Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees sceneWest End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a crash involving one vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
NAPLES Minimally invasive balloon procedure for sinus issues Battling a sinus infection is bad enough, but contending with chronic sinus infections can be a real problem.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024.
ESTERO Car crashes into restaurant window in Gulf Coast Town Center Authorities are investigating after an SUV crashed into a restaurant at the Gulf Coast Town Center in Estero.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump picks Sen. Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State President-elect Donald Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a crash involving one vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
NAPLES Minimally invasive balloon procedure for sinus issues Battling a sinus infection is bad enough, but contending with chronic sinus infections can be a real problem.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 13, 2024.
ESTERO Car crashes into restaurant window in Gulf Coast Town Center Authorities are investigating after an SUV crashed into a restaurant at the Gulf Coast Town Center in Estero.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump picks Sen. Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State President-elect Donald Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state on Wednesday.
Jorge Guerrero-Torres <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span> A grand jury has returned an indictment for multiple charges against Jorge Guerrero-Torres, the state attorney’s office announced Thursday. The State Attorney’s Office held a press conference, along with members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The grand jury returned an indictment for Guerrero-Torres on First-Degree Murder, Kidnapping, and Lewd and Lascivious Molestation in the death of Diana Alvarez, 9, of San Carlos Park, who went missing nearly two years ago, according to Chief Assistant State Attorney Amira Fox. Guerrero-Torres was found guilty on May 16, 2017 of producing and possessing lewd images of Alvarez and was later sentenced to 40 years in prison. Guerrero-Torres will remain in the Lee County Jail until trial for these new charges, investigators said. If convicted, he would first serve his sentence in state prison before being transferred to federal prison to serve his additional sentence. MORE: Man linked to Diana Alvarez held without bond on new charges Guerrero-Torres’ arraignment is scheduled for May 7. Undersheriff Carmine Marceno said he hopes the indictment would help Diana’s family begin the road to healing. “We know today that we will never bring Diana back, but we also hope we bring some closure to the family,” Marceno said. A mother’s reaction Hernandez expressed her frustration Wednesday afternoon during a press conference, hours after the state attorney’s office announced a grand jury returned an indictment against Guerrero-Torres. MORE: Man linked to missing girl found guilty in child porn trial Hernandez is heartbroken, but said she wouldn’t “wish this on anyone.” Hernandez said she’s happy Guerrero-Torres will never be able to be able to hurt another child, but fundamentally disagrees with the maximum punishment he faces. Hernandez said if she could choose, she’d ask for the death penalty. “If my daughter is not alive, then he doesn’t deserve to be alive,” Hernandez said. MORE: Graphic images of Diana Alvarez found on person of interest’s phone When asked if Hernandez wanted crews to keep searching for Diana’s body, she responded: “Why keep searching?” As she’s come to terms with the unnerving realization that her daughter is gone. ‘We’re not gonna quit’ Michael Hadsell, president of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue, identified one key piece of evidence investigators are missing: a body. “I’m surprised that the murder one charge, but if they feel they’ve got enough evidence to do that, good for them,” Hadsell said. The search for Diana has been ongoing after two organizations announced in May they’d restart their pursuit, and for their efforts will not waiver. MORE: Diana Alvarez still missing on 10th birthday “We’re not gonna quit until we do find her, one way or another, we will find her,” Hadsell said. Search tactics include retracing and tracking Guerrero-Torres’ past movements in places like Central Florida. “We’ve been searching mostly off Highway 60, and that was one of the last area’s that his cell phones were pinging,” Hadsell said. Hadsell added how the dry conditions could provide an advantage in the search. MORE: Search to resume for missing San Carlos Park girl “Right now it’s dry so it gives us access to a lot of areas we didn’t have access to last year,” Hadsell said. Hadsell spoke fondly of Rita Hernandez, Diana’s mother, and expressed his dedication to continue the search. “We are in this for mom, so we will stay in it until the end,” Hadsell said. MORE: Renewed search for missing San Carlos Park girl unsuccessful Authorities still haven’t found her body. Eighty-eight percent of cases without a body result in convictions, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. 31 cases have resulted in capital punishment. “Lee County is a great agency and they’ll do what they have to do to bring this case to a resolution,” Hadsell said.