Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Christian Lee Hunter (CREDIT: Collier County Sheriff’s Office) A Golden Gate Estates man accused of dismembering a hamster in Collier County is now facing animal cruelty charges in Lee County as well. Christian Lee Hunter, 21, is wanted in Lee County for a similar incident investigated by Lee detectives in July 2020. He has been in a Naples jail cell since Monday when the Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrested him on animal cruelty charges after finding a beheaded hamster in a box. In the July 2020 case, someone found a hamster at a Fort Myers Petco that had been ripped into four pieces. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said Hunter is accused of severing the head of a hamster he purchased from a pet store and then discarding it in a blood-smeared box. “Animal cruelty can never be justified,” Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in the post. “We are hopeful that we have addressed this situation and can connect this individual with mental health services.” Jason Exantus lives right across the street from Hunter and was shocked to hear he was accused of the cruel treatment of animals. “They’re dead and in pieces, in a box,” Exantus said. “It’s kinda disgusting and absurd.” In Collier, a woman found the dead hamster. She told deputies that she had found several other boxes over the last year containing “sadistically mutilated” small animals. “I think that’s crazy,” Exantus said. “I didn’t see him doing that, but I said he’s pretty quiet.” Exantus said there are little kids in the neighborhood that could have made the discovery. “Why would he even want to do that? Was he in his right mind?” Exantus said. Deputies were able to find Hunter as the suspect because the latest discovery included a receipt from a pet shop in Lee County. The receipt showed the purchase of the hamster on Jan. 4 for $14.99. Deputies obtained surveillance footage of the purchase and saw a man with a mask and sunglasses but with a tattoo on their right forearm. Deputies spoke with an officer with the Lee County Animal Abuse Unit who said they had worked a similar case last year. The officer was alerted to it after staff at a pet store found a small critter box in the parking lot that contained a purchased hamster that had been “ripped into quarters.” In that instance, Hunter told the officer his dog had mauled the hamster. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office, on Tuesday, confirmed an active investigation in that case. On Wednesday, the agency said it was also charging Hunter with animal cruelty. In the Lee case, the sheriff’s office was notified of a mutilated hamster found in a box in the parking lot of Petco in Fort Myers. The sheriff’s office did not list an address for the Petco. Hunter made statements to detectives in that case that proved to be false, the Lee sheriff’s office said. But the incident in Collier County made Hunter a suspect again. “Detectives then worked cohesively investigating these incidents in their respective jurisdictions, gathering evidence and building a case against Hunter,” the Lee sheriff’s office said. According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post, Hunter admitted to purchasing the hamster found in their jurisdiction. He faces a charge for cruelty to animals and unlawful disposal of dead animals. Hunter appeared in court for the first time Tuesday. He remains in custody at Collier County Jail and can no longer buy animals. In Lee County, a warrant has been issued for his arrest. He faces charges of aggravated animal cruelty, unlawful disposal of a dead animal, and making a false statement to a law enforcement officer.