead, police said.


Franklin County official charged with theft

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APALACHICOLA — Franklin County’s director of parks and recreation has been arrested on grand theft charges for allegedly stealing cash from registration fees for the youth football program she oversees.

Catherine Nicole “Nikki” Millender, 37, of Carrabelle, was charged Tuesday with two counts of grand theft in the third degree, each of which can be punished by up to five years in prison, and a fine of up to $5,000. Theft of property valued between $300 and $20,000 qualifies as grand theft in the third degree.

The arrest came less than four days after concerned parents complained to the sheriff’s office regarding fees paid for their children’s youth football and cheerleading registrations.

Detective Brett Johnson on Friday reviewed copies within the county finance office of deposits made over the past decade for the youth football program. In July 2012, Millender was promoted to head the parks and rec department and is paid $37,000 annually.

Erin Griffith, the county’s assistant finance officer, said Millender deposited $1,250 in 2014 and turned in receipts for 25 kids who had all paid with checks. Griffith said Millender told her that she had asked parents not to pay this year with cash. In the 2013 season, Millender deposited $2,140 for 33 signups and turned in $160 in cash.

Johnson’s review of the 2014 rosters showed that at least 31 boys had taken part in football and another 30 girls in cheerleading. In addition, Lt. Kevin Newell and Lance Rochelle, the Tiny Mite coaches, told Johnson that they had paid cash for the registration fees.

On Monday, the detective spoke with parks and rec employee Susan Riley and former employee Joe Bright, both of whom said they turned in all the registration fees, including cash payments, to Millender. Riley said that she recalled more than $400 in cash was collected on the second day of signups. Coaches estimate that about 90 young people each year take part in the program.

A search of Millender’s office later that day recovered numerous receipt books and registration forms from 2014 and prior years. The receipt books showed at least 20 parents paid cash in 2014, authorities reported.

“There are numerous receipts torn from the book that are unaccounted for,” Johnson wrote in his probable cause affidavit.

At a sworn recorded interview with detectives Tuesday, Millender waived her rights and confessed to taking cash from registration fees from the 2013 and 2014 seasons, according to the affidavit.

“Millender doesn’t remember if she stole cash during the 2012 season,” Johnson wrote. “She admitted using the cash to pay the Tax Collector’s Office for back taxes on her home.”

After her arrest, Millender was suspended with pay Tuesday by Alan Pierce, the county’s director of administrative services, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Police: Click your seat belt or risk a ticket

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PANAMA CITY — Police are offering motorists an easy choice during the holiday season — protect your passengers or pay a fine.

The Panama City Police Department’s Thanksgiving “Click It or Ticket” campaign is one of many initiatives taken throughout the year to encourage people to fasten themselves into the metal and fiberglass vehicles being driven long distances at high rates of speed. They’re doing it because more people on the road means the chances for human error to bring another metal and fiberglass vehicle toward your own is heightened.

“The goal is to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries,” said PCPD spokesman Richard Thore. “You should always be wearing your seat belt, but during holidays, which have the highest travel rate, the chances of being in an accident increases greatly.”

The Thanksgiving “Click It or Ticket” campaign began Monday and will continue through Nov. 30 with local law enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol keeping keenly aware of the driving public’s seat belt situation.

The “Click It or Ticket” campaign is one of many ways PCPD, along with the Florida Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, strive to keep motor vehicle occupants safe, officials said.

Police also increase seat belt observance the weeks of Christmas, New Year’s and Spring Break along the Panhandle.

“There is a direct correlation between seat belt usage and reduced risk for severe or fatal injury during a traffic crash,” Thore said. “It’s a big reminder that there is safety in a seat belt.”

IRS phone scam hits locals

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PANAMA CITY — A phone scam by fraudsters pretending to be IRS officials has hit home with a surge of recent victims in Bay County.

“It scared me,” said Penny, a waitress on Panama City Beach. “He told me I could pay money that afternoon or be arrested and go to court. I didn’t realize it was a scheme.”

Due to the embarrassment of her ordeal, Penny asked that only her first name be used.

The Treasury Inspector General for Taxpayer Administration (TIGTA) warned taxpayers earlier this year of unsolicited phone calls from individuals claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The callers intended to defraud taxpayers out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Penny returned a phone call on Friday that still has her reeling from how quickly a complete stranger duped her out of nearly all the money she’d set aside to help get through the winter season when she’s unemployed.

“Once he started talking about arresting me and got me on the emotional level, I was gullible,” she said.

Penny wasn’t surprised to get calls from the IRS since she’d fallen behind on filing her taxes in recent years.

“I was expecting something like that might possibly happen,” she said. “Everything that he put out there just coincided with some things happening with my life.”

The caller told Penny she and her husband owed $5,900, which sounded feasible once she factored in interest and penalties.

Fraudulent callers directly call taxpayers or leave messages informing them they owe taxes. When fraudsters get the victim on the phone, they tell the victim they must pay using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. If the victim doesn’t comply, the scammer threatens that a refusal to pay will result in arrest, deportation, loss of a business or driver’s license. 

“I should have known better because the IRS sends out registered mail,” she said. “It still just went right over my head.”

The caller gained Penny’s confidence by giving her a number to call and verify his identity, which consisted of a bogus name and IRS case number. When that checked out, Penny got another call from a number that showed up as the IRS on her caller ID.

Then the fraudster started instructing Penny specifically on what to do to avoid jail.

“He wanted me to go and get a Green Dot card,” she said.

He also insisted that Penny put herself on speaker phone and tell no one who she was talking to.

“He made it sound like it was my personal business, and I wouldn’t want others to know this was happening to me,” she said.

Penny was so distracted by what was happening that she did as the caller said. She dropped her phone down into her purse still on speaker so the caller could listen in as she went into a CVS and purchased three of the Green Dot pre-paid debit cards for amounts totaling $1,100.

