Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 peopleCape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
Video that shows a deputy pepperspraying a suspect in June 2019. (Credit: Jerry Theophilophoulos) A Lee County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs investigation shows former Deputy Brian Hoyt, 42, “misrepresented facts” and showed “improper conduct” during the June arrest of Enzo Vincenzi, 53. The attorney representing Vincenzi, Jerry Theophilophoulos, sent us a surveillance video of his client’s arrest. In the video, deputies are seen tasing the North Fort Myers man four times and dousing his face with pepper spray. The deputy who wrote the arrest report, Hoyt, called Vincenzi aggressive and said he “lunged” at the deputy’s vehicle; but that is not what we see in the surveillance video. “Mr. Vincenzi was intimidated, he was tortured,” Theophilophoulos said. “He was nearly killed being tasered the amount of times that he was.” A months-long Internal Affairs investigation sided with Vincenzi’s allegations and agreed deputy Hoyt provided “inaccurate information.” “Not all law enforcement’s bad obviously,” Theophilophoulos said. “But when you have the few out there to do what they do and if they don’t get caught, they poison the rest of the apples. And that’s what Dept. Hoyt has done here. “Thankfully, Mr. Vincenzi’s smart enough to have video and it contradicted all the lies that Deputy Hoyt came in and told us in his deposition in the criminal case of Mr. Vincenzi,” he added, “which was dismissed due to those lies.” While the State Attorney’s office dropped the charges, Vincenzi’s attorney told us that his team plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit in June against the deputy involved. Hoyt has since resigned. In a statement to WINK News, LCSO said: An incident reportedly involving a confrontation between a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a Lee County property owner resulted in an arrest in June of 2019. In the arrest affidavit, the deputy, Brian Hoyt, stated that the subject charged his patrol vehicle, several times, in an aggressive manner. According to Deputy Hoyt, the subject then “proceeded to run” from the deputy while “reaching into his pockets.” The deputy requested back-up and grabbed hold of the subject’s arm. With assistance from deputies that arrived following the initial incident, the subject was taken into custody. During the course of a September 20, 2019 deposition, it became evident that the incident did not occur as Deputy Hoyt had indicated. Sheriff Carmine Marceno requested an immediate and thorough investigation through the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit. The investigation uncovered video that revealed discrepancies in Deputy Hoyt’s statements and the narrative of the Probable Cause Affidavit. “We’re here to serve the public, not mistreat them,” Sheriff Marceno stated in a meeting with Internal Affairs. “It’s completely unacceptable,” he added. Upon completion of a lengthy investigation and the location and review of video footage, as well as testimony from Deputy Brian Hoyt, it was determined that the deputy was no longer justified to remain on the subject’s property. It was determined that, despite belligerence and verbal abuse from the subject, he made no threats of violence and that Deputy Hoyt had an opportunity to leave the property without incident. Having not been physically or verbally threatened, Deputy Hoyt was found to have demonstrated improper conduct and untruthfulness. Following these Internal Affairs findings, Brian Hoyt tendered his resignation. “This is an unfortunate incident that appears to be unjustified treatment of a Lee County citizen,” said Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “There’s no room, at this agency, for this kind of behavior. It’s completely unacceptable.”