According to Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, the incident happened Friday evening as the victims were walking north on Harding Avenue, between 90th and 91st streets.

“A car drove by with four individuals, and that car threw a cup of water and a soda can at them while they were yelling ‘free Palestine,'” Burkett said.

Police said the water cup struck one person in the right shoulder, and a second individual was splashed with water.

Burkett said the Surfside Police Department already has a lead on the vehicle that was involved.

“And I think they’ve tracked down the car, actually, so we’re making progress there,” he said. “We take it seriously, very seriously.”

When the suspects are caught, Burkett said, they will likely be charged with battery.

“You don’t throw things at people and not be held accountable for that,” he said. “That’s uncool, it’s not who we are. We want our residents to all feel safe.”

Burkett said witnesses and license plate readers helped officials track down the vehicle. He hopes his police department will make an arrest soon.

In October of 1995, Orenthal James Simpson was found not guilty of murdering his wife and her friend, in a murder trial watched globally. He left the Los Angeles County Courthouse as a free man but he was not free from trouble.

Simpson would then move to sunny South Florida where he lived with his kids during the period of time between his California acquittal and his Las Vegas conviction.

But even in South Florida, TV cameras and trouble seemed to follow.

While calling Kendall his home in a house on Southwest 112th Street, his residence was raided related to drug a investigation.

There were also controversial calls to 911 and he was also arrested in Miami-Dade County.

“I’m not going to let Mr. Simpson answer any questions about the facts of this case,” said his lawyer.

His private life routinely spilled out before the public during ugly exchanges with his then girlfriend, Christie Prody.

In October of 1999, Simpson called 911 and claimed Prody was high and out of control, accusing her of drug abuse.

“She up for two days on pain pills and red bull,” he said.

In May of the following year, police were called to a hotel near Miami International Airport.

“I guess someone evidently felt that they saw her get physical with me, but she didn’t,” Simpson said.

Later that year, Simpson was was back in the news when Prody sold a story to the tabloids, which claimed that he had given her a cocaine fueled confession to the infamous murders.

She also said Simpson was stalking her and that she was living in fear.

He followed up with the media and claimed she made it all up for money.

“For the last two weeks, she’s apologized for having done this story,” Simpson said.

Despite the relationship drama, he was never charged for anything to do with Prody.

“Never in my life have I chased the guy in a car,” said Simpson.

The drama between the two didn’t end there.

In January of 2001, police were called to Prody’s Kendall apartment after a neighbor called 911 about the pair fighting.

A month after that incident, Simpson surrendered at the Miami-Dade County Jail in relation to a road rage incident that happened in December of 2000.

“Reached inside, grabbed the driver’s glasses and tore him off his face,” said an official.

Simpson would stand trial in that case after being charged with burglary and battery.

“Sorry if I cut you off. Stop (expletive) following me!” said Simpson.

The outcome in that trial was the same as his first.

“As for count one of the charge, the defendant is not guilty,” said the judge. “As for count two of the charge, the defendant is not guilty.”

Years after leaving South Florida, his home was renovated.

7News cameras captured the renovation.

When the realtor was asked if it was a brand new floor plan, he replied “Yes.”

His Kendall home was up for sale in 2017 for $1.3M

An old neighbor of Simpson described the ex-football star as the perfect neighbor.

“Never had a problem with O.J.. He was very nice,” said Carlos Perez.

Simpson lived in the Kendall home until his conviction of armed robbery in Las Vegas in 2008. The home was later demolished.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened on March 11, at around 10:20 p.m., in the intersection of Southwest 10th Street and South Dixie Highway when the victim, who was riding a motorcycle, collided with a vehicle.

On Thursday, the family of 57-year-old Clifford Jackson spoke to the media at a press conference.

“My heart has a hole in it,” said Cesar Jackson, Clifford’s son. “The only thing that I ask is if you know anything, you know any information, please step up. He was a veteran, he’s a father, grandfather, soon to be great grandfather, brother, friend, and more importantly, a human being. So him being hit at that intersection and left, whoever decided to do that, and take off just leaving him there at the intersection, it’s sickening.”

During BSO’s investigation, it was revealed that Jackson was traveling westbound on the highway when a silver 2016-2019 Hyundai Elantra was going in the opposite direction.

“This is how we know it’s a silver car. Unfortunately the driver of this Hyundai for reasons unknown at this time, just did not observe the motorcycle coming through,” said Det. Michael Wiley with BSO.

The two then collided, and the driver left the scene without rendering any aid to Jackson.

According to BSO, it was an accident and speed was not a factor.

“The question is now is why didn’t that person stay?,” said Wiley. “All they had to do just stop and pick up the telephone.”

The Hyundai, officials said, had damage to its passenger side door and passenger side mirror. The car left behind clues, such as car parts, which is how officials determined the brand of the car.

Jackson’s family said that the last month has been difficult and they believe that the vehicle involved is still out there.

“I’ve forgiven you. I can’t live with that burden,” said Cesar. “I don’t know what happened, maybe you got scared, the only thing I can ask is relieve yourself from this burden. As a family, we are all asking for closure.”

If you have any information on this hit-and-run, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The officer, whose identity remains unknown, was accidentally shot by another female officer while they were at the Homestead Training Center near Southwest 304th Street and 117th Avenue, Wednesday afternoon.

The officer was initially transported to Homestead Hospital and was then airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center Trauma Center.

“It was an accidental shot by another officer. Both of the officers are female officers,” said Pinecrest Police Chief Jason Cohen. At this point, we have no reason to believe it was anything but accidental.”

According to Cohen, the officer who was shot has been with the department for about four years, while the female officer who accidentally shot her has been with the department for longer.

After the officer was hospitalized, Cohen said that she was great condition and was expected to be OK.

“She’s in great condition. She’s going to be just fine. That’s the best news that we could have. She’s in good spirits. She’s surrounded by her family,” said Cohen.

It remains unclear how the accidental shooting happened.

“We will evaluate the training, we will evaluate all the safety precautions and will make sure this never happens again,” said Cohen.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating this incident, and the Pinecrest Police Department is conducting its internal investigation.

The toddler was identified as Legend Love.

“He’s a sweet boy, nice friendly playful,” said Anthony Johnson, Legend’s grandfather.

Anthony spoke to 7News, Wednesday.

“I was sleeping, I didn’t see any screaming,” Anthony said.

The grandfather was home when his grandson drowned.

“When I ran out, the lady had the baby, the caregiver had the baby, and carried out the baby and she was crying, so I took the baby, tried to get inside and then laid him down on the table, then I called 911,” he said.

Anthony said he came home from work early because he wasn’t feeling well. When he got home, he laid down to get some rest.

He thought Legend was being watched by the family’s caretaker, who was the only other adult at the home.

“She thought the kid was with me in my room,” Anthony said. “That’s what she said. She thought he was me but he wasn’t with me. It looks like, I don’t know, she got distracted.”

Anthony said he didn’t hear Legend go into his room, which has access to the backyard pool.

“I didn’t hear nothing. The child already goes through the main door. He never got out,” he said. “For some reason, he go in my room and I don’t know how he opened that door but he opened and he got out.”

The grandfather would then wake up to tragedy.

“He wasn’t responding,” he said. “I pumped him like two times.”

Legend’s mother, Shakiera Johnson Love, could not bear the loss of her son.

7News cameras captured the screams of the heartbroken mother as she learned of the tragic news.

Love works at Broward Health Coral Springs and was at the hospital when her son was transported to the ER.

“She didn’t have any idea till, I think, she got a call that there was an emergency with the baby,” said Antonio Johnson, Legend’s uncle. “It was her actual child coming there.”

It remains unknown how Legend ended up in the pool or how long he was in there.

All day on Wednesday, family, friends, and neighbors shared their condolences and dropped off flowers to the family.

“You just have to be there with them all the time,” Anthony said. “It’s not just the pool, they can put stuff in their mouth, they can use stuff to harm themselves because they are active and that kid was active.”

A grandfather will now always remember his grandson as the light of his life and his family’s.

“He’s a nice kid, man. He makes himself happy,” he said. “He knows how to play by himself and make himself happy. It’s a big loss for me.”

7News cameras captured Love’s family putting balloons and flowers on the front lawn of their home.

“We all miss him right now,” said Anthony.

At least 97 children in Florida drowned last year, eight in Broward County. Leaving behind devasting families like Legend’s.

“I’ve never been through anything like this before,” said Antonio. “I wish it didn’t went like that and there was a different outcome.”

A GoFundMe was created by the family to help cover the funeral expenses. If you’d like to donate, click here.

According to Miramar Police, Onyxia Delinois was out for a run Saturday morning, heading eastbound along Miramar Parkway near 183rd Street, when a driver hit her and took off.

“This was a heartless act and we just ask that whoever did this comes forth,” said Jose Rosales, traffic homicide investigator for Miramar Police.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Delinois’ husband, Roosevelt Delinois, was joined by Miramar Police and doctors who have been treating his wife and left his wife’s bedside for a few minutes to plead to the media for justice.

“My wife is amazing, she does so much for me and our family, She’s selfless.” Roosevelt said. “Someone else did this to her and just left her there.”

Onyxia is a passionate runner who is part of a group that runs several times a month.

After being struck, she was rushed to the hospital, where she now remains in a coma.

“She has a very, very serious critical head injury. She underwent emergency brain surgery and since that time, she’s been in a comatose state, I’m hoping that she regains function” said Memorial Regional Hospital Dr. Andrew Rosenthal.

Doctors say they are very concerned about her recovery and expect her to be in the hospital for weeks or months.

Meanwhile, Roosevelt has not left his wife’s side.

“I’m devastated,” he said. “How would you feel if this was your family member? How would you feel if this was your mom, your wife or your daughter?”

Police are now searching for the driver responsible for hitting Onyxia and leaving the scene.

“We’re looking for a vehicle that may have right damage to the vehicle in the front or side,” Rosales said.

Police hope that someone knows something about the person who did this.

“We would like to remind everybody that if this is your family, what would you like to be done,” said Rosales.

“She has helped me tremendously in my life, and I just want someone to say something, someone to come forward and say who did this to her,” said Roosevelt.

A GoFundMe was created to assist with Delinois’ medical expenses.

If you have any information on this hit-and-run or the driver’s whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Martin Zaretsky appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer, Tuesday morning. It was the 50-year-old’s first court appearance after he was arrested and charged with disturbing allegations.

“Sir, you were arrested for some serious charges — molestation charges, seven counts and, it says, offenses against students by authority figures, seven counts,” said Glazer.

The molestation charges against the suspect are seven counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child between 13 and 17 years old.

Zaretsky worked in the information technology department at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes, where he worked on computers.

Parents of students who attend the school did not hold back when addressing the allegations.

“It’s completely disgusting and gross,” said a parent.

“There’s complaints of people talking him 10 years ago, and nothing has been done,” said a second parent.

According to the arrest report, Zaretsky tried to engage in romantic relationships with several students and touched them over their clothes in a lewd manner. The report also stated that he also exchanged text messages with two of the victims on several occasions.

“God only knows how many other victims he had,” said the second parent.