“As soon as I got in my car, he wanted me to scratch off the cards and gave him the numbers off the back,” she said. He also wanted the time stamped on the receipt and cashier’s name.

The IRS usually first contacts taxpayers by mail about unpaid taxes. They rarely do so by phone and never ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer, or ask for a credit card number by phone.

The total amount of time it took the caller to scam Penny out of $1,100 was a little over an hour from the first time they spoke, until she was sitting in the CVS parking lot scratching off cards for the taunting caller.

Ted Rybicki is concerned senior citizens are prime targets for such scams.

“The mantra is never, ever give out your Social Security number or your credit card number,” said the 84-year-old Lynn Haven resident. “Don’t give out information over the phone to a stranger.”

Rybicki came home to a message on his answering machine recently . It was a recording saying it was a final notice from the IRS to inform him that a lawsuit was being filed against him. The message urged him to call a number for more information.

But Rybicki called his accountant Bill Steiner instead to leave a question inquiring about the legitimacy of the call he’d received.

The next message on Rybicki’s machine was a frantic call back from Steiner

“No! That is not a good call. It’s a scam,” Steiner said in his message.

Steiner told Rybicki to not return the call or send them money. He also said Rybicki was his fourth client to receive those calls recently.

Penny wishes she’d asked someone for advice before giving in to the fraudster’s demands.

 “He just caught me in an ignorant moment and I paid for it dearly,” she said.

Need to report a suspicious call?

  • If you’ve received a call from someone impersonating an IRS representative, report the scam to the IRS by calling 800-829-1040 if you may owe tax money. If you don’t owe taxes, report the incident to TIGTA at 800-366-4484. You can forward scam emails to phishing@irs.gov

McCoy guilty of manslaughter, aggravated battery

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PANAMA CITY — Jurors found a disabled man guilty Wednesday of manslaughter and aggravated battery for shooting and killing his wife’s lover and wounding her.

Michael Joe McCoy, 44, was charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder in early February after emergency crews found his wife gut-shot and her lover face down in a ditch outside McCoy’s home in Fountain.

 In the final day of trial Wednesday, jurors heard two vastly different stories from the two witnesses. McCoy said he feared for his life when he shot and killed David Walker, 46, and critically wounded his wife in the crossfire. Susan McCoy, 37, said her husband went into a jealous rage and intentionally turned a 9 mm pistol on each of them.

Jurors reached a guilty verdict for the lesser offenses Wednesday night after five hours of deliberation.

McCoy could face 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 18.

Deputies arrived at the McCoys’ home on Rhonda Road after receiving calls about two gunshot victims.

After six years of marriage, the McCoys’ relationship had deteriorated under looming financial problems. The couple decided to call it quits in January but agreed to live together and remain civil.

That ended with the gunfire about 2:30 a.m. Feb. 5.

McCoy “stood up and he was like, you know what, and fired at David,” Susan McCoy testified. “In the same swoop, as soon as he quit shooting David, he turned and shot me twice. It was like he didn’t even miss a beat.”

Michael McCoy appeared before jurors in a wheelchair Wednesday, although he could walk with forearm crutches the night of the shooting.

He told investigators after the incident that he initially armed himself with the intention of taking his own life, but his wife talked him out of it. He said he had just learned that she and Walker were having an affair and demanded that Walker — who had been staying with the couple for a few days after his release from the Bay County Jail following a domestic battery arrest — leave their home.

The two men began to argue outside the house. McCoy said Walker had started to approach him when he fired, and Susan McCoy ended up in the crossfire.

“I went to help her, and I ended up shooting her by accident,” he said.

Four shots later, Walker lay dead with two gunshot wounds in his chest, one in his calf and one in his back ribs. Susan McCoy then charged Michael McCoy, and he shot her a second time in the stomach, Michael McCoy said.

“I shot her low in the stomach because I didn’t want to hurt her,” he said.

Family members of Susan McCoy testified that her husband had talked about a self-defense shooting for years. The prosecution’s case against Michael McCoy hinged on the argument between him and Walker and the lack of fear he showed in the shooting.

Michael McCoy began to taunt Walker as he tried to leave, prosecutor Larry Basford said in his closing argument.

“He was trying to bait (Walker) to come back because he had that pistol in his pocket,” Basford said. “As (McCoy) saw it, anyone who messed with him — because he is crippled — he could shoot them dead.”

Basford argued that without signs of a true threat, Michael McCoy shot Walker four times and then turned the gun on Susan McCoy.

However, defense attorney Kim Jewell argued that evidence at the scene did not support that version of events. The location of shell casings supported Michael McCoy’s chronology, with five casings in one place and one casing in another. That indicated the gun was in one position for five shots and in another for the last, Jewell argued.

Walker’s gunshot wounds and where his body fell also supported McCoy’s story, Jewell said.

“If Walker’s out there by the road saying, ‘I’m leaving, bye,’ how can he get there,” she asked the jury. “These are the facts you cannot argue.”

Parent prompts school lockdown

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PANAMA CITY BEACH — An elementary school was placed on lockdown Thursday after the parent of a student scaled the school cafeteria fence to eat Thanksgiving lunch with his child.

Parents were lined along Hutchison Beach Elementary after school at about 2 p.m. to pick up their children, many of whom were wearing headbands with feathers sticking out, as police sought 33-year-old Randy Eugene Smith II. The school had been placed on lockdown moments after Smith was asked to leave a parent-student Thanksgiving lunch and then climbed the cafeteria fence in a covert attempt to return to the luncheon, according to Panama City Beach Police reports.

Deputy Chief Chad Lindsey said school officials noticed the parent appeared to be under the influence of a narcotic during the lunch and described Smith’s behavior as “incoherent.” Smith was asked to leave school grounds and was escorted off the property without incident or indication he would return, PCBPD said.

