Only in Florida minute for April 25th, 2014

Florida woman calls police over sun halo in the sky

     The residents of Tampa were treated last week to a sun halo. A sun halo is a when the light from the sun is refracted by the ice crystals of very high clouds, making sometimes a darker patch of sky around the sun with a rainbow ring at its edge. While most simply enjoyed the view, a Tampa woman panicked, ran to a bus station and called 911.

     "This has never happened before in Tampa, Fla. Please go outside and look up in the sky and look at this weird object," she said pleadingly. "It's a big dark circle and it's all the way around and it has never been in the United States of America. Never, ever."

     I love the confidence of this woman. Not content to stop with the city, she brings the entire country into it. As it turns out, sun halos are not that rare of an event. The 911 dispatcher is recorded promising the woman that she would send an officer to her location to check it out. The woman was apparently confused why they would send someone to her, told the dispatcher that it could be seen from anywhere.

GOP Lawmaker Arrested After He Allegedly Ran A Red Light Leaving Taco Bell Drunk 

     A Florida lawmaker's early morning taco run was cut a bit short when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence around 2 a.m. Monday morning.

     Rep. Dane Eagle (R) was taken into custody after officers saw him nearly hit one curb, then veer into another after running a red light. Eagle's eyes appeared to be bloodshot and offices claimed they could smell alcohol on his breath. Eagle refuted the last claim, saying the smell was not from him, but from some friends who had been to a bar and had ridden with him earlier.

     Eagle refused to take a sobriety test, telling the officers that he was good to go home on his own, despite stumbling out of his car after the officers pulled him over. Eagle was taken to jail, but he was not there long. He made it back to the statehouse to vote on an issue Monday afternoon.

     Tuesday, Eagle released a written statement saying, "While there are some decisions that I would have made differently, I do not believe there is a complete and accurate picture of the events,". Eagle continued by saying, "Under advice of my legal counsel, I cannot discuss all the details right now, but I look forward to publically (sic) sharing the entire story at an appropriate time. Until then, I humbly ask for everyone's patience. I know that I am accountable for my actions, and I look forward to communicating with my constituents in the near future on this matter."

     Hands up, how many people think he really looks forward to talking about this with his constituents in the near future? Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, I don't think so either.

Only in Florida 8/5/2013

     This one falls deep into WTF territory. 

     In the early morning of Saturday, August 3rd, Jose Trinidad Sanches-Uriostegui, 29, drove over a sidewalk and struck a golf cart that was traveling near the road, according to a Florida Highway Patrol incident report. No reason for the crash was given, and both Sanchez-Uriostegui and the driver and passenger of the golf cart had to be treated at area hospitals.

     What started out as a man's car hits golf cart story took a turn for the weird when police received a call from an anonymous caller that claimed that Sanchez-Uriostegui's car had a bomb in it. Taking the threat seriously, officers closed down the nearby road, and called out the bomb squad and the K-9 unit. After a through search of the car, the only thing that was found was a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

     Officers eventually traced the phone that made the 9-1-1 call to Sanchez-Uriostegui's cell. Why he made the call is anyone's guess. Also, apparently not content to face just the bomb threat charge, Sanchez-Uriostegui also faces an assault charge. Sanchez-Uriostegui allegedly punched one of the paramedics that was treating him on the scene.


Other news in brief:

‘Best’ meth cook goes to prison - Well, I guess somebody has to be the best at it.

Police: Amanda Greenwood ties child to urine soaked bed - Mother knows best (facepalm).

Hernando woman crushed by homemade elevator - Just because you can DIY, doesn't mean you should.

Only in Florida 7/17/2013

     Facebook has become one of the major ways that people communicate these days. Because so many people go to the social media website, some police departments have started posting information about criminals that they are searching for, hoping to obtain information that will lead to their capture. However, doing so has lead to some unintended interactions between the fugitives and the police searching for them. Few of these fugitive's seem to have learned the truth behind the old adage, "silence is golden"

     Matthew Oliver, 23, was the Pasco county sheriff's "Fugitive of the Day" on Wednesday, July 10th. Oliver, after seeing his picture on the site, began angrily commenting on it. "You guys are going to pay for A. Believing a crack head. and B. Slandering my name," Oliver wrote. "I already heard about this whole thing and I was in the hospital the day of." A few minutes after the above post Oliver stated that, "I get out of the hospital for 2 months and I have to come back to this sh**. I swear on everything I own Pasco County WILL be held responsible for this."

     Oliver apparently thought that if he threatened or yelled enough, that would scare the officer's off his trail. Over the course of the next two days, Oliver left more comments on the post. The sheriff's office, however, was undeterred by Oliver's numerous attempts to dissuade their pursuit. No matter the motivations behind his posts, all Oliver was really doing was blazing a trail for the police to follow right to him. Several of Oliver's Facebook friends saw the commotion he was raising, and messaged the sheriff's office with tips to where he was located. Oliver was arrested at a relative's house Friday afternoon.

     Let this be a lesson to any criminals out there. First of all, don't commit the crime in the first place, it's not worth it no matter how much it seems like it is. Secondly, if you did do the crime and are now in hiding, don't post of Facebook, unless you really want to get caught. Lastly, if you ignored the first two, for the love of all this is holy don't threaten the police. It will only make things worse for you and you'll be a laughing stock for the news.


Other news in brief:

Woman's pet snake gets stuck in car tail light - One question: Why do you let a Boa Constrictor loose in your car in the first place?

Woman accused of drunk dialing 911 twenty times - Instead of the freedom she wanted, all this lady got was some time in jail.

Police: Man attacked teen and pregnant woman with shovel over $25 - All he needs to do is refine his tactics a bit and this man could work for a credit card company.

Police: Arrested man called 911, asked for a new officer - "No, no, this officer is being way too mean."

Man confuses addresses and chokes the wrong person - Protip: Always double check the address when you are going to commit physical violence

'murica

"Starting just after midnight on Oct. 29, the fellow called 9-1-1 and claimed he was having a dispute with his landlord and wanted to know what his rights were as a tenant. When deputies didn't arrive at his residence in the time he thought was appropriate, he called back and cussed out the dispatcher. Then he hung up.

A deputy went to his residence and discovered he was "highly intoxicated," the deputy wrote in the arrest report. His speech was slurred and he smelled strongly of alcohol. The deputy explained the Sheriff's Office lacked jurisdiction in a landlord-tenant dispute and he should stop abusing the 9-1-1 system, as it's for emergencies only.

The man defied this order and called 9-1-1 again, refusing to cooperate with the dispatcher but letting it be known he was recording the call. The deputy went back to his place and warned him again not to call 9-1-1. He provided the man with the office's non-emergency number.

At around 3:30 a.m. the man called 9-1-1 again and asked to speak to a lieutentant or sergeant about a domestic incident. When asked where he was, the man said he was in "Destin," then "America." When asked where he was in Destin, the man replied, "I said America not Destin."

For a third time the deputy went to his residence. He determined there was no domestic disturbance emergency and placed the man under arrest. He had to be dragged to the deputy's cruiser."

Well at least he can't be charged with providing false information to the police, the man was indeed in America.

Sources:
1. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/local-news/crime/police-blotters/man-says-he-s-in-america-not-destin-1.40713
2. http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/3843461/Makes+Me+Proud/