The arrest report also states that there were several incidents in which Zaretsky would wait for the victims after school and would walk them to his office and give them candy. He also would take students out of their classes so they can skip them and accompany him walking around the school.

The suspect would also, police said, get students’ cellphones back that were taken by other school administrators.

A pair of students recognized Zaretsky as the “technology guy,” saying he would fix the air vents and computers.

“He would just make funny comments,” said one female student.

In response to these allegations, a spokesperson with M-DCPS released a statement that reads:

“Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply disturbed by the troubling allegations made against this individual. Upon learning about this suspected behavior, Miami-Dade Schools Police immediately began their investigation and subsequently made an arrest. This type of comportment will not be tolerated as it runs contrary to the professional conduct we expect from all employees. The District has initiated employment termination proceedings, and will ensure the individual is precluded from seeking future employment with the District.”

M-DCPS

In court Tuesday, Glazer ordered Zaretsky to not have contact with the alleged victims, not have unsupervised contact with any minor children, and he must stay away from Bob Graham Education Center

The judge also set his bond to $70,000.

The mother of one of those victims involved reached out to 7News and said she is afraid that there may be more victims.

Speaking with 7News on Monday, Noah West described the terrifying moment when he suddenly found himself under fire along the 1700 block of Northwest Fourth Street, March 21.

“I was by myself so, when I was coming, I was walking this way toward right there by the street, and I’m walking, and I see this dude on a scooter with a ski mask on, and I’m like ‘That’s suspicious,'” he said, “and then I just saw him hop off the scooter, pull out a gun and start shooting.”

When asked at what moment he realized he had been shot, West replied, “When I started running, ’cause when I started running, the bullet hit me, and I fell, and then I got back up.”

West said he ran almost all the way home, which is close to the park where the shooting occurred, but stopped when he saw someone with a phone in order to call for help.

Once Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue units arrived at the scene, they transported the 10-year-old to Broward Health Medical Center.

Thankfully, West’s injuries were not life-threatening. He is expected to be OK but is still recovering, as he is walking with a limp.

“When I was in the hospital, I thought I couldn’t walk,” said West.

West has since returned to school and is getting stronger every day.

West’s mother, April Lofton, said her son has been doing better in the weeks since the shooting.

“He’s still shaken up. He still definitely just wants to stay in the house, pretty much stay to himself, but his spirits are pretty good,” Lofton said.

West said he stopped going to the park but just wants to be a kid.

“I just don’t come. I don’t come over here no more,” he said.

When asked whether he will return someday, he said, “Yeah, I’ll come back someday.”

The boy’s comments come as newly released surveillance footage from BSO captured the moment when West was left injured during the drive-by shooting.

The 10-year-old is seen dribbling a basketball while he crossed the street. As he makes his way to the other side, a gray sedan approaches him, and someone inside the vehicle is seen firing shots in his direction.

Several children in the area hit the ground when the shots rang out, and West was seen running away after he was shot in the leg.

Video shows the man on the scooter takes off in the other direction.

The victim’s mother and law enforcement officials believe that he was not the intended target of the shooting.

There was a scooter in the area, which is what Noah’s family believes was the intended target.

Now, the family wants whoever was behind the shooter to be caught.

“We’re getting the word out, just making sure that another parent doesn’t have to experience this. It’s imperative to find these suspects,” said Lofton.

BSO detectives continue to search for the victim and those responsible for the shooting.

If you have any information on this shooting or the whereabouts of the subject or subjects involved, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

It’ll be the longest, most visible solar eclipse in more than a century as the moon will block out the sun.

But there are steps you can do right now to keep your eyes safe.

The countdown to one of nature’s most fascinating light shows is on as Americans gear up to watch Monday’s solar eclipse.

The phenomenon will take place in the afternoon, when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, which will block out the sun’s rays and will cast its shadow on the earth.

But while many people will get to see a partial eclipse as it crosses through North America, only a handful of folks will experience the full darkening effects based on its path.

“Only a single narrow path of people from really, uh Texas up to Maine will be able to see this event called totality,” said Dr. David Rogers with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

But no matter where your seat is for the event, doctors say you need proper protection for your eyes.

“If you look at the sun, directly with your unaided eye, you can damage the eye permanently and lose vision,” Rogers said.

So what are your options?

“Solar eclipse glasses are 100,000 times darker than your regular sunglasses,” he said. “Regular sunglasses absolutely cannot be used.”

These spectacles work by blocking invisible light rays from injuring your eyes.

“These are in ultraviolet and infrared rays that can actually damage that retina,” Rogers said.

For an indirect way to safely see the eclipse, NASA recommends making a pinhole projector.

“You can just use a sheet of paper, pinhole, and have the sun behind you, and then it’ll project through the hole, and then you’ll have shapes of the sun on the ground as the moon traverses,” said Heather Futrell, NASA’s Heliophysics Program Executive.

Pets should be kept inside for the big celestial event if they’re at risk of looking at the sun.

Andrew Fierle, 44, was charged with three counts of soliciting a romantic relationship with a minor while in a position of authority.

Fierle made his court appearance Friday morning after turning himself in to the Broward County Jail the previous night.

According to police, Fierle was having a relationship with a student while teaching at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, which began in 2020 as a friendship. The victim, police said, was 17 years old.

Investigators said that a year after the beginning of the friendly relationship, it turned into something more.

The victim started visiting Fierle in his classroom where “Fierle would unzip her jacket,” the arrest report reads.

Fierle was a math teacher at the high school and would tutor the victim after school at his home in Sunrise where, police say, they would engage in sexual activity.

Following initial allegations, Fierle was fired in 2021 by the school.

During his court appearance, the judge ordered Fierle to not have contact with any minor and he could not return to any school campus. His bond was also set to $75,000 and he will be fitted with a GPS ankle monitor once he pays his bond.

“I do find probable cause for your arrest on three counts of an authority figure engaging in a romantic relationship,” said the judge.  

“Who do you live with?” said the judge.

“My wife and my two dogs,” said Fierle.

“Have you ever been arrested anywhere else in the world?” said the judge.

“No, no, no.” said Fierle.

The Archdiocese of Miami released the following statement:

Mr. Andrew Fierle was terminated as a teacher from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School on June 24, 2021 due to a complaint from a female student’s parents regarding violations of the school’s and Archdiocese of Miami’s Safe Environment policies.

The parents of the student alleged their daughter was being tutored at Mr. Fierle’s home after school hours.

Mr. Fierle’s actions were immediately reported to the State Department of Education and the Department of Children and Family Services, and the parents were encouraged to report to law enforcement.

Fierle has since paid his bond and remains at Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach.

During Thursday’s stop in Davie, DeSantis described how more money will be coming to Florida from the Seminole Indian Tribe after signing Senate Bill 1638 into law.

The money will be allocated into restoration programs for the Florida Everglades and the South Florida Water Management District. The agency is expected to receive millions of dollars each year.

“For necessary repairs and upgrades to both the Central and South Florida water management systems, so this is a really big deal,” said DeSantis.

The Seminole Indian Tribe fought hard to offer table games in a sports book. In 2021, the tribe entered an agreement with the state to offer sports book gambling through their app at their property in Hollywood.

As part of the agreement, the Seminole Indian Tribe will share upwards of $750 million a year with Florida.

“Historic day indeed, and as a native Floridian, this truly warms our hearts,” said Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr.

The breakdown of how those funds will be distributed includes the following:

• $150 million for South Florida Water Management District
• $100 million for the Resilient Florida Grant Program, which helps residents prepare their homes for storms
• $100 million for the Florida Everglades to assist with the removal of invasive species

Anything left over will go toward water quality improvement grant programs.

“You’re looking at about $450 million, probably in future years, every year, for quality improvement grant programs,” said DeSantis.

The governor said the signing of this bill will be a win-win for Florida and the programs that will be benefited.

“This bill is going to now dedicate the bulk of the Florida gaming revenue from the Seminole Tribe Compact to conservation efforts, and this is going to be done in ways that are going to be very beneficial,” he said.

“I was so scared,” Jahkeam Moore said. “My teacher was gone,” he said.

Six-year-old Jahkeam was safe and sound Thursday morning, one day after he was forgotten on that field trip.

His kindergarten class from Charles R. Drew K-8 Center in Northwest Miami-Dade on Wednesday made their way to the fair on the bus for some food and fun.

Jahkeam’s godmother, however, told 7News that 13 students were also left at the fair when the school bus initially took off.

“The school bus did turn around and pick up eight of them,” she said. ” A parent did leave with two, and then my godson and two others in the vehicle with this one parent.”

A bus returned to pick up eight kids, but five other students found their own way back to the school.

“There’s many red flags with this, and it’s totally unacceptable,” said the godmother.

The parent who drove Jahkeam back to campus told 7News that she was not an approved chaperone for the trip, and she simply went to the fair on her own account to watch her son, who was also on the field trip.

She said, at some point, the teacher left Jahkeam with her.

Latasha Jones, Jahkeam’s mother, said she wants answers on how the bus left her child behind.

“I want to know how did my child get left at the fair,” said Jones. “When I signed that field trip form, he was supposed to stay with his teacher, not go off with a parent that’s not even a chaperone on a field trip. I’m still angry.”

Jahkeam’s godmother told 7News that Jahkeam was up at 4 a.m. thinking about the incident. She also said that there were red flags regarding the situation, and several unanswered questions remain.

“He just embraced me, he told me and said how scared and afraid he was because, even though he knows the parent’s son, he did not know the parent at all. That was his first time,” said Jahkeam’s godmother.

She now wants those responsible for leaving her godson and those 12 other students to he held accountable.

“Just from one parent to another, I just think the proper protocol was not done when it comes to doing head counts, when it comes to ensuring that every child is on the bus,” she said. “They basically just told the bus driver, you know, gave the clear, the OK, and they left.”

The school district released a statement following the incident.

“Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply concerned to learn that several students from Charles R. Drew K-8 Center returned to their school from a field trip with a parent instead of their assigned bus. We are looking into the matter and will take appropriate action.”

MDCPS

For now, Jahkeam’s family is happy that he is OK, but his mother wants to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“This is very frustrating because what if my son never made it back to me. Then, what answers would they have for me?” said Jones.

As of Thursday afternoon, no action has been taken by the school district related to the field trip.

On Wednesday, Fort Lauderdale Police held a press conference with those family members.

According to Fort Lauderdale Police, on March 22, 89-year-old Major Melvin and 87-year-old Claudette Melvin were shot to death at their home in Melrose Park.

The suspect or suspects, then left the scene in the couple’s 2014 Ford Fusion. The car remains missing as police hope to find it.

“I have the photo here of the vehicle. It’s a red Ford Fusion, it’s a 2023,” said Fort Lauderdale Police Sgt. Donald Geiger. “We’re looking at several leads right now. It’s very distinct that it has side damage on the left driver’s side, rear door, and we also have some damage on the right rear bumper.

“Angry. I’m so numb I can’t feel, yes. We’re angry,” said Kim Melvin Hill, daughter of the couple. “We’re angry. We’re very angry. We still trying to wrap our minds about how can we, who would, who did, why?”

