ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Court, gavel. Credit: MGN Two Immokalee men were sentenced to 45 years in prison Wednesday for their roles in a string of violent home-invasion robberies in Collier County and the City of Naples, while a third suspect is heading to trial. At a hearing in Collier County Circuit Court, Henry Adam “Ricky” Contreras, 53, and his son Johnathan Contreras, 32, both pleaded guilty to dozens of felony charges brought forth by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecutor. Circuit Judge Joseph G. Foster accepted their pleas and sentenced each to 45 years in prison as part of a plea bargain agreement. MORE: ‘Ninja robbers’ sentenced to prison in Orange County home invasion The agreement calls for the pair to serve their 45-year sentences concurrent, or at the same time, to the 25-year sentences they received last year for their roles in separate home invasions in Orange County. They could have faced life in prison had they been convicted at trial. Co-defendant Andres Perez, 49, passed on the same plea and will stand trial instead. Perez is scheduled to return to court April 18 at which time a trial date could be set. A fourth defendant, Frank Bower, who was not involved in any of the Collier cases, had previously struck a plea deal that will send him to prison for 25 years. Together Perez, Bower, Johnathan Contreras and Ricky Contreras faced 113 felonies ranging from home invasion robbery to kidnapping and from racketeering to dealing in stolen property. In spring 2014 Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk directed the creation of a multi-jurisdictional task force to investigate as similarities in home invasions emerged. The task force was made up of representatives from CCSO, Naples Police Department, Marco Island Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI. Through the investigation, the task force determined that nine robberies were interrelated and committed by a criminal enterprise that included Perez, Bower, Johnathan Contreras and Ricky Contreras and that the group engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity from Dec. 10, 2013, through May 12, 2014. The suspects operated during the evening hours targeting upscale homes where no forced entry was required. They were armed with guns, wore dark clothing and gloves and covered their heads with masks. They entered the homes, bound their victims, disabled cell and house phones and made off with jewelry and cash. In many of the incidents, they stole the victims’ vehicles to leave the communities. Task force members linked the suspects to the crimes after conducting interviews and analyzing evidence, including cell phone data, bank records, pawn transaction receipts, jail phone calls, security video, and shoe impressions found at the scenes of some of the robberies. For example, the investigation found the suspects pawned numerous pieces of stolen jewelry and watches at a Miami pawn shop in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars. Google Earth searches of some of the communities where the robberies had taken place were also discovered on some of the suspects’ cell phones.