Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for ChristmasCape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs
PORT CHARLOTTE Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for Christmas The holiday magic is in full swing at Santa’s Village. There are holiday lights, food, and plenty of families making some holiday memories
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs Christmas is meant to be merry, but for dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes it can be anything but.
NAPLES Dozens volunteer to feed over 500 people at St. Matthew’s House The St. Matthews House fed nearly 500 people hot and traditional holiday meals at their Naples shelter on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL Project Siren; Cape Coral chaplain praying for first responders The sound of sirens, life and death hang in the balance. A cape coral chaplain bows his head and says a prayer.
FORT MYERS Residents celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day Hanukkah begins Wednesday with the lighting of the first candle. Each night, another candle will be lit until all eight shine bright.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents still recovering from hurricanes on Christmas Neighbors on Lemon Bay Drive in Englewood said their homes had never seen a drop of a water from a hurricane until 2024.
FORT MYERS Dr. Piper Center hosts annual Christmas Celebration Dozens of children are enjoying new bicycles on Christmas day thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Piper Center.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 25, 2024 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
Spending the holidays with first responders For most of us, Christmas is about spending time with family, but one group is making sure our families are staying safe.
More clouds and a few showers for your Christmas Day plans The Weather Authority is tracking more clouds on Christmas day than we saw on Christmas Eve and the chance for a few showers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Adoptive family spends first Christmas together Family come in all shapes and sizes but all share one common thing, their love for each other. One southwest Florida woman couldn’t have kids, so she built her family through adoption and fostering.
PUNTA GORDA Man accused of shooting man at Punta Gorda motel A man has been arrested after allegedly shooting another man during a physical dispute at a Punta Gorda motel.
What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in SWFL On Christmas Day, many businesses and services are closed, including most retail stores, offices, and government buildings.
NAPLES Celebrating Christmas Eve with the Magic of Lights Across southwest Florida, people have been feeling the Christmas spirit. In Collier County, families at the Magic of Lights experience counted down the minutes to Santa’s arrival in awe of the spectacular display.
FORT MYERS BEACH Beachgoers enjoy Fort Myers Beach on Christmas Eve Whether you’re a full-time Floridian, a snowbird or just vacationing here for Christmas, it was a great day to go to the beach.
PORT CHARLOTTE Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for Christmas The holiday magic is in full swing at Santa’s Village. There are holiday lights, food, and plenty of families making some holiday memories
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs Christmas is meant to be merry, but for dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes it can be anything but.
NAPLES Dozens volunteer to feed over 500 people at St. Matthew’s House The St. Matthews House fed nearly 500 people hot and traditional holiday meals at their Naples shelter on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL Project Siren; Cape Coral chaplain praying for first responders The sound of sirens, life and death hang in the balance. A cape coral chaplain bows his head and says a prayer.
FORT MYERS Residents celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day Hanukkah begins Wednesday with the lighting of the first candle. Each night, another candle will be lit until all eight shine bright.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents still recovering from hurricanes on Christmas Neighbors on Lemon Bay Drive in Englewood said their homes had never seen a drop of a water from a hurricane until 2024.
FORT MYERS Dr. Piper Center hosts annual Christmas Celebration Dozens of children are enjoying new bicycles on Christmas day thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Piper Center.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 25, 2024 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
Spending the holidays with first responders For most of us, Christmas is about spending time with family, but one group is making sure our families are staying safe.
More clouds and a few showers for your Christmas Day plans The Weather Authority is tracking more clouds on Christmas day than we saw on Christmas Eve and the chance for a few showers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Adoptive family spends first Christmas together Family come in all shapes and sizes but all share one common thing, their love for each other. One southwest Florida woman couldn’t have kids, so she built her family through adoption and fostering.
PUNTA GORDA Man accused of shooting man at Punta Gorda motel A man has been arrested after allegedly shooting another man during a physical dispute at a Punta Gorda motel.
What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in SWFL On Christmas Day, many businesses and services are closed, including most retail stores, offices, and government buildings.
NAPLES Celebrating Christmas Eve with the Magic of Lights Across southwest Florida, people have been feeling the Christmas spirit. In Collier County, families at the Magic of Lights experience counted down the minutes to Santa’s arrival in awe of the spectacular display.
FORT MYERS BEACH Beachgoers enjoy Fort Myers Beach on Christmas Eve Whether you’re a full-time Floridian, a snowbird or just vacationing here for Christmas, it was a great day to go to the beach.
Giordanni Vidal Castro, 18. Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Department A Cape Coral man was arrested Sunday morning after police say he shot a man with a handgun he didn’t realize was loaded. According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Giordanni Vidal Castro, 18, was arrested after police responded to a call from Cape Coral Hospital at around 12:15 a.m. The call said a man, later identified as Damian Michael Gonzalez, 23, arrived at the hospital after sustaining an apparent gunshot wound to his upper chest. Gonzalez was later pronounced dead. Officers arrived at the scene and spoke to three other people involved, who were inside a vehicle with Gonzalez when the shooting occurred. Castro was seated in the front passenger side seat in front of Gonzalez, who was sitting in the rear. After bantering back and forth, Castro took a 9MM Ruger from his lap, placed it against Gonzalez’s chest, and fired, not realizing it was loaded. The shooting happened as the car was traveling down Del Prado Boulevard North. “It was a friendly, I guess you can say, banter. All the individuals were all friends. They were known to each other. There was no hostility,” said Brandon Sancho, Cape Coral Police Department’s public affairs officer. “He didn’t realize that it had a bullet in the chamber, then fired the handgun.” The gun was tossed from the vehicle in panic but was later located by police. Gonzalez was immediately rushed to Cape Coral Hospital by his friends, where he died from his injuries. When the friends spoke with the police, they said the shooting wasn’t intentional. “Based on all the occupants in the vehicle actually stated, they said it was friendly banter back and forth, and it wasn’t anything. No ill will, no specific intent where he would point the gun at that person and then the actual victim and shoot him purposely,” said Sancho. WINK News was in the courtroom Monday as Castro made his first appearance. “What I will do is order you held overnight. And brought back before me tomorrow for first appearance at 10 o clock. Then you can get in touch with a private lawyer and make arrangements for that private lawyer to be here tomorrow. Is that what you want to do?” asked the judge. Castro replied, “Yes.” Cape Coral police believe there was one bullet in the gun at the time of the shooting. They recovered the gun in the 100 block of Del Prado Boulevard North, just north of Hancock Bridge Parkway. Castro faces a charge of manslaughter. Cape Coral Police Department wants to remind everyone that all guns, real or fake, should be handled as if they are loaded at all times.