911 calls of the incident were released by police on March 28.

“My brother just called me. I don’t have my car, I can’t get over there,” Hill is heard saying to a dispatcher.

A family member was sleeping in the back bedroom of the Melvins’ home of 50 years when they woke up to shots being fired. In a panic, the family member called his sister, who then called police.

“My parents were married for 60 years. My mom and dad worked here, they raised their grandchildren in that house,” said Hill.

The family told 7News that Major had $500 in his pocket and his wife had $400 in her bag but the killer did not walk away with the money.

They believe the person or people behind the murder came in through the front door when they first saw Major and then turning the gun on Claudette.

“They shot him point blank with a nine-millimeter,” said Tonya Mitchell, the daughter of the couple. “She was shot as well, in the chest, and she fell back.”

Family members described the elderly victims.

“They were the most loving people that I’ve ever known. Both caring and whoever this perpetrator is, he just needs to be found,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell pleaded with the public to help her find the person behind the murder of her parents.

“If you have any information on the car, any information on this maggot, that was the individual,” said Mitchell. “We’re asking the public, the media, please help us. We just want our closure. As to why, they didn’t deserve this.”

If you have any information on these deaths that could help investigators, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units arrived at the scene on Marathon Lane in Fort Lauderdale’s Riverland neighborhood, Wednesday morning.

Smoke was seen coming from the 110-foot yacht’s lower decks.

7News cameras captured firefighters putting out the fire as they worked to keep the flames from spreading to other boats.

Area resident Scott Garten said his wife alerted him.

“When I was on the boat, my wife called me up, she said, ‘There’s fire trucks in the front,’ from the cameras,” said Garten, “but there’s no electrical, so I don’t know how it caught fire. It’s solar panels on there; I would think it’d be the battery chargers.”

No one was on board the yacht when the fire broke out.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Miami-Dade Police were assisted by Spot, a robotic addition that was introduced to the department in 2023. Spot is used by the Special Response Team for special situations.

The department explained how Spot is utilized in a video posted to social media.

“Spot will be utilized on all barricaded subjects, and hostage rescue incidents where there is a value in introducing technology to gain valuable information rather than placing officers in harms way.”

In exclusive video captured by 7News, Spot was able to clear a path for the Special Response Team during Tuesday’s barricade.

It allowed officers to approach a vehicle safely to get the get 27-year old Darnell Paul into handcuffs.

Spot’s abilities range from relatively simple movements.

“Opening doors, retrieving objects, climbing stairs, and offering visual feedback to the operator,” said MDPD Lt. Francis Rego.

The robotic dog also allows officers to speak through it.

After the takedown, Miami-Dade Police spoke about how cutting-edge Spot is.

“It is a tool of the Special Response Team, they have had other robots in their inventory but this is just state-of-the-art technology,” said Edgardo Caneva, Assistant Director of Public Safety and Emergency Response Services.

But this isn’t the first time robotics have been used in the country’s police force.

“They’re a great tool,” said Caneva. “They offer us opportunities to go upstairs, open doors, pick up objects automatically, in this case with the Boston Dynamics robot.”

Massachusetts State Police have their own robotic dog called Roscoe, which was provided by robotics company Boston Dynamics.

The team used Roscoe during a standoff that came under fire when an armed suspect shot it with a rifle.

“He was shot three times. Once in the hands of the gripper, once in the elbow, and one to the body,” said Massachusetts State Police Trooper John Ragosa.

These type of robotic tools allow teams all over the country to diffuse the most critical and sensitive of situations, which allows human and dogs alike to stay out of potentially dangerous operations.

“In this case a robotic dog went down there first and took the rounds that could of been meant for somebody else,” said Ragosa.

The offer will be available until April 6 for travel between South Florida and Orlando through May 31.

According to Brightline, passengers must book their fares at least seven days in advance of their trip with Orlando as either the origin or destination to take advantage of the offer.

When booking a fare, passengers will need to apply the promo code NOJOKE24 in the promo code field in the search box and click apply. Then, customers could search for discounted tickets for both SMART and premium fares.

For more information, click here.

Fort Lauderdale Police and fire rescue crews arrived at the scene at 5100 N. State Road 7, Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, once at the scene, they found the victim and a responding officer provided medical care to him until Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived to assist.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene, where the suspect was handcuffed at the hotel’s parking lot.

The victim was seen in the back of a fire rescue truck and was transported to Broward North Health for treatment.

An investigation into the shooting is now underway.

On March 1, Joshua Epstein was taken into custody and was charged with battery after Rose accused him of pushing him during a candidate debate at Surfside Town Hall on Feb. 28.

Epstein spoke with 7News on Monday after his charge was dropped.

“Huge relief, I mean, huge thank you to the Surfside community, thank you to the State Attorney’s Office for looking at the evidence and seeing it for the political stray that it was,” he said. “I’m going to use to this to fuel my passion for justice.”

Cellphone video captured on Feb. 28 showed Rose angrily yelling at Epstein.

“Keep pushing me, Josh. Keep pushing me. You already pushed me once, and it’s on camera,” said Rose.

“I haven’t touched you,” Epstein is heard saying. “If I did, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t push you, though.”

Although Rose accused Epstein of pushing him, the alleged encounter wasn’t caught on camera.

His mother, Eliana Salzhauer, a former town commissioner and herself a critic of city leaders, said the alleged push never happened.

“My son is a political activist in town. He’s 18, he’s very outspoken, and he’s a very outspoken critic of the current administration,” she said. “After the commissioner forum, Vice Mayor Rose came angrily charging at another resident, standing next to him and angrily getting into it with him. My son took out his phone and started recording. That’s what happened.”

Days after he was arrested, community activists gathered in Surfside and called for an independent investigation into a teen’s arrest and the former vice mayor’s actions.

Monday night, Rose issued the following statement:

“I, along with my family, am very disappointed that the Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office chose not to prosecute Joshua Epstein for battery as a felony or misdemeanor.

He pushed me. There were eyewitnesses to the incident, one of which the State Attorney’s Office did not even contact. The second eyewitness has been intimated and threatened with losing his job by supporters of Joshua. The State Attorney’s decision not to pursue felony charges for battery against an elected official as other Florida jurisdictions have done is also disappointing, especially given the plain meaning of the statute.

I fully support citizens’ rights to protest and speak out against elected officials. However, Joshua has made a habit of harassing and intimidating public officials outside of this particular incident and has now escalated to physical violence under the guise of activism. Joshua and his family’s efforts to muddy the water with contrived, conflicting witness statements along with their suspected connections to the media for bias coverage have all paid off. The decision not to prosecute has not only made all of that behavior okay, but has rewarded it. This incident has sadly shown that even if you are the perpetrator of a crime, if you have the loudest voices in your corner, you will prevail … even if those voices are not telling the truth.

Throughout this process, I have stayed silent because it was not about political gain or media attention. I chose to press charges, knowing that it would likely cost me re-election, because my safety and the safety of my family was more important. This decision has put our safety and the safety of other elected officials in jeopardy.”

According to Fort Lauderdale Police, 89-year-old Major Melvin and 85-year-old Claudette Melvin were shot to death at their home in Melrose Park on Friday.

A family member was sleeping in the back bedroom of the Melvins’ home of 50 years when they woke up to shots being fired. In a panic, the family member called his sister, who then called police.

“Nine-one-one. What is the address of your emergency?” a dispatcher said.

“Yes, I need ya’ll to get to Fort Lauderdale, 3, 3, oh lord, Jesus,” the sister said. “My brother just called me. I don’t have my car, I can’t get over there. I don’t know, and my brother, my brother is like, he has enough sense to where, you know, he knows to call people.”

Once police arrived, they found the crime scene.

“P.D. Code 3 as this may be a crime scene,” a dispatcher said.

Tonya Mitchell, the daughter of the couple, said that detectives told the family members someone walked in through the front door and confronted Major.

“The person walked in through the front door and Major must have tried to get up, and when he got up, he got tangled up in the blanket, and they shot him point blank with a nine-millimeter,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell raced to Fort Lauderdale on Friday from her home in North Carolina after she received news she never imagined she would hear.

“I can’t imagine it, either. It’s just terrible,” said Mitchell.

The victim’s daughter said she was told her mother woke up from the noise and the shooter turned the gun on her.

“They told me that she was shot as well, in the chest, and she fell back,” said Mitchell.

Major and Claudette moved from Virginia in the 1970s and raised their children in their Fort Lauderdale home.

As this family continues to grieve, they can’t wrap their heads around who would murder their loved ones.

At the home, none of their valuables or cash were stolen. The couple’s red Ford Fusion, however, was taken.

“What did you want? What were you looking for? You took nothing, but you killed them. Who does that?” Mitchell said.

Now the devastated daughter is left alone to clean out the home and bury her parents before her time.

She said she had to see her parents in a funeral home.

“I got a chance to see to see them today. They look like they’re just sleeping, but it’s the worst thing that a person could ever imagine,” she said.

Detectives, family members, and neighbors are left wondering who could be so callous as police looks closely at the couple’s circle.

Neighbor Tommy Lavelle said he is still grappling with the magnitude of this tragedy.

“This had to be somebody that knew something or whatever there, because they just walked in the door, and they knew that, obviously, he didn’t lock his doors,” he said. “I’ve known them for 24 years that we’ve been here, so it was always, if you needed something, he was right there.”

Now Mitchell has a message for the killer.

“Whoever it was, it’s like they knew them and it started them, and they were giving the shirts off their back,” said Mitchell, “and to come in and to kill two elderly people like that, you’re going to burn in hell.”

Fort Lauderdale Police are asking the public if they have seen the car. They said Melvins’ 2014 Ford Fusion has the Florida tag LTDQ16. A “be on the lookout” has been placed on the car.

Police are hoping to find the car but also the subject behind these murders.

The family told 7News that Major had $500 in his pocket and his wife had $400 in her bag but the killer did not walk away with the money.

The family said they will have no closure until the person is caught.

The victim’s granddaughter has created a GoFundMe page to help pay for the funeral services.

If you have any information on these deaths that could help investigators, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

At loanDeport Park Thursday afternoon, it is expected that a crowd of 37,000 will be in attendance for the game. Fans are also encouraged to make opening day a festive event by bringing bongos, drums, trumpets, and flags to the game.

As far as the team goes, the Miami Marlins are ready to start their season.

Skip Schumaker enters his second season as the Marlins manager.

“There’s nothing like major league opening day. There just isn’t,” Schumaker said. “No matter where you’re at in your career, as a manager that’s been around for a little bit, I remember opening day in Dodgers Stadium. When I was there, growing up as a Dodgers fan and then getting to play on opening day there it was a surreal moment.”

The opening day starter will be Jesús Luzardo. The Parkland native had a rough spring training: Four starts and ERA of 5.24.

But now, the games will count.

Luzardo got tickets for 65 family members and friends to be in the stands.

As a kid growing up in South Florida, it’s a dream to pitch opening day for your hometown team.