However, Smith returned a short time later.

“He came back, hopped the cafeteria fence and was trying to return to the lunch with his child,” Lindsey said.

School officials saw Smith scaling the fence and called police. The school was placed on lockdown as PCBPD began a search of the school grounds, but Smith had fled before they arrived, PCBPD said.

At about 2:30 p.m., police found Smith at his Pinetree Road and arrested him. He was booked into Bay County Jail on charges of trespassing on the grounds of a school facility.

UPDATE: Journal indicates FSU shooter suspected government

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TALLAHASSEE (AP) — A Florida State University alumnus and attorney who shot three people at the school's library early Thursday believed the government was targeting him for persecution, detailing his thoughts in a journal and in videos detectives obtained, authorities said.

Officers fatally shot Myron May, 31, during an exchange outside the library about 12:30 a.m. May reloaded at least once and tried to enter the library, where about 450 students were studying for midterm exams, but was blocked by lobby security barriers that permit only students and staff inside, Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo said.

“Based on our initial review of the documents and his videos and his postings, it's clear that Mr. May's sense of being and place in our community was not what most people would refer to as a normal,” DeLeo said. “He had a sense of crisis and he was searching for something.”

The shooting sent students scrambling for cover in the book aisles and barricading themselves in with desks amid screams from classmates.

“I ran for my life,” said Allison Kope, a freshman from Cocoa Beach, who was on the library's first floor. “I ran right out the backdoor. My laptop and everything is still in there. It was shock. It was just instinct. You don't think about anything else, you just go.”

One person is in critical condition and one is in good condition at a local hospital, while the third was released.

May's Facebook page shows he posted mostly Bible verses and links to conspiracy theories about the government reading people's minds.

Records show May was licensed to practice law in Texas and New Mexico.

According to a Las Cruces, New Mexico, police report last month, May was a subject of a harassment complaint after a former girlfriend called to report he came to her home uninvited and claimed police were bugging his house and car. Danielle Nixon told police May recently developed “a severe mental disorder.”

“Myron began to ramble and handed her a piece to a car and asked her to keep it because this was a camera that police had put in his vehicle,” the report said.

The report also said May recently quit his job and was on medication.

No charges were filed.

The shooting prompted a campus alert that urged students to take shelter and stay away from doors and windows.

Police responded to a report of a gunman within a minute, and two minutes after the call, officers shot May, according to university police Chief David Perry. DeLeo said more than 30 rounds combined were fired by May and the officers.

Sarah Evans, a senior from Miami, said she was inside the library and heard a man say he had been shot. When she looked at him, he was on the ground with blood spreading on his pants leg.

Library employee Nathan Scott was admitted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound and was in good condition, the hospital said.

Tallahassee and Florida State police confronted May just outside the library in the middle of campus and ordered him to drop his handgun, but he fired a shot at them and they unleashed a volley of shots, Tallahassee Police spokesman Dave Northway said.

Hours after the shooting, detectives could be seen inspecting the body of May, who was lying face down at the top of a ramp just outside the library. A baseball cap lay nearby.

FSU canceled classes Thursday but said they would resume Friday. The library was also to reopen Friday.

Florida State President John Thrasher was in New York City at the time of the shooting but has returned to campus.

“We're going to get back to normal tomorrow,” Thrasher said. “We're moving ahead. We're continuing to pray for the victims and pray for Florida State University, but we're going to get through this with the great family we have.”

Gov. Rick Scott had been in South Florida for a meeting with other Republican governors. He returned to Tallahassee where he met with Thrasher.

“The police investigation will answer many of the questions we are asking today, but just like any tragedy the ultimate question of why, we'll never have an answer that satisfies those who loved ones have been injured,” Scott said.

UPDATE: Boil water notice for central Callaway rescinded

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CALLAWAY — The boil water notice posted for customers in the 300 and 400 blocks of Tyndall Parkway, Martin Court, North Anita Drive, North Hill Drive, Bluejay Avenue, Butler Drive, Fifth Street, Fifth Court and North Gay Avenue was rescinded on Friday.

The notice stemmed from the repair of a water main with the water system shut off for five hours between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday.


Chipley man guilty of second-degree murder

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CHIPLEY — A six-member jury took less than an hour Thursday to find a Chipley man guilty in a 2013 stabbing case that left two people injured.

Defendant Shaun Reed, 46, of Chipley, was in a Washington County courtroom Wednesday and Thursday, on trial for two counts of attempted second-degree murder in the 2013 stabbings of Dwight Murphy, of Marianna, and Stephanie Jackson, of Chipley.

On the first charge, relating to the stabbing of Murphy, the jury found Reed guilty of the lesser charge of aggravated battery. On the second charge, relating to the stabbing of Jackson, jurors found the defendant guilty as charged. Reed also was found guilty on a third charge, burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault and battery.

According to Chipley Police Department records, officers responded to Jackson’s Pension Hill residence in response to a report of a stabbing on July 9, 2013. Officers found Jackson, Reed’s former girlfriend, lying on the living room floor “in a large pool of blood.” Shortly after, they found Murphy with several stab wounds. Jackson suffered at least nine stab wounds, including one that partially severed her spine, while Murphy’s wounds were reported to be less serious.

Reed was located about seven hours later in a vacant home located across the street from his Chipley residence, suffering from severe cuts to his hands.

Witnesses testified Reed “jumped out of a moving car” and entered the residence shortly before the stabbings occurred.

FDLE crime analyst Jennifer Kay testified DNA from blood on the knife suspected to have been used in the crime matched that of the defendant and both victims.

Reed chose not to testify in his own defense.

In closing, public defender Floyd Griffin argued Reed should face a lesser charge due to lack of intent.

