Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fireKids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
Dolphin found dead in Collier County amid red tide warnings Red tide is affecting multiple beaches in Collier County, and most recently, a dolphin was found dead in an area that turned up positive samples for red tide from Collier County Pollution Control.
Fort Myers riverfront condo One breaks ground Almost 20 years have passed since the last riverfront condominium project rose along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers.
Former Hendry County deputy found guilty after knocking handcuffed man unconscious A former Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputy could face prison time for his use of unreasonable force on a man who was being held for a domestic violence call.
1 killed in Collier County crash, FHP investigating The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a single-vehicle crash on I-75 at the 97-mile marker in Collier County.
Lehigh Acres Man arrested for crashing into Lehigh Acres duplex, damages several vehicles The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of crashing his vehicle into a Lehigh Acres duplex.
Pedestrian killed while attempting to cross Hancock Bridge Parkway The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a pedestrian attempting to cross Hancock Bridge Parkway in Lee County.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warm with a few showers this Monday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking the continuing stretch of warmer conditions along with a few rain showers this Monday.
DeSoto County teen sentenced to life in prison for killing 17-year-old at fair A teenager will face sentencing Monday for shooting and killing another teenager at the DeSoto County Fair.
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
Dolphin found dead in Collier County amid red tide warnings Red tide is affecting multiple beaches in Collier County, and most recently, a dolphin was found dead in an area that turned up positive samples for red tide from Collier County Pollution Control.
Fort Myers riverfront condo One breaks ground Almost 20 years have passed since the last riverfront condominium project rose along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers.
Former Hendry County deputy found guilty after knocking handcuffed man unconscious A former Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputy could face prison time for his use of unreasonable force on a man who was being held for a domestic violence call.
1 killed in Collier County crash, FHP investigating The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a single-vehicle crash on I-75 at the 97-mile marker in Collier County.
Lehigh Acres Man arrested for crashing into Lehigh Acres duplex, damages several vehicles The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of crashing his vehicle into a Lehigh Acres duplex.
Pedestrian killed while attempting to cross Hancock Bridge Parkway The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a pedestrian attempting to cross Hancock Bridge Parkway in Lee County.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warm with a few showers this Monday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking the continuing stretch of warmer conditions along with a few rain showers this Monday.
DeSoto County teen sentenced to life in prison for killing 17-year-old at fair A teenager will face sentencing Monday for shooting and killing another teenager at the DeSoto County Fair.
There are new details in a drug conspiracy plot that began with an innocent man under arrest and ended with a deputy off the job. WINK News first reported on Monday that Charles Custodio had a personal feud with the victim before he had drugs planted on him and got him falsely arrested by former deputy Niko Irizarry. Deputies arrested a third man in this scheme, Scott Snider. “The investigation revealed the first suspect, 36-year-old Charles Custodio, had a personal hatred for our victim,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. Court documents show that hatred turned into a plot for revenge against a man who helped put Custodio in prison. It started with a text message deputies found, in which Custodio said he would, “[g]et him back for what he did, even if it cost him every dime he had.” Custodia was angry because a jury convicted him in 2017 for insurance fraud. The key witness was the man he hated, who testified against him and helped send him to jail. Court documents map out how Custodio’s revenge tour began. “What started this was that there were civilians involved in this setup,” said Donald Day, the victim’s attorney. “They uncovered evidence that an officer is involved. And that is extremely troubling.” The civilian he is referring to is Scott Snider and the officer is Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy Niko Irazarry. On Dec. 15, Custodio, posing as a man named Shane Carroll, traded emails and text messages with the man he hated, a real estate agent, to show him a home in the Gulf Harbour Community. That real estate agent is the Day’s client. The man who showed up for the meeting wasn’t Custodio or the imaginary Shane Caroll. Instead, the man who met with the victim was Scott Snider. During that meeting, detectives say Snider planted a large amount of drugs in the real estate agent’s car. The next day, deputy Irizarry pulled over the real estate agent. Drug-sniffing dogs found more than 50 bags of opioids, methamphetamines, and other pills in the man’s car. The deputy helped Custodio because they were friends, and court documents show Custodio promised the deputy sexual favors and a trip to Paris if he helped. My client calls me and the case begins with his statement emphatically that he was not involved in drugs,” Day said. “And he’s certainly not the kind of guy you would picture to have a trafficking amount of drugs. It’s just not in his character, you know, hasn’t had any prior issues before.” Custodio has been released on bond. Snider is awaiting extradition back to Lee County.