“This will be my sixth season in the big leagues and I still feel like a kid,” Luzardo said. “I go back to my old high school and hangout with them and I feel like I’m one of them still. But at the same time, I mean, I can see the maturity when I’m on the mound at times and then like, my thought process in between and stuff. I’ve definitely grown in that in the sense, but at the same time, I still feel like I’m a kid.”

The Marlins return two-time All-Star second baseman and two-time batting champion Luis Arráez.

This team will also have a full season with Jake Burger and Josh Bell.

Peter Bendix is in his first season as the Marlins president of baseball operations.

“We feel really good about the group that we have,” Bendix said. “I think there’s a lot of young talent on this team, there’s a lot of talent that can do different things, right. We got speed, we got power, we got guys that that can put the ball in play, we got good defenders and I think it’s about giving those young guys opportunities to show what they can do.”

At loanDepot park, seating at the second level, from sections 201-204, is the all-you-can-eat section. For $52, you can get a seat and an endless amount of popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, soda and water.

Fans could begin to enter the stadium at 2:00 p.m.

The first pitch against the Pirates starts at 4:10 p.m.

On Friday, at 3:40 a.m., Hialeah Firefighters were called to the barbershop at 60 W. 49th St.

Once they arrived at the scene, they found the inside of the shop engulfed in flames.

As firefighters worked to keep the blaze from spreading to neighboring businesses, witnesses told police that the fire was not an accident.

Surveillance video confirmed it was a case of arson.

In the video, one of the suspects was seen smashing the front window with a wrench. The second suspect then came up behind him with two molotov cocktails and threw them inside the building. Video shows one of them didn’t even bother to cover up his face.

A camera from a neighboring building captured the dirty work from a distance.

The shop was gutted and the owner was left heartbroken.

The owner said when he saw the video, he told police that he knew the men as he used to work with one of them and gave investigators their names.

Speaking in Spanish, Ariel, the owner of the barbershop, said the attack on his shop was unexpected.

“All I want to say is this is something I didn’t expect. I ask God for strength to get through this problem,” he said.

Police arrested 38-year-old Miguel Reyes Jr., who appeared in bond court over the weekend.

“Burglary of a dwelling count 1, arson first degree count 2, bomb destructive device count 3,” said the judge.

As Reyes Jr. sits in jail, his partner, 56-year-old Alberto Gonzalez, remains a wanted man accused of torching a Hialeah barber shop.

The motive remains unclear.

If you have any information on Gonzalez’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The suspect, Brendan Paul, was described in a recent lawsuit and was arrested on Monday.

He was charged with one count of possession of suspected cocaine and another of possession of suspected marijuana candy after federal agents intercepted Combs’ plane at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.

This was also the last place Combs was seen in public since after the music mogul’s Star Island home in Miami Beach and his Los Angeles home were raided on Monday by federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations.

The searches were connected to an investigation by federal authorities in New York as part of a sex trafficking probe.

A Los Angeles resident and Combs’ neighbor weighed in on what he’s been seeing next door in recent months.

“I’ve seen black suburbans, Uber drivers, private drivers between 1-3 a.m., Ryan Mendelsohn said. “Sometimes earlier, sometimes later, but I’ve seen girls get out of the car in swimsuits, swimwear and bathing suits sometimes.”

According to TMZ, they reported that Combs’ private jet was spotted in Antigua Monday night.

All these events stemming after several sexual assault lawsuits were filed against Combs in recent months.

Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, sued him last year, alleging years of sex abuse and rape.

“Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct,” said the lawyer for Cassie and Jane Doe.

In February, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who was seen working out beside Combs, filed a lawsuit against the star claiming that Combs, his staff, and music executives knew about and were involved in illicit and unwanted sexual activities in Florida, New York, California and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

7News cameras on Tuesday captured activity at Combs’ Star Island home, where some house personnel were leaving the property and black SUVs were seen going in and out of the property as they dropped off, or possibly, picked up people in the home.

TMZ released footage taken from inside of Combs’ California mansion showing the aftermath of the raid. Deconstructed computers, messy, ransacked desks, furniture, cabinets, and open safes and drawers can be seen in the video as Homeland Security officials carried out their investigation.

“They had to present a probable cause statement before a magistrate judge, they had to produce some evidence that they were going to find evidence of criminal activity in his home,” said Attorney Areva Martin.

Combs’ attorney released a public statement for the first time on Tuesday stating the raids of his homes were “excessive” use of “military-level” force.

“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

Aaron Dyer, Diddy’s attorney

Sons Justin Dior Combs, 30, and King Combs, 25, were seen handcuffed outside their father’s Los Angeles mansion during Monday’s raid.

Currently, Combs has private security guarding his Star Island home that belongs to his security personnel.

Combs has not been charged with a crime and has not spoken out publicly addressing the investigation.

Authorities arrived at the scene in the area of Northwest 97th Ave and Northwest 10th Street, Tuesday afternoon in Jacaranda Lakes.

According to police, a woman and child were found inside deceased by “traumatic means.”

Police said an unconscious male, identified as 40-year-old Jean Carlos Aponte, was transported to the hospital after he was found alive but possibly amid a drug overdose.

As of 10 p.m., the man was in the hospital. Police hope to speak to him as soon as they can. He was listed in critical condition.

On Wednesday, Plantation Police identified the identified as 38-year-old Sara Ashley Gama and her 2-year-old son, Ethan Aponte.

Investigators combed through the home as they focused on different areas such as the pool, which was blocked by a tarp.

Neighbors tried to make sense of what happened as they said the family appeared close and loving.

“That’s what I’d like to know, how does this happen? What happened? They played all the time,” said Gilda Howell. “I was across the street with the kids all the time cause they would go back and forth. This is a very friendly, I’m sorry, I’m just so devastated.”

John Goodish said the man in the home helped him out when he was unable to drive and the families would socialize.

“This is beyond shocking. This is absolutely total shock,” said Goodish. “Round peg going in a square hole does not fit at all. Nice couple. Me and my wife, we had dinner out, we had a nice dinner locally. So I’m just sitting in my chair right now going through my head going through everything what happened.”

Goodish said a few weeks ago, he asked the man to go to lunch.

“I asked him if he wanted to a beer, he said ‘Yeah, I’ll come get you.’ He was fine,” said Goodish.

Another neighbor said the incident is a reminder that some are struggling and in pain behind closed doors.

“Open communication, sympathy, empathy, caring, all that goes a long way,” said a woman.

Neighbors said that in addition to having a 2-year-old boy, the couple recently had a baby boy, and they believe he is safe with family.

7News cameras captured the medical examiner’s staff and investigators continuing their investigation late into the night. One body was removed on Tuesday night.

Police said they were not looking for any subjects as the incident came from the home. Authorities have not provided more information as of Wednesday as this homicide investigation is in its preliminary stages.

7 Skyforce hovered over the scene Monday morning in Miami, where the driver first eluded Miami-Dade Police after being told to stop.

The pursuit continued throughout Miami as the driver weaved in and out of traffic.

“As you see him go on the wrong side of the roadway there. Police officers corralling him,” said 7Skyforce Reporter Ralph Rayburn.

Officers decided to follow the ATV driver from a safe distance to protect other drivers on the busy road.

“They are following now and what we heard them say is ‘We’ll just follow him until he runs out of gas'” said Rayburn.

The driver was then seen heading northbound on Interstate 95.

At one point, 7News cameras captured the driver appearing to check how much gas he had left.

Several police helicopters were also above the scene as they continued their pursuit and three police cruisers were also seen following the driver on the highway.

The Florida Highway Patrol was notified about the incident, as well as the Broward Sheriff’s Office, as the driver made his way towards Broward County.

As the rider continued his trek, at one point he exited I-95 and headed eastbound on Stirling Road.

“He goes through the intersection, now he’s going to be coming westbound underneath us,” said Rayburn.

7Skyforce continued to follow the driver as he returned to I-95.

“He’s gonna have the upper-hand as far as wheeling through and around traffic with that ATV. He’s going off road there. Right, there he goes, on cue. And around those vehicles that are stopped at the intersection,” said Rayburn.

An FHP trooper could also be seen pursuing the rider.

The rider was seen riding through big trucks and driving the wrong way on I-95.

“He’s traveling northbound. All those cars are traveling southbound,” said Rayburn.

The driver is seen driving over express lane poles and crossed through incoming traffic.

He then exited West Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. He drove on the sidewalk until he finally stopped and put his hands in the air.

“Looks like he’s going to give up the ghost here,” said Rayburn.

The driver eventually stopped in Fort Lauderdale and was swiftly taken into custody.

“Officers getting him to stop, now they are gonna knock him to the ground and secure him and make sure he’s not carrying any weapons,” said Rayburn.

7News cameras captured the suspect being handcuffed.

Drivers on their morning commute described the Monday madness they witnessed.

“I was so shocked. I just stood there in silence,” said Shamari Nelson. “Everything happened so fast.”

Nelson said the officers did their job.

“Impressive how policemen did their jobs,” said Nelson.

No injuries were reported.

FHP has identified the suspect as 18-year-old Anthony Angel Perez. He faces multiple charges including resisting an officer, moving traffic violation, and fleeing police.

The Broward County Public Schools Board on Wednesday finalized a plan to install metal detectors at 31 district high schools and six K-12 centers. The initiative is set to kick off with a pilot program this summer at two schools, laying out the groundwork for a broader application that encompass 31 campuses throughout Broward County.

J.P. Taravella High School and Charles W. Flanagan High School are the two schools that will be in the pilot program starting in the summer.

7News on Thursday told students at J.P. Taravella High School about the news.

“There’s some threats going on around the school. They should really do that,” said a student.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Alma.

Students were less than thrilled when they were told their school would be installing metal detectors.

“Because, even though like, it’s for safety or whatever, I still think that students should, there should be a comfortable place to learn and like, I feel like us getting metal detectors every day is just not comfortable,” Alma said.

Broward County officials agreed that safety trumps comfort.

“It’s long overdue in my eyes,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata. “This was one of the tasks I did that I personally wanted to do.”

They hope this latest move will help lay the groundwork for a broader application that encompasses the 31 campuses throughout Broward County.

Since the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School that killed 17 people and left 17 others injured, there has been an emphases on school safety.

Although, metal detectors likely wouldn’t have made a difference in that shooting, since the shooter gained entry to the school through a side door.

“And I feel like it’ll change the dynamic of the the school to be honest,” Alma said.

Public schools in Miami Dade County use a mobile detection unit that searches for metal objects and weapons in schools. All schools in the county are subjected to random inspections.

In a statement, a spokesperson with Miami-Dade County Public Schools wrote:

“While there are no permanent metal detectors, MDCPS has a random metal detection program that is conducted by a Metal Detection Team. All Miami-Dade public schools are subject to a visit by a Metal Detection Team for a random inspection.”M-DCPS

M-DCPS

It’s that time of year again as the musical festival billed as the largest in the world comes to Miami for its 24th year.

“This is a worldwide event,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

This year’s Ultra headliners include rising live performers like ARTBAT and Elderbrook, in addition to longtime mainstays like Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Afrojack.

“We love it,“ said Patricia Cina who is visiting from Brazil.