“He was hiding behind trees,” Griffin said. “There was nothing stealthy about his entry. What do you have to support he had intent? At the time he entered the residence, he didn’t have intent [to harm anyone] because he didn’t know what he was going to find. He didn’t know who was there.”

Assistant State Attorney Shalla Jefcoat argued that Reed’s intent was clear.

“He was the ex-boyfriend and wanted to be the only boyfriend,” Jefcoat said in closing arguments. “The knife he used was a pocket knife. It had no hilt, so his hands slid, and his fingers were badly damaged. To be able to keep going shows the hatred he had … [and] the words he said as he was stabbing her: ‘I told you not to cheat on me (EXPLETIVE)!’ (Reed) stabbed (Jackson) with such force and ferocity, he nearly severed her spine.”

Reed’s sentencing will take place in Washington County Court on Dec. 22.

Predator serves sentence, remains in custody

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CHIPLEY — Although Alton Hartzog has completed a five-year sentence for child pornography, the state isn’t ready to let him go.

A Washington County jury found Hartzog should be committed to the state’s Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia as a sexually violent predator to receive further treatment. The decision came at the culmination of proceedings under Florida’s Jimmy Ryce Act, which determines whether individuals are sexually violent predators subject to involuntary civil commitment.

Hartzog, 74, recently finished a five-year prison sentence for 164 counts of possessing child porn and two lewd and lascivious acts upon children on charges out of Washington and Bay counties.

He was held pending the outcome of the Jimmy Ryce proceedings and was brought before a six-person jury Monday and Tuesday by Special Assistant State Attorney Zach Taylor. Two forensic psychologists testified as to Hartzog’s mental disorders, including pedophilia, and his likelihood to re-offend if released back into the community.

“Hartzog posed as a photographer and would gain the trust of parents in order to photograph their children,” the State Attorney’s Office said in a Thursday news release. “Over time, he would photograph them in various stages of undress, in sexually suggestive poses and, in at least two cases, would touch them through and under their clothing.”

Hartzog told the psychologists that he saw nothing wrong with what he was doing and looked forward, upon his release, to continuing his passion of photographing children.

When asked if he recognized that taking the photographs of children was wrong, Hartzog replied: “Frankly, yes.” 

Hartzog will be committed indefinitely. A judge will supervise his case and hear yearly progress reports about his condition and the likelihood of his release.

Hartzog’s first civil commitment case under the Jimmy Ryce Act was held in January 2013.

“Basically, he has been locked up 10 years for a five-year sentence,” said Marianna attorney Crystal Marsh, representing Hartzog in those proceedings. Marsh is assistant regional counsel for the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, 14th Judicial District.

Hartzog, a former Washington County resident, pleaded guilty in 2004 to 14 counts of sexual performance with a minor in connection with photographs he took of a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old girl.

Hartzog was found guilty of possession of photos showing sexual performance by a child in Bay County in 2004 and found guilty of possession of photos showing sexual performance by a child and producing, directing or promoting sexual performance by a child in Washington County Court in 2004.

Hartzog was incarcerated in the Department of Corrections until 2008, when he was released from prison, only to be detained in the state Civil Commitment Center pending treatment. The state has been committing individuals deemed “sexually violent predators” to incarceration and state-mandated treatment.

UPDATE: Shooting baffles those who knew May in Gulf County (DOCUMENTS)

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PANAMA CITY — People who knew Myron May, who was identified by police as the man who opened fire in the Strozier Library at Florida State University early Thursday morning, said the man described in news reports is not the man they knew growing up in Wewahitchka.

May, a 2001 Wewahitchka Middle-High School graduate, was an exceptional student and athlete who was generally cheerful. But his mental health apparently deteriorated rapidly in the months leading to Thursday's events.

"To me, there was absolutely no red flags, no indication, nothing," said novelist Michael Lister, who was something of a mentor to the younger May. "It's absolutely unexpected."

--- VICTIMS NAMED»»

--- DOCUMENT: MAY TELLS POLICE HE'S BEING WATCHED»»

--- DOCUMENT: EX-GIRLFRIEND DESCRIBES MAY'S MENTAL STATE»»

--- DOCUMENT: MAY RESIGNS FROM ATTORNEY'S OFFICE»»

Lister said the May he knew was "extremely bright." They would play basketball in the gym and take day trips with a church youth group. The last time they saw each other was about three months ago, when they bumped into each other. They spoke briefly, mostly about May's grandmother.

"He said he was good, and he mentioned that was about to relocate," Lister said.

For four years, May was on the school's track team, said former volunteer coach Mike Stroud, who is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Wewahitchka. May competed in the state tournament in the triple jump event, Stroud said.

"He was just full of life," Stroud said. "He usually had a smile on his face and was very happy. I'm in shock."

While he was in high school he was dual enrolled at Gulf Coast State College, where he took a total of five courses between 1999 and 2005, said Chris Thomes, the college's director of marketing and communications.

May shows up in Gulf County Sheriff’s Office records in 2006. On Christmas Eve that year, May was in Wewahitchka with a cousin, according to a Gulf County Sheriff's Office report. His cousin, who is not identified in the report, planned to go to a store with a man May believed was carrying illegal drugs. May told his cousin not to go, and the man became angry with May and punched him in the face and pointed a pistol at May.

May tried to have the other man arrested, but the man who hit him fled, deputies couldn't find him and prosecutors had no evidence.

After graduating from FSU in 2005, May moved to Texas and attended Texas Tech University School of Law from 2006 until 2009. He practiced law there for a time before moving on to become a prosecutor in New Mexico.

In September, he went to police to say he believed someone had put a camera in his apartment and was observing him. He said he heard voices through the walls of his apartment describing his actions.

He resigned abruptly as an assistant trial attorney, according to the Third Judicial District Attorney's Office, on Oct. 6. He didn't even check out with the Human Resources Office, according to a statement from District Attorney Mark D'Antonio.

