The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest FloridaLee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
Mugshot of felon Dennes Pinero Garcia in front of Golden Gate Estates street in the area where Steven Todd was attacked. Credit: WINK News. Florida criminals might spend time behind bars, but they’re not always paying for the crimes they commit. We examined why the State of Florida is picking up the tab for some violent offenders Dennes Pinero Garcia was found guilty of felony battery and ordered to pay nearly $15,000 in restitution. But just days after the trial, his victim learned the State of Florida offered to pick up Garcia’s tab. That happens more often than you might think. “There was no fight,” Steven Todd explained. “I was brutally beaten to the ground.” Steven Todd is the victim of a felony battery in Golden Gate Estates. He doesn’t want taxpayers to front the money for his restitution in lieu of his attacker. Credit: WINK News. The battery started when Todd noticed two aggressive dogs outside his property on 12th Ave NE in Golden Gate Estates. He says they almost attacked his cat, but when he confronted the owner, a man who worked for his neighbor entered Todd’s backyard and beat him up. “He sucker punches me,” Todd said. “As I go down, he hits me eight or 10 more times, broken nose, ruptured ear drum.” Garcia was a nine-time convicted felon when he was arrested for assaulting Todd, and it’s created a large pile of bills. “They took chest X-rays. They took head X-rays,” Todd said. “I got $15,000 dollars of medical bills and the emergency room.” Todd found a bit of peace when a Collier County judge found Garcia guilty of felony battery in early September and ordered him to pay Todd’s bills. But Todd was further stunned when, just days after the trial, he was contacted by the state attorney’s office. The state victim’s fund is trying to pay Todd’s hospital bills instead of Garcia. “I don’t want the good people of Florida and Collier County to have to pay this cowardly thug’s bills,” Todd said. “He needs to pay every penny of it.” The state victim’s fund is paid for by taxpayer dollars. It’s set up to compensate innocent victims of violent or costly crimes. Danny Garza, a criminal attorney at Wilbur Smith LLC who is not involved in this case, says it’s not uncommon for the state to pay for bills that a defendant can’t handle. “There are a certain amount of victims who, if knowing they may not be getting any restitution from a defendant, they may apply for a victim fund,” Garza explained. Todd says he never signed up for the fund; although, it’s unclear if someone with his legal team did. Victims of crime aren’t required to accept the state’s funds. They can decline and demand restitution. For Todd, it’s a no-brainer. “They sent me papers that I was supposed to sign,” Todd said. “I have not signed them. I will not sign them. I’ll go live in a tent in the woods before I give them a penny of my money.” But victims do run the risk of never seeing that money, or having to wait years to get paid back. A defendant cannot be punished for the inability to pay restitution, no matter what crime they commit. “There is always a risk of not receiving any restitution,” Garza said. “But that’s up to the individual to decide if they want to forego the money from the victim’s fund and solely rely on restitution.” Todd plans to wait. Garcia will be in jail for nine more months followed by two years of probation. “I’ve already forgiven him for what he’s done,” Todd said. But that doesn’t change how he feels about the burden on taxpayers. “I don’t want to see the good people in Florida pay for this person’s bills,” Todd said. “He’s got 10 felonies now. These are his bills.” We reached out to Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office for more information on the victim’s fund, but our interview request was declined. It’s unclear whether Garcia can pay this restitution. We’ve also reached out to his attorney and await a response. If you’ve been the victim of a crime, you could be eligible for help. MORE: Florida Attorney General – Crime Victims’ Services