The vibrant music is expected to draw more than 160,000 fans from across the world, which will have a huge economic impact on the Magic City.

“For a festival, it’s almost been here for a quarter of a century and has produced over a billion dollars in economic activity,” Suarez said.

Business owners also said that they depend on the festival.

“More people come over,” said Milene Miguel, owner of the Cabana Boutique.

Miguel hopes that the traffic from the event pours into her store.

“We think it’s very good for the store,” she said.

Just across from her boutique, Michell Laviera said their restaurant is already packed.

”We have made a lot more money now because we have a lot of people here,” said Laviera, assistant manager at La Industria restaurant.

But while some people love the event, others don’t enjoy the bombastic festival.

“Very loud. Big crowds. It’s not my thing,” said Kathy Reíos.

Reíos, who works across Biscayne Park, said the echoing music is distracting.

“They sometimes let us leave early because the music, like, shakes the walls of the building, and it just interrupts our work,“ she said.

James Torres, the president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, said there is no need to worry.

“The buildings in downtown have noise monitoring systems that are monitored by Ultra and the DNA, so there are certain levels and decibel levels that they cannot go past,” he said.

Ultra organizers said the use of illicit drugs has been an issue at the festival over the past years.

“Every year, we do find some drugs,” said Ultra CEO Ray Martinez.

In 2023, 19 arrests were related to narcotics, but police said they are on the lookout.

“Ultra and the private security have a great team in the fact where we search everybody as they’re coming in to make sure that there’s no weapons or illegal items coming in,” said Miami Police Chief Manny Morales. “We search them on the outside, we have undercover officers inside.”

Starting Thursday night, there will be road closures on Biscayne Boulevard.

• Northbound traffic will be re-routed to the southbound lanes at SE 1st Street and return to the normal traffic flow at NE 4th Street.
• Southbound traffic will be re-routed westbound at NE 6th Street and detoured to NE 2nd Avenue and/or North Miami Avenue.
• There will be no southbound traffic on Biscayne Boulevard from NE 6th Street.

Thirty years after Shannon Melendi’s kidnapping and murder, things have not changed for her family and her former coach.

On Tuesday, school leaders, Melendi’s father, sister, coach and even her former soccer teammates, came together at Southwest Miami Senior High School to warn students to be cautious when going out.

“I can’t bring Shannon back, but I can pass our experience to the kids and hopefully they will listen, and I think today’s presentation was really, really good by everyone,” said Luis Melendi, Shannon’s father.

Melendi was 19 years old and a sophomore at Emory University in Georgia when she disappeared in 1994. She grew up in Miami and went to Southwest Miami Senior High School.

Tragically, she was kidnapped, raped and murdered and her body was never found. It took several years for her assailant, Colvin C. Hinton, to be caught and tried for those crimes.

Hinton was convicted and is serving life behind bars. He also confessed to the crimes.

“I really want to convey the signature campaign and the importance it is for him to, he’s a third time sexual predator, he could not be rehabilitated, he needs to stay behind bars,” said Monique Benton, Shannon’s sister. That is our message, that is our fight.”

According to Georgia law, every five years, Hinton is up for parole. His date for possible parole is February 2025.

Melendi’s family started a petition to keep Hinton behind bars. If you’d like to sign the petition, click here.

Germikia Denise Freeman, 32, and Charles Nathaniel Webb Jr., 37, were charged with child abuse with no great bodily harm, trespassing on school grounds after being given a warning and education institution interference.

Freeman and Webb both appeared before a judge.

“Ma’am, if you’re going there to pick up your children, you better just go there and pick up your child and not have any problems, OK?” said Judge Mindy Glazer. “If you see someone fighting with your children, you need to go to the office and report it to the administration. Remember, don’t pick up any new law violations because if you do, you’ll be locked up in jail until your trial. If you see someone jumping your kids, make a complaint in the office, call the school resource officer. But don’t get involved yourself as much as it may hurt you.”

According to the arrest report, the incident happened on Friday at Poinciana Park Elementary School, located at 6745 NW 23rd Ave., when a witness told an officer that Freeman was fighting a student in the school’s parking lot.

The report stated that Freeman was picking up her sons in the school’s parking lot when she saw one of her sons fighting a classmate there. She then ran to where her son was fighting the classmate, grabbed the student and, “violently thrust him back and forth causing the victim to fall to the ground.”

Webb was also at the scene and police stated that he grabbed a student, “by his shirt and pinned him to the hood of a vehicle,” that was in the parking lot. He proceeded to, “turn to another kid and punched him in the nose area.”

Freeman, the report said, was given several verbal requests to leave the school but she did not comply and was yelling loudly in front of the parking lot, which disrupted the daily school dismissal.

The school’s administration and security left their posts to investigate the incident.

Freeman, her sons and Webb then walked to their vehicle and left the scene.

When the two returned to the school on Monday, both of them were taken into police custody and were transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Webb told Glazer that his kids are being bullied. At least one parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she has seen the couple’s kids get jumped repeatedly by other students.

“This is happening so many times,” said the parent. “They’re scared to walk home because how bad these kids bully them.”

Glazer told the parents instead of them, the school should had been more involved to stop the fight.

“Unfortunately it was a school fight and the school should have been more involved to stop the fight,” said Glazer.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools released the following statement:

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is aware of an incident involving students and other individuals at Poinciana Park Elementary after school hours last week. The students involved were disciplined according to the Code of Student Conduct and the other individuals have been arrested. M-DCPS works diligently to promote core values such as respect and integrity among students. We urge parents to do their part by acting responsibly and serving as good role models for their children. Students are also reminded that negative behaviors may result in life-altering consequences.

M-DCPS

Freeman and Webb will be released from jail while they wait for their next day in court. Both parents were ordered to stay away from the students involved.

According to the parents, they have reported the bullying several times to the school but it has continued. They plan on relocating their sons to another school.

Hallandale Beach Police and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue arrived at the scene at 216 SE 8th St., Tuesday morning.

“This is surprising because this is a quiet neighborhood,” said Marina Alvarado, a neighbor. “I’ve been living hear for 40 years. It’s quite surprising seeing someone dying over there.”

Police have not confirmed how long the bodies were in the home or who found them.

7News cameras captured a man who came out of a small apartment behind the house and was speaking with police. He appeared to be OK, but refused to speak with 7News.

According to BSFR, hazmat crews arrived at the scene to do readings of the air quality to determine if anything toxic contributed to the victims’ deaths.

Neighbors in the area said the two victims were a father and son.

While an investigation is currently active, officials believe there was no foul play involved in this incident.

The identities of the victims have not been disclosed.

It was a real blast on Thursday at the high-end Lakeview section on Miami Beach.

Video obtained exclusively by 7News showed the man, identified as Patrick Carroll, firing his shotgun causally on the boat while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

Carroll is real estate investor who lives in a $16.5 million waterfront mansion.

The 44-year-old, according to law enforcement sources, was firing those shots from a boat that was docked at his home.

In a second video, a second long-gun was also seen. The footage was initially posted on Carroll’s Instagram account, which is now being used in an investigation by the Miami Beach Police Department, who learned about the Bayside shooting session by concerned neighbors.

Police told 7News that officers arrived at Carroll’s home Thursday before being told by him that he was only firing blanks. They also said that a second call was made about Carroll over the weekend, but police have not provided those details.

7News went to Carroll’s home Monday afternoon to get his side of the story, but those at his home didn’t say if he was home or if he would comment on the incident.

When crews returned to his home Monday night, two dogs, a doberman and a Belgian Malinois, were released and roamed the neighborhood without any leashes.

Police were called to the scene.

Carroll eventually came out of his home and said that he was firing blanks from the shotgun and that he was making a gun safety demonstration video.

“I was doing a demonstration. I was doing a demonstration on gun safety,” Carroll said. “Using blanks.”

When confronted about the constant police presence at his home, Carroll claimed he has not done anything wrong and left the scene.

On his Instagram account over the weekend, Carroll seemed to address the gun-play.

“I will slow down the posts,” he said. “Most of the negative things out there about me, and, I think, you know, people, you know think badly about me. They just get the wrong impression.”

Carroll has a significant online presence with over a million Instagram followers.

“I’m a loud guy, I’m 6’4, 220 [pounds]. I’m a big guy, right?” Carroll said in an Instagram post. “The mistake I made on Instagram, you know, if you call it a mistake, is just posting too much content. I’m hyper, I’m ADD. It’s just because, my life is [expletive] awesome.”

Carroll has been in trouble with the law in the past. He is being sued for allegedly spitting at a Wynwood restaurant manager’s face.

He also has open criminal cases for battery, which includes a 2022 arrest at Gold Rush gentleman’s club in Miami. 7News obtained surveillance video from the club during that incident. According to police and victims, Carroll was screaming profanities and racial slurs.

Neighbors at the Lakeview community said that they’ve been calling police for several days.

Police told 7News that their investigating remains active.

No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed.

Davie Police and fire rescue responded to the scene at the 14500 block of Southwest 24th Street on Friday, where there were reports of an unresponsive man.

911 calls of that report were also released by police.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” said a dispatcher.

“I woke up in the middle of the night to go to my dad’s room and I found him face planted on the floor and he doesn’t have a pulse,” said the caller.

While paramedics were attending to that person, who, according to his family also died, the man appeared on the front porch.

A loved one told 7News that the man who was fatally gunned down by Davie Police officers following the confrontation was 39-year-old Steve Amann.

The body camera footage obtained by 7News showed Amann approaching officers after he was loitering in the area.

“This guys showed up out of nowhere,” said an officer. “Apparently he’s a friend of him. He went with him earlier. The guy upstairs is a recovery addict. These two did fentanyl and heroin today.”

Family members said that Amann was friends with the man who was unresponsive at the home and was called to go check up on him.

At one point, officers asked Amann if he is caring any weapons.

In another part of the footage, Amann was seen reaching for something behind his pants and then making a shooting stance towards officers. The object that Amann pointed was a confirmed by officers to be a cellphone.

Police then drew their weapons and shot him.

He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Amann’s family said that he lost his mother days before he was shot.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, which is normal whenever there is a police-involved shooting.

Felicia Jones, the mother of the girl seen in the video being repeatedly pummeled by another girl, spoke with 7News on Friday. She said she’s concerned for her daughter’s safety.

“She could have got hurt, she could have got killed in that bathroom,” she said.

Jones said her daughter was being bullied and was lured into a girls bathroom at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Northwest Miami-Dade, where was forced to fight.

“As a mother, it hurt me inside to watch this video, to see my daughter fighting in the bathroom, somebody planning to ambush her and sending her to the bathroom to fight her,” she said. “That’s wrong, and it’s not right.”

The incident happened on Thursday at the school, located at 525 NW 147th St.

“They’re not watching these kids,” said Jones.

Jones said her daughter, who is an honor roll student, was told that the girls needed to talk. But when the teen got into the bathroom, she saw something else was being planned.

In the video, Jones’ daughter was seen waving her hands, as if to say “no,” and tried to avoid a fight by saying, “We can talk, let’s not fight.”

The other girl in the video responds with, “Yeah, come on.”