"He was an effective prosecutor who was deeply committed to his work and serving the public while employed at our office," D'Antonio said.

--- VICTIMS NAMED»»

--- DOCUMENT: MAY TELLS POLICE HE'S BEING WATCHED»»

May left a resignation letter that gave no hint of his reason for leaving, but the next day his ex-girlfriend went to the Los Cruces Police Department to report May had "recently developed a severe mental disorder," according to a police report.

May had come to believe the police had bugged his car and his home, she said. Their relationship ended about two weeks before that night, when he'd come to her home and gave her a piece of a car that he said was a camera police has planted. He was rambling, she said.

May had ADHD and took medication to control the symptoms. His mental health had deteriorated over the course of several weeks, and over the past several days that deterioration had been especially rapid; he went days without sleeping, and had recently driven to Colorado and back in a day. The trip had no purpose, she said.

She told police he'd never been violent to her during their 15-month relationship. He'd never threatened suicide or homicide, but he been hospitalized recently for a mental health evaluation.

Back in Wewa

He returned to Wewahitchka a few weeks ago and stayed in the guest house at the Taunton Family Children's Home. Abigail knew him as a teenager who moved from Ohio to Wewahitchka to live with his grandmother. 

He'd planned to gain admission to the Florida Bar and start a law practice, according to a statement the home released Thursday.

"We're just all astounded. We had no idea that he would do something like this," Taunton said. "Obviously, he was not in his right mind. ... In a million years I wouldn't have thought he'd do something like this.”

May seemed down at times and had been having financial difficulties, but no one who'd spent any time with him recently suspected he would walk into the foyer of the Strozier Library and open fire with a pistol.

Panama City resident Allan Bense, chairman of the board of trustees at FSU, woke up in the middle of the night to a phone call alerting him of what had happened. He drove to Tallahassee, where he spent the day touring the campus, talking to students and meeting with the families of two victims.

"The mood is somber. I visited with the parents of the two young men that were shot; that was probably one of the most emotional moments of my life," Bense said, adding later, "Hopefully everybody in Panama City and all over Florida will put these two victims on their prayer list."

--- VICTIMS NAMED»»

--- DOCUMENT: MAY TELLS POLICE HE'S BEING WATCHED»»

Bense toured the crime scene as well, which was closed Thursday; classes were also canceled. He said the turnstiles that separate the foyer from the main section of the library prevented May from potentially doing more harm.

"They're security, and they worked. He was not able to get in the library," he said.

After failing to enter the library May returned outside and was confronted by police. He reportedly exchanged fire with officers and was killed.

Though he didn't know May, Bense said everything he'd learned during his time on campus indicated there was nothing out of the ordinary about him.

"This person had a personal crisis that caused him to do something irrational," Bense said.

State Rep. Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach said Thursday he was friends with May when the two were undergraduates at the university.

Gaetz said he had “lost contact with Myron after graduation” and was shocked to hear about the shooting.

“I knew him in ’03 as a student,” he said. “He and I were involved in student politics together.”

Gaetz and May were among a group of students who formed the Insight Political Party. May headed the party’s public service efforts.

“He was the most understated, service-oriented guy,” Gaetz recalled. “I considered him a friend. I don’t know what happens to docile people that leads them to these very aggressive acts. Obviously, he took a turn. It’s such a tragic result.”

Pam Lister has been a guidance councilor at Gulf County Schools for more than 20 years. She knew May, though he was never one of her students she said. Like everyone else, she was shocked by the villain in Thursday's news coverage.

--- VICTIMS NAMED»»

--- DOCUMENT: MAY TELLS POLICE HE'S BEING WATCHED»»

--- DOCUMENT: EX-GIRLFRIEND DESCRIBES MAY'S MENTAL STATE»»

--- DOCUMENT: MAY RESIGNS FROM ATTORNEY'S OFFICE»»

"No doubt he was a suffering soul," she said. "I think it's important to remember nobody is all one thing. It's easy to vilify someone who's done something so horrific," but the May she knew was pleasant and successful and gifted.

Pastor Mike Stroud was proud of May's success after leaving Wewa.

"He was like the small kid who made it big," Stroud said. "I know he just shot three people, but I'm telling you he was a good kid."

Fort Walton Beach Daily News staff writer Kari C. Barlow and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Springfield Fire shows what not to do with a turkey fryer (VIDEO)

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SPRINGFIELD — Firefighter Chris Tarrant was in full gear, visor protecting his eyes, as he gingerly lowered the perforated cylinder, using a hooked stick, into a heated vat. Inside that cylinder was a 20 pound turkey, still completely frozen. In the vat are seven gallons of vegetable oil, heated to 400 degrees.

Springfield firefighters had just constructed the worst case scenario for a turkey fire on Thursday. The whole point was that people should not do this at home.

Here’s everything that was wrong: the turkey should be completely thawed and dry, it’s recommended fryer turkeys should be between 10 and 14 pounds, the vat in this instance was overfull of oil and that oil was too hot, creating vapors that are easier to ignite. The recommended temperature for turkey frying is 350 degrees.

--- VIDEO: THE PERILS OF TURKEY FRYING»»

When Tarrant lowered the turkey, oil immediately spilled over the side of the fryer. In less than a second, those fumes ignited into a 15 foot tower of orange fire. The fire singed and melted the white vinyl siding in the prop like marshmallows over a campfire. The firefighters used water to extinguish the blaze, which stopped it for a short period but then created a flare up. It is recommended that home cooks in the turkey fryer fire scenario use the standard ABC fire extinguisher to avoid the flaring effect.

Springfield Fire Chief Michael Laramore hopes demonstrations like this encourage people to be careful frying turkeys this Thanksgiving. Lt. Dexter Payton said outdoor fires increase 80 percent in November, although that cannot all be attributed to turkey fryers.

“The best tool to prevent the loss of homes, property and life is public awareness,” Laramore said.

Tarrant was part of the crew that put out a fryer fire a couple of years ago in a different part of Bay County. Although no one was hurt, it tore up the person’s garage pretty good.

Laramore has experience extinguishing a much worse fire. After joining the Springfield department about 12 years ago, some people had moved a fryer into their garage because of a light drizzle. The subsequent fire was responsible for massive amounts of property damage.

--- VIDEO: THE PERILS OF TURKEY FRYING»»

Other tips for people using a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving include — wear long sleeves and long pants and closed toed shoes, keep the fryer in an open, well-ventilated area and avoid any deck type spaces.

Local builder Jamey Holsombake donated the wall and decking for the staging area. While he said he wanted to support the fire department in any way possible, he added that he wanted to see it blow up.

Judging by the crowd that gathered in the field outside the former school the department uses for training, other residents felt the same way. Laramore is contemplating making the demonstration a seasonal regularity, potentially using a three-sided structure as a prop the next time.

UPDATE: Victims named; packages from FSU shooter sent to friends

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TALLAHASSEE (AP) — The first of several packages mailed by a man who shot three people at a Florida State University library was delivered in Texas, a law enforcement official said Friday.

Authorities thought the packages could contain videos and journals from Myron May, who was killed by police officers outside the library Thursday, according to the official, who requested anonymity because that person wasn't authorized to release information about the case.

Police obtained videos and journals Thursday that indicate May feared he was being watched and targeted by the government. Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo said May was trying to get that message out.

--- SHOOTING BAFFLES THOSE WHO KNEW MAY»»

May graduated from Florida State in 2005 and earned a law degree at Texas Tech University. He worked as a lawyer in Texas and New Mexico before returning about three weeks ago to Florida. He has family in Ohio, where he was born.

At Stozier Library, about 450 students were studying when May showed up and opened fire. When police arrived, the 31-year-old alumnus had wounded two students and an employee and reloaded a .380 semi-automatic pistol. He refused to put down the weapon and a gun battle erupted. Between May and police, 30 rounds were fired.

May didn't get past the lobby, but the sound of gunfire set off screams among students, who scrambled for cover among the bookshelves and barricaded themselves in rooms.

The first 911 call from the shooting came from one of the victims, according to an initial Tallahassee Police report released Friday.

The victims are student Elijah Velez, 18, who was grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene; student Farhan Ahmed, 21, who was in critical condition when admitted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and is still being treated, and library employee Nathan Scott, 30, who was shot in the leg. Police didn't say which one called 911, but there were several more calls that followed.

May sent friends messages before the shooting saying they could expect packages Friday. Authorities were trying to intercept them, but they weren't sure where each of the packages was to be delivered. They believe they are being sent to several states.

Authorities Friday were examining packages May sent to friends before the Florida State shooting.

Joe Paul, a Washington, D.C., resident and motivational speaker who knew May from their time in Florida State student government, said postal inspectors intercepted a package May sent to him. The postal inspectors told him that the package contained nothing dangerous, and promised they would eventually release it to him.

“We want to know why this happened,” Paul said. “The sooner we know why this happened, the sooner we can start to heal.”

Paul said May mailed similar packages to about nine people. The FBI in Houston was examining another package delivered in Texas and others were believed to have been sent to Florida and elsewhere. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said the packages weren't a threat and said they were flat-rate, priority mail envelopes.

Florida State President John Thrasher greeted about 100 students Friday as Strozier Library reopened with a heavy police presence and the university resumed classes.

--- SHOOTING BAFFLES THOSE WHO KNEW MAY»»

“I still don't know there's any real explanation why he picked Strozier, why he picked the time he did,” said Thrasher, who has been on the job less than two weeks. “That's beyond, I think, anyone understanding now.”

University police participated in active shooter training less than two weeks before the attack, including a scenario with a shooter at the library.

“It's good to know we look at those opportunities where someone may try to harm our students,” said university police Chief David Perry.

Local principal robbed in Texas

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HOUSTON A local principal and her son were robbed at gunpoint outside a Texas hospital where the son is receiving cancer treatment, according to police reports.

Patronis Elementary Principal Ellie Spivey and her 30-year-old son, Russ, were robbed outside Lakewood Church in Houston on Wednesday. The assailant pointed a gun at Spivey as he attempted to steal her purse. Spivey stopped fighting after her son got in between the altercation. The gunman stole the purse and fled on foot.

Some of the Spivey family recently moved to Houston to care for Russ, who’s getting treatment for leukemia at a cancer center there.

The robber was still at large.

Scammer pretended to be deputy

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PANAMA CITY— Authorities are advising the public to be on the look out for a phone scammer offering “bailout cards” for existing warrants, according to Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

At about 1 p.m. Friday, a victim of the scam came to the Bay County Courthouse to find out if he had several warrants issued on him because of “violation of civic duty.” The man said he had received a phone call earlier in the day from someone claiming to be “Deputy Harris” from the BCSO. The man told the victim there were two warrants issued on him for violation of civic duty and he needed to go purchase a “bailout card” at a local discount or drug store for $498 and bring it to the BCSO lobby and turn it over to “Deputy Harris,” BCSO reported.

The victim’s wife grew suspicious and asked if “this was a real deputy” and the scammer hung up, BCSO said.

The victim was assisted by deputies at the courthouse and was informed he did not have any active warrants in Bay County.

BCSO does not contact by telephone with anyone having an active warrant. The BCSO would never ask anyone to purchase a money card to get out of an arrest warrant, officials said.

Anyone receiving this type of phone call is asked to contact BCSO to file a report. Whether contacted by phone, email or social media, BCSO advises it is important to remember to never send money in any manner to someone you do not know.