The three girls in the bathroom were ready with their cellphones to capture video of the whole thing.

They start throwing punches, and the 14-year-old was thrown into the wall, then repeatedly punched in the head.

According to Jones, those girls have been hateful to her daughter for years, and they have since posted the video on social media.

The concerned mother said the school needs to do more in order to protect students.

“That’s not safe. Y’all say this is a good school. Y’all say you have a good security. That’s not good security, that’s not safe,” she said. “Come on, you’ve got three girls against one. One recording, she in there fighting, like cats and dogs. These young ladies are supposed to be getting an education, not fighting.”

Jones went to the school on Friday to meet with the administration. She said they were not aware that the fight happened.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools later released the following statement:

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is aware of a video clip involving students from Thomas Jefferson Biscyane Gardens K-8 Academy engaging in a physical altercation on campus yesterday. We are also aware of an altercation caught on video involving these same students at a park last night that occurred off-campus and after school hours. The school’s administration has reviewed the matter and the students involved will be disciplined according to the Code of Student Conduct. At M-DCPS, the well-being and safety of our students is of the utmost importance. This school district goes to great lengths to promote the values of restraint and respect as well as using social media responsibly. We ask that parents reinforce these principles at home.

M-DCPS

Jones said she will back at the school next week for another meeting.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to Sylvania Heights Elementary School, located at 5901 SW 16th St., Friday afternoon.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene, where students and staff were relocated outside.

Hazmat crews also arrived at the scene and were able to contain the leak.

No injuries were reported.

On Friday afternoon, Coral Springs Police Officer Christopher Moss addressed the media.

“On yesterday’s date, I responded to the incident location. Upon arrival, I could hear two occupants within the vehicle banging on the glass and yelling for help,” Moss said.

Police and fire rescue units Thursday afternoon arrived at the scene near the corner of West Sample Road and Riverside Drive.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene, where the car was almost fully submerged in the canal. Only the roof was visible.

“First thought process was to take off my gear and get into the water immediately to make entry into the vehicle,” Moss said.

Body camera video captured Moss with an orange rope in his hands, as he raced toward the canal. The video then shows him jumping into the water.

Moss quickly swam up to the submerged car and made contact with the victim.

“I swam over to the vehicle, the doors were locked,” Moss said. “I was able to shatter the driver’s side front and rear-window. I located two people inside the vehicle, at which point, I was able to get the rear door opened. One of the individuals inside the vehicle knew how to swim, so she was able to swim herself out of the vehicle.”

The man who was in the water did not know how to swim and the vehicle was sinking fast.

“The vehicle started to submerged even more. I advised the individual to trust me,” Moss said.

Moss then quickly pushed the victims back to shore. As he’s doing so, the bodycam video showed two good Samaritans swimming toward the vehicle, but the police officer had already freed the occupants and gotten then to the grass.

The man who was inside the car collapsed to the ground, while the woman sat behind him, catching their breath after this dangerous drive.

One of the victims suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

“The biggest concern was possibly the individual did not know how to swim, possibly drowning myself,” he said. “But in that moment, you have to make a decision and I told him to trust me and that I would get him to safety.”

Moss has been with the Coral Springs Police Department for eight years.

Coral Springs Police Chief Brad McKeone praised Moss’ courage during the situation, as well as his department and fire rescue.

“I want to thank everybody for their job. I want to thank Chris for his job for saving two lives,” he said. “It truly was one of our other values, which is courage here, but again, it was a teamwork effort and again, I want to thank everybody for their job.”

Both the driver and the passenger are now OK.

Just days after Haiti’s prime minister announced his resignation, the U.S. military said they’re preparing to protect the country’s American embassy from terrorism. Now, Americans unable to leave are hoping to go home as soon as possible.

According to the United Nations, about 80% of Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince is controlled by gangs, and tens of thousands have had to flee their homes.

Airports have shut down, so the means of leaving the country are limited.

Miriam Cinotti, a Jacksonville bakery owner, and Linotte Joseph, a South Florida local, are part of Mission of Grace, an organization that helps Haitians in need.

“We got here Feb. 23, we had a reservation to leave on March 8, and they canceled our reservation, so we’re still here,” said Joseph.

The two were supposed to leave after helping build a new home for children. But as days pass, they haven’t been able to go home.

“We called the embassy, and they advised us to stay safe where we are. But they don’t promise anything,” said Joseph.

Some Americans have been evacuated with help from the U.S. government.

The U.S. State Department said it isn’t certain how many Americans may currently be in Haiti, and those that remain should stay put.

“We always plan for all sorts of contingencies, but no, we are not planning, we are not actively planning for any evacuation,” said a U.S. State Department spokesperson.

U.S officials on Wednesday said they’re deploying a marine anti-terrorism team to the country, adding they’re prepared to keep Americans in the country safe and secure.

Non-essential personnel were evacuated over the weekend.

Cinotti and Joseph said that they’re currently safe in a remote area away from the violence and will continue to help out Haitians in need during their extended stay.

“We have time to make sure that things are organized and set up. Like Lin had said, we had just moved them down here, we had built a new house that we moved 80-something girls into,” said Cinotti. “But now we’re going back to where the boys are living, we have teens in one house, we have little boys and babies in another house, so what this does is gives us extra time to organize.”

A U.S. official said the Biden administration is discussing using Guantanamo Bay to process a possible influx of Haitian migrants.

7News cameras captured Boris Fernando Bastidas as he walked into jail in Pompano Beach in handcuffs, Thursday afternoon.

The FBI took the 35-year-old suspect into custody at his Coral Springs home earlier in the day.

The suspect’s neighbors were shocked to learn of his arrest.

“It’s appalling, and it’s sad,” said a neighbor.

The 35-year-old later appeared in federal court. He was ordered to be remain in custody until next week.

Bastidas was a teacher at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory, located at 500 E. Chaminade Drive, where he was named Educator of the Year in 2023, when the alleged affair took place.

Bastidas was head of the school’s social studies department. He was also in charge of the after-school club Model U.N., of which the teenage girl was a member.

Investigators added that the suspect was also the teen’s teacher during her freshman year.

Students at Chaminade-Madonna who spoke with 7News were surprised by the alleged affair.

“It’s, like, irresponsible to do. It was very wrong, and I feel like he should have known it was wrong,” said a girl.

“I’m really uncomfortable, because I definitely, like, it makes me feel like there’s someone else,” said a boy.

In a 15-page report by the FBI, it detailed Bastidas’ alleged affair with the student.

Investigators said it began in July of 2023, after the student asked for help on a project. At first they messaged each other on the school’s email account, but they later exchanged emails on their private accounts.

Then they started texting each other, authorities said. The FBI report has records of the text messages and emails between Bastidas and the student.

On one of the exchanges, the report states, Bastidas wrote, “You’re one of the best students I’ve ever had … but you’re not just a student at this point.”

He also wrote, “You’re so naive, it’s adorable.”

In one of the exchanges, he wrote, “I’ll always love you. I need you. “I wanna love you.”

As time went on, investigators said, the teacher and the 15-year-old would get together in public places. He met her at her job last August, the report states, and had oral sex in parking lots in Hollywood and Miramar.

In other exchanges, authorities said, Bastidas wrote the teen, “Kissing you is like a dream. We should kiss all the time.”

He went on to say, “I want to touch your body. I want my body to touch on yours. I wanna [expletive],” and at one point he wrote,” I want to have sex with you.”

According to the FBI, Bastidas and the student had sex while they were in New York for a Model U.N. event in January, and that is why federal authorities became involved.

Investigators said the affair ended on Feb. 5. Sometime that month, the teen’s mother called the FBI to report the alleged relationship.

The head of the school, Dr. Judith Mucheck, released the following statement.

“When we became aware of the allegations, we conducted an investigation and he was terminated immediately.”

Dr. Judith Mucheck

Bastidas’ arrest comes a day after Felicia Sharonda Smith, a language arts teacher teacher at Driftwood Middle School in Hollywood, was arrested and charged with molestation of a child between the ages of 12 and 16 and lewd and lascivious conduct.

Smith, 39, is accused of molesting a female student with whom at first, police said, she had a maternal relationship. However, detectives said, it moved to kissing and physical contact that left marks on the child’s body.

The girl’s parents pushed for answers.

“Through further investigation, they were able to identify that it was from kissing, and it did look like a hickey on the student,” said Hollywood Police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi.

Investigators said the girl admitted she skipped class to spend time in Smith’s classroom during her planning period.

According to the police report, the girl saw Smith as a loyal and faithful mother figure, and that the teacher told her not to tell anyone about their physical encounters in the classroom closet.

“To put someone in that position is never OK where there is a teacher in an authoritative role” said Bettineschi. “Many times, students look up to the teacher.”

Smith remains at the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach as of late Thursday night, though she has posted bond. Broward County Public Schools said she has been reassigned pending the outcome of this case.

She is expected to leave the detention facility on Friday at 1:15 p.m.

Bastidas is facing two federal charges. A pre-detention hearing was scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m., where a magistrate judge will determine whether or not he should be released on bond ahead of his trial.

Donald Armstrong is now fighting for his life after he was shot by Miami Police on his front steps.

Armstrong’s family spoke to 7News, Thursday morning.

“If he was falling, why you going to shoot the man if you tased him already?” said Diedre Crumity, Armstrong’s aunt. “They shouldn’t have shot him. He was falling. And when he hit the ground, they still shoot him.”

His aunt is still trying to come to terms with what happened.

“He didn’t have a gun! That’s the problem,” she said. “I don’t understand. He didn’t have no gun, he didn’t have no knife. And you gone still shoot him?”

Cellphone video shows Armstrong holding an object in his hand.

After the March 7 shooting, a coalition of community members from across the state and across the country came together Thursday in the Northwest Miami neighborhood where it happened.

Those community members are demanding change.

“It’s really a shame that we see the solution to every problem as a man with a gun, like what does that say about our society?” said a speaker.

Cellphone video from the incident showed Armstrong getting into a verbal altercation with police on the steps of his home. Five police officers were standing near the front of a house and Armstrong was seen standing on the front porch wielding a blade.

Before the situation escalated, he was tased and as he fell to the ground, he was shot over nine times.

“A grave injustice is what they have done to us,” said a speaker. “The people who we thought were suppose to protect and serve us.”

Armstrong’s family told 7News that his condition is improving every day and is in a somewhat stable condition at the hospital but is unable to speak and communicate with his friends and family members.

The City of Miami Police Department has not responded to 7’s request for an interview.

Felicia Sharonda Smith, 39, was charged with molestation of a child between the ages of 12 and 16 and lewd and lascivious conduct.

During her court appearance on Thursday afternoon, a judge set her bond at $150,000.

“I realize the charges are serious,” said the judge.

Smith paid the bond and is expected to be released soon.

If Smith pays her bond, she must be fitted with a GPS ankle monitor. She was also ordered to not have any contact with the victim or any minors and cannot step foot on any school’s campus in the tri-county area.

According to Hollywood Police, officers were made aware of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a student at Driftwood Middle School, located at 2751 N. 70th Terrace.