Son shoots father in domestic dispute

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CALLAWAY — A man is in stable condition after his son allegedly shot him during a domestic disputer shortly before midnight Friday, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a call from 4081/2 Bob Little Road to find the victim on the porch with one gunshot wound.

Family members told investigators that 18-year-old Carlos Peebles had been arguing with his father inside the home earlier that night. When the dispute started up again on the porch, Peebles allegedly shot his father once with a small-caliber handgun and ran off, according to BCSO.

The family called 911 and the victim was taken EMS to a local hospital in stable condition, BCSO reported.

Peebles was found about 3 a.m. Saturday walking along Tyndall Parkway and was arrested. He still had the handgun, according to BCSO. 

UPDATE: Official: Man who killed deputy had made threats

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TALLAHASSEE (AP) — A man who had made previous threats against police set his house on fire Saturday and ambushed the first sheriff's deputy who responded, fatally shooting the deputy and wounding another before he was killed by a police officer who lives nearby, a law enforcement official said.

The man's name and address had been entered into a law enforcement computer system because of previous threats, but the 911 dispatcher who entered the fire call put in the address of a neighbor who reported the blaze, so the alert wasn't activated and the Leon County deputy who responded first had no warning, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.

The gunman was hiding outside the house when the deputy approached about 10:15 a.m., the official said. He shot the deputy from behind, shot him again after he fell and then took the deputy's gun. The gunman then tried to take other weapons from the deputy's car, but they were locked down, said the official said, who had spoken to law enforcement officials handling the case.

The gunman, who lived at the end of a cul-de-sac, then shot another deputy, who escaped serious injury because of a bullet-proof vest. A Tallahassee police officer getting ready to work the Florida State University football game heard the shots, ran outside and fatally shot the gunman, who was hiding in bushes as other deputies and officers approached, the official said.

The names of the gunman and the dead and wounded deputy have not been released. Details of the gunman's previous threats to police officers were not available. The shootings were captured by surveillance video cameras in the neighborhood, the official said.

Pockets of flames could still be seen in the smoldering wreckage of the destroyed home hours after the fire was set. As night fell in the middle-class neighborhood, investigators sifted through the rubble with shovels under the bright glow of spotlights. The official said authorities didn't think anyone was killed in the fire.

"It is almost unimaginable that a call for help turned into the ambush of a Leon County Sheriff's Deputy and the shooting of another deputy by the assailant. Every one of these first responders is a hero and our hearts go out to them and their families," Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum said in a statement.

Neighbor Joan Cabbage said she called 911 to report the fire while her husband Henry went outside. She said she could see two patrol cars pull into the cul-de-sac when she heard "pop, pop, pop, pop, pop" that she thought was from the house burning.

"I saw a fire truck and he started backing up real fast — I couldn't figure out why," she said. Her daughter, who had just left the house, then called to say police officers were running down the street with guns drawn.

"That's when I knew something big was going on," she said.

Dana Harrison, 20, said she was babysitting three young boys in a nearby house when she heard sirens, went outside and saw the fire. She then heard popping sounds, which she thought was caused by the fire, but a neighbor said they sounded like gunshots. She had hustled the boys inside when two police officers banged on the front door and then ran through the house into the backyard, which is near the burning house. The police told Harrison to get everyone into the bathroom.

"I was scared," she said.

The shooting near Florida's capital comes just two days after a police shootout at FSU left a gunman dead after he wounded two students and an employee.

Police: Naked suspect assaults man, 84, at Boston airport

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BOSTON (AP) — A naked man fell through the ceiling of a women's bathroom at Logan Airport on Saturday, then ran out of the restroom and viciously assaulted an elderly man while he was still in the buff and bleeding, before being arrested, state police said.

Cameron Shenk, 26, of Boston, was charged with attempted murder, mayhem, assault and battery on a person over 60, assault and battery on a police officer, lewd and lascivious conduct and malicious destruction to property.

The bizarre behavior began shortly before noon when a woman using a restroom located before the security checkpoint in Terminal C reported that a naked man had fallen through the ceiling and landed in the stall area, state police spokesman David Procopio said. The man had apparently sneaked into the bathroom, undressed inside one of the stalls and climbed into the crawl space above the restroom before crashing through the ceiling, Procopio said.

The man, later identified as Shenk, then fled the bathroom and assaulted an 84-year-old man he encountered, biting the man's ear and attempting to choke him with his own cane, Procopio said.

The reason for the attack was unknown. Shenk scuffled with responding troopers who arrested him, leaving one trooper with a minor hand injury, Procopio said. The 84-year-old man was taken to a hospital to have his injured ear treated.

Shenk was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital under police guard for treatment of the injuries he suffered when he fell through the ceiling. Police said he would be booked upon release and arraigned in East Boston District Court.

It was not known Saturday night if Shenk had retained an attorney. A telephone number for him could not be located.

PCB studying Colony Club exit

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PANAMA CITY BEACH — City staff is evaluating a different possible exit out of Colony Club that could cost less than one they had previously studied.

But they emphasize that the proposed project is only in the conceptual stage.

Residents say the current single exit on Fairway Boulevard onto Back Beach Road has become a death trap. On Sept. 30, a crash at the intersection killed Carolyn Smith, of Vernon, when she pulled her 2001 Ford Taurus into the path of a 1997 Ford F150 pickup truck driven by Janie Forthier, of Youngstown.

Police records also show a dozen accidents occurring in the area of the intersection over the last year.

Because traffic is often stacked up on Back Beach Road, drivers turning out of the community will often pull out first into the median, putting them in conflict with people turning into the Goodwill store and other drivers who are trying to turn into the community. Sometimes drivers in the median can’t see oncoming traffic on Back Beach Road because other cars stacked up next to them block the view. The entrance and exit also is used by Holiday Golf Club.