During their investigation, detectives questioned Smith, and she was arrested. She admitted to police that at the beginning of the year, she and a student developed a maternal relationship. Smith also admitted that she kissed the student on school grounds.

“The teacher did admit to having a maternal relationship with the student since the beginning of the year and then did admit that there was kissing involved after that,” said Hollywood Police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi.

The victim, police said, told officers that she was forced to inappropriately touch Smith.

The victim’s family began asking questions after the young victim came home with marks on their body.

“They realized that something just wasn’t right and continued pushing for answers,” said Bettineschi.

Police said the child claimed the marks on the their body were from injuries with a football at school.

“But through further investigation, they were able to identify that it was from kissing and it did look like a hickey on the student,” said Bettineschi.

The teen later admitted that she had been skipping her sixth period class since February and spent that time in Smith’s classroom and her classroom closet during Smith’s planning period.

Smith was a Language Arts teacher at the school.

According to the arrest report, the teen saw Smith “as someone who was loyal and faithful and thought of her as a mother figure.”

The victim told detectives that Smith told her to “not tell anyone because she could lose her job if people found out.”

On her Facebook page, she posted pictures that were taken inside the school and wrote that some of the pictures were taken by her students.

A parent told 7News many students at the school are upset because they liked Smith and trusted her.

“Seeing my daughter in tears over something that she doesn’t fully understand,” said a concerned parent. “She is emotionally not OK and I’m not OK cause she’s not OK.”

The parent, who chose to remain anonymous, said her daughter is devastated as Smith was one of her favorite teachers.

“I don’t think she’s ever been hurt like this before,” said the concerned parent. “She’s more upset that her teacher is gone. She doesn’t really understand the depth behind it.

The Broward County Schools Board released the following statement:

The safety of our students is always our top priority. Broward County Public Schools is fully cooperating with the Hollywood Police Department in its investigation. The teacher has been reassigned away from the school and students pending the outcome of the case.

BCPS

Hollywood Police are working closely with BCPS as they continue to investigate.

According to the school district, Smith worked as a substitute teacher from mid-2019 to 2022. In July 2022, she became a permanent teacher at Driftwood Middle.

According to police, the teen entered Coral Springs Charter School, located at 205 N. University Drive, during a fire drill and went into a classroom with other students.

The teen was not wearing a uniform and did not have an ID. It’s unclear how he went into the school undetected.

Video recorded by a student in the classroom showed the teen standing at the front of the class and talking with other students. The school’s principal and a school resource officer then entered the classroom where the boy was arrested.

“They discovered the guy within three minutes, that was pretty impressive,” said a parent.

The principal, Gary Springer, was heard scolding the teen in the video.

“You must be crazy right now!” Springer said.

When the student started responding to the principal, Springer screamed, “Enough!”

Moments later, Springer is heard saying, “We ain’t going to see you for a while.”

7News spoke with several students at the school who said the teen was a student at the school before he was expelled, adding they don’t know why he choose to enter the school without permission.

“I don’t know, like, you don’t need to sneak in to come in the school? You can, like, go in and you can get, like, a pass, and you can talk to everybody,” said a student. “If you, like, graduated, most people that graduated, they come back with a pass, and you just talk to everyone, but he just snuck in.”

At one point, the teen was seen in the video writing on a board in the classroom. In another video clip, he is seen sitting in the front row as a teacher walked past him.

Police said he was not armed and did not make any threats while he was at the school.

“Sometimes things happen. I’m sure whatever happened, they will review what caused it and try to fix that so that kind of thing doesn’t happen again,” said a parent.

Springer credited the students for alerting adults about the incident. He released the following statement:

“We are very proud of the quick action our safety team took to remove him within minutes of us being alerted to his presence. We have already taken important measures to address this and all procedures and protocols with our staff and will continue to implement ways to ensure our campus remains safe.”

The teen was charged with one count of misdemeanor trespassing. As of Wednesday night, his identity has not been disclosed.

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue arrived at the home in the area of Northeast 33rd Street, Tuesday afternoon.

According to BSO, they received a call, just before 12:30 p.m., of someone who set a cat on fire while it was inside a raccoon trap that was in the home’s backyard.

Once at the scene, deputies located the cat and fire crews extinguished the fire.

BSO arrested 79-year-old Elgathe Celestin. She is charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal.

A neighbor, speaking to 7News, said he saw and smelled smoke so he looked over the fence and saw the black cat that was being burned alive and moving around in a cage.

He said he was unsure of what he was seeing. At first, he thought it was a raccoon but then he noticed it was a cat.

“Smoke coming from my next door neighbors, so I kind of peeked over the hedges and I noticed smoke. I really didn’t see a flame but I saw smoke and I noticed a cage on top and a black cat kind of jumping around so I was in shock, called 911, and police and fireman showed up and handcuffed her,” said the man.

According to the neighbor, this is a neighborhood cat that he’s seen before and the whole ordeal was traumatizing to him.

The cat was then transported to the Hollywood Animal Hospital for treatment, which was unsuccessful, and it was euthanized.

7News tried to speak to the people inside the home but they did not want to comment.

The bad bite sent Rodrigo Constain, a husband, father and grandfather, to the hospital where he is recovering at Jackson South Medical Center.

“Right now I feel good because I’m alive,” said Constain.

The incident happened on Sunday at the Flamingo Marina in Everglades National Park.

According to the National Park Service, Constain reportedly capsized his boat while he was in the marina basin after being out in the water for a few minutes. After his boat went down, he attempted to swim to shore with his boat when he was seen going under water.

While he tried to take care of his boat problem, the crocodile swam up to Constain and bit his leg. He said his naval and sailing experience kicked in when the bite occurred.

“My leg that was in the water, I knew my leg was stuck,” said Constain.

Soon, he saw himself fighting to free himself from the jaws of a crocodile. He took matters and the crocodile’s snout into his own hands.

“I tried to reach the boat again, to climb it, and I told myself ‘No, I cannot do that because if I try to climb it, he will grab me again,'” said Constain. “So, I put the boat in my back and pulled it with a rope and went underneath the boat and pulled it to the deck again and go swimming there so I can be rescued.”

Park rangers and first responders located him and treated a laceration on his leg. He was then airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson South Medical Center in Southwest Miami-Dade.

Constain’s wound has to stay open to prevent infection. He said he is in pain but is assured that there is only one reason why he survived.

“There’s only explanation of this, is God. He saved my life. He was with me in that moment,” said Constain.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the chances of getting bitten by an alligator in Florida is about 1 in 3.1 million. Experts say the bites are rare because crocodiles are shy animals.

Constrain said that if he didn’t get out of the water, this would have had a very different ending.

“The crocodile was still swimming. I have pain but nothing matters. I feel good that I’m here, alive,” said Constain.

Constain’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses. They say he works as a air conditioning technician and he can’t do his job as he recovers.

Michael Luprecio was charged with attempted kidnapping of a child under the age of 13 and aggravated battery.

The victim, 13-year-old Candace Ramirez, spoke with 7News.

“I don’t know to be honest,” she said. “A bit sick right now.”

After her ordeal, Ramirez was left shocked and distraught.

“I was just crying, you know, ’cause like, it’s never really happened to me and like, I was just thinking about it and how and why did this happen to me? Why did this happen to me?” she said.

According to the arrest report, on Friday, Homestead Police responded to the scene where the alleged kidnapping happened. Once at the scene, an officer met with Ramirez and her mother.

Ramirez, the report stated, told the officer that she was walking her dog in front of her home along SW Fourth Street when she saw a dark Chevrolet turn directly into her driveway. She then saw Luprecio getting out of the car, opened the hood and started looking underneath the bay of the hood as if he was trying to fix his car.

The 13-year-old then said she started walking towards her yard and passed Luprecio. When she walked towards her door, Luprecio, she said, suddenly lunged towards her and grabbed her right wrist and lower buttocks, which caught her by surprise.

“I just ignored it ’cause I didn’t know him and all of a sudden he tried to grab me and then I pushed him away, I screamed at him, and then he grabbed my lower bottom and I was shocked, I couldn’t do anything,” she said.

According to police, Luprecio tried to put the teen into his car.

During a struggle with Luprecio, she said she screamed for help and was able to break free from his grip, ran inside her home and called the police.

“I just ran into my house,” she said. “He [her dog] started barking but he couldn’t do anything, you know, because of his size.”

CCTV video from a nearby business captured Luprecio entering his vehicle and fleeing the scene east on SW Fourth Street.

As detectives continued to investigate the case, they were able to locate Luprecio’s vehicle, which was parked at 1221 NW 9th St. Through video surveillance, detectives saw Luprecio entering his vehicle and drove away.

Officers then made contact with Luprecio during a traffic stop at the 900 block of Northwest Eighth Street in reference to an obscured tag. Luprecio told officers that he had a suspended license.

Luprecio was then read his Miranda rights and agreed to speak to police without an attorney present.

He was arrested and was transported to the Homestead Police Department for booking and was later transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center

Luprecio appeared in court Monday afternoon, where a judge denied him bond.

“I’m gonna hold him no bond,” said the judge. “Sign the order granting a pre-trial detention hearing.”

Luprecio’s attorney asked the judge to release the suspect so he can attend a cancer treatment on Tuesday but the judge said the judge hearing his case will have to decide that.

Police said Luprecio has a criminal history.

“This person does have a criminal history. It is not his first run in with the law,” said Homestead Police Department Captain Fernando Morales.

When told that police captured Luprecio, Ramirez was relieved.

“You know they caught the guy?” said the reporter.

“They did?” she said.

“Yeah. Does that bring you any type of closure?” the reporter said.

“Yeah,” she said.

Now, Ramirez is trying to crack a smile and for the first time in several days, she can smile knowing that Luprecio is now behind bars.

“I just want to say to the girls, all of them out there, to always bring something to defend yourself if a man comes up to you,” said Ramirez.

Ramirez’s mother said she will stay home from school for a few days to catch up on some rest, ease on some of the stress, and spend some time with her chihuahua, Milo.

Homestead Police believe this may have happened to someone else. If something similar happened to you or someone you know, regarding the suspect, contact Homestead Police.

7News cameras on Friday captured a calm scene on Ocean Drive, near the 10th Street beach entrance, where “goodwill ambassadors” and Miami Beach Police officers were in full force.

Officers surveyed the area for any prohibited items that visitors cannot bring to the beach.

For those visiting Miami Beach, there has been some confusion with the increased police presence.

“Dang, I knew we shouldn’t came on spring break,” said Tashelia Davis.

Tashelia and her husband, Jerry Davis, came down to South Beach for their anniversary.

“We’ve been together for 18 years, we’ve been married two,” Jerry said.

The two were looking for a romantic getaway.

“Yes, spring break is going to be messed up,” he said.

“We know it’s going to be wild,” Tashelia said.

Changes around the town have already affected their plans.

“Well, today, right now, we’re looking for breakfast,” she said.

Later in the day, with the sun shining bright above beachgoers, the loudest sounds heard were the crash of the waves and the chatter among friends and family.