To address the issue, city staff had been evaluating the development of a possible east-west side road that would run parallel to Back Beach Road, linking Fairway Boulevard a couple of blocks eastward to Clara Avenue. If that road were built, Colony Club residents and golf club patrons could pull out onto Back Beach Road at the Clara Avenue traffic light.

But Panama City Beach City Manager Mario Gisbert said there is a potential problem with building the side street eastbound. It would create a busy road between the driving range and Holiday golf course and there could be business damages that would add to the project costs.

“I have had conversations with two of those (golf course) owners,” Gisbert recently told the City Council. ‘It would come with a substantial price.”

These costs would not be incurred if Fairway Boulevard — the main road going into Colony Club — were linked up to Nautilus Street, which also has a traffic light at Back Beach Road, Gisbert said Wednesday.

That connection would only require 1,200 feet of pavement, about half of what would have to be laid down for the Clara Avenue connector, Gisbert said.

“The land (for the Nautilus connector) is going to be less expensive land,” Gisbert said.

The St. Joe Co. owns the land that would be needed for it.

“This is very, very, very preliminary,” Gisbert said. “We’ve started conversations with St. Joe. We’ve started conversations with DOT. We’ve started conversations with Bay County. Right now, we are scratching the surface. Whenever you have a project that requires so many different entities there are a lot more conversations we’re going to have to have before we start spending real dollars.”

Gisbert said the Colony Club neighborhood would also have to buy into the idea of a Nautilus Street connector.

“Does the neighborhood like this location versus the other location?” he said. “Does the neighborhood want to take part of the financial burden on this? There are about five or six entities that are involved in that decision making. Which one is going to take the lead? Which one is going to spend all the money.”

Colony Club resident Phil Chester said he doesn’t know how the community would react to the connector road tying Fairway Boulevard and Nautilus Street. He said he suspects that road cost could be “astronomical” considering the wetlands it would have to be built over.

He said the connector road to Clara Avenue made more sense since there is already a two-lane road going by the golf course driving range that could simply be extended to Clara Avenue.

“I don’t know what the answer is,” he said. “All I know is something has to be done. Going behind the golf course looked like the most logical way to do it.”

John Alaghemand, assistant city manager and CRA manager for the city, said the connector to Nautilus Street would go through some wetlands, but that is a hurdle that could possibly be overcome if wetlands property elsewhere was donated.

“It would be required to have some mitigation,” he said. “We have to go through obviously the environmental DEP permitting process.”

He said The St. Joe Co. has indicated it would be a willing seller of the property for the Nautilus connector, Alaghemand said. Another benefit of this project to residents is they could walk along the connector to Nautilus Station at Nautilus Street and Back Beach Road, which has businesses such as a Carrabba’s restaurant, Beef ‘O’Brady’s and a UPS store. 


BCSO arrest log (Nov. 12-18)

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Information is provided by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on people arrested on charges Nov. 12-18. Those arrested can contact The News Herald if charges are dropped or if they are acquitted. Addresses are those given by the defendant during arrest.

Cherles Anthony Muehlebach, 27, 8618 Surf Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Bobby Lee Nichols, 25, 1033 E. 26th St., Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

David Lenard Howard, 32, 1209 N. Palo Alto Ave., Panama City, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Bruce Avery Ciers II, 25, 1453 Kraft Ave., Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Sarah Paige Shafer, 24, 1453 Kraft Ave., Panama City, possession of methamphetamine, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Jennifer Marie Greenly, 34, 1453 Kraft Ave., Panama City, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of methamphetamine, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Kisha Anyetta Jones, 29, 176 N. Kimbrel Ave., Panama City, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Chioneso Sekayi Carter, 36, 801 E. 10th Court, Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Michael Douglas Sisk, 46, 8003 Beach Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Joshua Raymond Black, 38, 5632 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Zshaun Anthony Cas Walker, 20, 441 Water Oaks Circle, Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Charlotte Jean Sisk, 56, 8003 Beach Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Wendy Ann Landry, 45, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Michael Donovan Hoffman, 23, 307 Hidden Island Drive, Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Jasper Shelton Blackledge, 21, 714 E. Eighth St., Panama City, aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon

Doneisha Antoinette Robinson, 24, 714 E. Eighth St., Panama City, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Matthew Wayne Burkett, 26, 414 Sanders Lane, Springfield, kidnapping/false imprisonment

Sarah Joanna Mills, 22, 1405 Britton Road, Lynn Haven, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Cory J. Windisch, 19, 919 Cone Ave., Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Shaun Smith, 45, 4322 Baywood Drive, Panama City, child neglect without great bodily harm

Kamilla Ann Bebout, 26, 504 W. Indiana Ave., Bonifay, grand theft

Christopher Lee Mills, 34, 800 N. 15th St., Panama City, child abuse without great bodily harm

Brandy Lyne Dent, 30, 3418 Atwater Road, Chattohoochee, possession or use of narcotic equipment

James Lamar Wright, 49, 1401 W. 10th St., Panama City, grand theft

Alexandria Gabrielle Kreis, 24, 3664 Oak Brook Road, Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Brent William Wilson, 39, 2203 Beck Ave., Panama City, burglary

Julio Cesar Rico Torres, 46, 1123 Fortune Ave., Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Christopher Perry Moates, 40, 1912 Moates Ave., Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

William Eugene White, 36, burglary

James Frederick Seaborn, 31, 2544 Wheat Road, Springfield, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Daniel Shane King, 40, 218 North James Ave., Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Melissa Ann Delagrange, 36, 1711 Calhoun Ave., Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

John Franklin Kreutzer, 31, 5417 Blue Dog Road, Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Kevin Wichard Zahara, 38, 529 E. Eighth Court, Panama City, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Hannah Lee Mcneely, 40, 529 E. Eighth Court, Panama City, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

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