“Have fun, enjoy the beach, enjoy the nightlife, and just here to have fun with the girls,” said spring breaker Claudia Duverglas.

The calmer-than-expected day on the beach provided an extra layer of comfort for many visitors, knowing the safety precautions and police are all around them.

“I’m happy for the precautions to make sure that people are enjoying Miami safely,” said spring breaker Liza Itkin.

That’s exactly the response police were hoping for, and as of Friday afternoon, they said things are going smoothly.

“There has not been a noteworthy event related to spring break, and we are actually seeing a decline in arrest data, which allows us to believe that our plan is working,” said Miami Beach Police Officer Christopher Bess.

This doesn’t mean police will stop working. Extra law enforcement members will be out and about, keeping people safe and making sure they follow the rules.

As part of the new security measures, sidewalk seating will remain closed at restaurants for the weekend and next weekend, but “goodwill ambassadors” will be in the area providing helpful information.

At restaurants along the beach, seats were stacked and tables were tucked. It was a different sight than what people are used to on a sunny Friday morning.

“I was afraid it was going to be overrun, but it’s been fine. We’ve had a great time,” said a man.

But not everyone is happy with some of the new measures. Visitor Aaron McKinley said he drove up from Miami Beach to Fort Lauderdale when he heard parking $100 in some spots.

“They’re definitely doing the right thing — they pushed everybody out — but at the same time, it’s kind of a bummer because we drove 18 hours all the way here, just to find out that we’re not welcome in Miami.”

The hefty price tag is hardly the only parking restriction for visitors coming to South Beach. From Friday at 6 a.m until Monday at 6 a.m., over the next two weeks, the city’s garages and surface lots will only be open to residents and city employees.

In addition, the towing rate is doubling for non-residents to $516. Barricades will also block off the streets, and police will set up DUI checkpoints and bag checks to get on the beach.

“They’re doing an amazing job, there’s security everywhere, so I’m very happy with that,” said Angela, who is visiting South Beach.

Last year, large crowds, shootings and stampedes left two people dead. During that time, over 600 people were arrested.

The safety precautions are part of the city’s “Spring Break Breakup” measures. The city posted a video online about the steps they’re taking to keep the peace this year.

Officials are hoping that the calm continues throughout the weekend.

The Davises are also looking forward to enjoying their time together.

But the girl’s attorneys are claiming that that the officer slammed their client and then arrested and charged the teen to cover up what the officer did.

Anez Donaldson’s attorney’s held a conference at The Handfield Firm, located at 4770 Biscayne Blvd., Tuesday afternoon.

The arrest stems from an incident after dismissal at Myrtle Grove K-8 Center in Miami Gardens in February where Donaldson said a parent was threatening and harassing students.

Then she felt someone grab her from the rear.

“It really hurts my feelings and seeing my mom cry and look at me,” said Donaldson. “When I landed on my back, he physically had forced me on my stomach.”

Donaldson said that the officer picked her up and body slammed her to the ground. She said her thumb is broken, her shoulder is dislocated, and her back is still sore as a result of the incident.

“He broke my thumb while he was trying to force me in handcuffs,” said Donaldson.

But the arrest report describes a different story. According to the arresting officer, police tried to escort an aggressive student away from an argument when she “intentionally struck Officer A. Green against his will by physically pushing the officer away while stating ‘Don’t (expletive) touch me'”

The arrest record goes on to say that the “defendant kicked and pulled away from officers.”

Donaldson was charged with battery on a police officer, resisting officer with violence and interference with educational institution.

In a statement, Miami-Dade County Public School said “we are aware of an isolated incident regarding an altercation that occurred during Wednesday’s dismissal at Myrtle Grove K-8 Center. The incident is being reviewed by administration.”

While the district reviews the incident, the attorney for the teen said they will be taking legal action.

“And hopefully when the investigation is completed, Miami-Dade Public Schools will take the necessary action to make sure that no other child have to endure what this child has had to endure,” said attorney Larry R. Handfield.

Miami-Dade Schools Police is investigating the incident.

Miami Police arrived at one of the scenes, located at Northwest 55th Street and 10th Avenue, Tuesday afternoon.

7News cameras captured a silver sedan at the scene that was damaged. A tarp covered the driver’s side window and the left rear passenger window and door was riddled with bullets.

The second scene was just blocks away, at the Miami Police North Station at Northwest 62nd Street and 11th Avenue.

“Tell us about the fact that one of these scenes was literally at the doorstep of the Miami Police substation,” the reporter said.

“Correct. It’s very disturbing, I mean this scene, one of them right outside our North Station,” said Miami Police Capt. Freddie Cruz.

According to police, one of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene and the other victim died at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The third victim is listed in stable condition.

“This happened in broad daylight in the middle of the afternoon,” said Cruz. “This is a moment where we’re asking the community, please, if you saw something, you know something, come forward, help us put the person or persons responsible for this vicious, violent crime behind bars.”

Neighbors were shocked to hear the gunshots in what they say is a quiet neighborhood.

“It’s a quiet neighborhood. Quiet everyday,” said Altenese Mckay, a 15-year resident of the area.

She said that at first, she thought the gunfire were sounds of fireworks.

“When I came out, all I see is a car stopped and the man was slumped over,” said Mckay.

Another resident, Goddess Kimbrough, has also lived in the area for 15 years and said she heard the gunfire while she was on a call.

“I knew the difference between the rapid gunfire and firecracker,” said Kimbrough.

Police have not given a description of any suspect or suspects.

An investigation is underway.

Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

During a press conference on Tuesday, DeSantis announced that 140 state troopers will be on patrol throughout Florida to help maintain and ensure a safe and peaceful environment.

The Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will deploy their manpower and tactical assets to several spring break destinations like Daytona Beach and Panama City Beach.

“We have been given the tools from are governor to make sure that we can enforce these rules and laws throughout our state,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass.

“We’re going to get the job done, not for you, but with you,” said Dave Kerner,  executive director of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

“Florida is a very welcoming state, we welcome people to come and have a good time,” DeSantis said. “What we don’t welcome is criminal activity. What we don’t welcome is mayhem, people that want to reek havoc on our communities. Make no mistake about it, if you’re coming here in order to enjoy Florida, enjoy to have a good time, fine. If you’re coming for these other reasons, if you’re committing crimes, causing havoc, you are going to pay the price and we will hold you accountable. We stand by ready to support even more.”

Sixty troopers will be around Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale Beach, with the majority going to Miami Beach.

“And they came through, they came through,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steve Meiner. “They gave us even more than we asked. We’re going to see if about 45 Florida troopers out on our streets in the next couple of weeks.”

To deter violence in Miami Beach, officials passed several measures that took effect on Friday. They are also making it clear they’ve had enough of the shootings, stampedes and overall recklessness seen in previous years.

People on Miami Beach welcomed the governor’s announcement.

“Safety’s first. That’s all I care about,” said one person on the street.

Spring breakers are being urged to be on their best behavior as they now have to deal with these measures and an increased police presence.

Some of the measures include:

• $30 flat rate at South Beach garages/surface lots Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. (Residents excluded)
• Thursday 6 a.m. through Monday 6 a.m. : Garages/surface lots closed.
• $100 flat rate for 42nd Street surface lot (residents excluded)
• Non-resident tow rate south of 23rd Street

Beach access along Ocean Drive will also be limited to the entrances of Fifth, 10th, and 12th Streets, with all access closing at 6 p.m.

“We’re a law and order state and we’re going to ensure law and order in this state,” said Desantis.

Some people said the plans by the city are not good.

“It’s trash because you gonna sit here and tell me how to have a good time? It’s trash,” said one person.

“I don’t know anything about spring break or the rules because I’m unruly,” said another person.

Miami Beach officials said they could impose a curfew as soon as this weekend, but no announcement has been made yet.

Hollywood Fire Rescue arrived at the home in the area of Raleigh Street, Tuesday morning.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene, where smoke billowed from the home.

Crews made entry into the home as they searched for any people inside.

Neighbors said two people were inside the home when it caught fire. Both of them were able to safely get out.

Officials confirmed that there were no injuries as a result of the fire.

A water source was established and the fire was knocked down.

7News cameras captured several firefighters as they assesses they situation.

Right next door to the home that went up in flames, 13-year-old Joshua De-Jesus is confined to his bed.

“He’s quadriplegic. He has cerebral palsy and he has seizures,” said Lissette Reeve, Joshua’s mother.

Reeve said her son requires 24-hour care so moving him from the home would’ve been tricky.

“That’s the first thing I thought about was my son and how to get him out of here,” said Reeve.

Reeve said firefighters quickly evaluated the situation and determined it was safe for him to stay.

“They wanted to make sure that he was going to be OK and that we didn’t have to move him,” said Reeves. “The smoke was high and I was afraid that perhaps it was going to go it might go to this house because we are very close..

She is thankful that the firefighters extinguished the fire before it spread to her home.

“The firefighters were excellent, really grateful to the City of Hollywood,” said Reeves.

The home is expected to be to a total loss

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Disaster Action Team from the local American Red Cross responded to the home fire on Tuesday afternoon. They said they helped coordinate emergency aid to an adult that was affected by the fire.

For now, the two residents of the burned home will have to find a new place to live.

“She’s cute. She’s a small white Maltipoo dog,” said 5-year-old Aaliyah Francis, who had her dog stolen.

The incident happened on Saturday near their home along the 1200 block of Northwest 56th Avenue.

According to Francis, she was holding their Maltipoo when an unknown woman came up to her daughter and asked to pet the dog. That’s when the woman grabbed the dog went to a nearby car and drove off.

“A lady came, I picked up the dog, and a lady came and said she wanted to pet the dog and when she pet the dog, she took it out of my hand and went to the car and drove away,” said Aaliyah.

The girl said the woman, who was driving a black Sedan, pulled up to the side of the girl’s home. She said the blonde-haired, short woman asked the pet the dog, named Crystal, and took her from her hands.

I said ‘Where are you going?’ and she didn’t say nothing,” said Aaliyah.

Aaliyah’s mother, Afia, said she is shocked the dog theft occurred outside her home.

“I am so uneasy that this happened right in front of my house to my daughter. They cried and cried. She cried herself to sleep that day,” said Afia Francis.

The family described their relationship with the pet.

“Every day I take her outside and we run together,” said Alique Francis.

“Me and Alique were crying and we were upset,” said Aaliyah.

Aaliyah said the theft happened so fast.

“I was looking and said ‘Where’s the dog?’, ‘The lady took her’ and I said ‘What?'” said Afia.

The family said they jumped in the car to look for the missing dog but didn’t find her.

“That was my emotional support pet because I work from home, I get lonely, I was getting depressed, so the kids and my husband bought it for me last year for Mother’s Day,” said Afia.

The family hopes the woman who grabbed the dog returns her or that someone recognizes the pet and calls Lauderhill Police.

“You need to go to jail,” said Alique.

“That is so bad. That is rude,” said Aaliyah. “You’re not supposed to be doing that, that’s our dog,” said Aaliyah.

The family said they are heartbroken as they don’t know where the dog is nor what will happen to it.

Following the alleged theft, Lauderhill Police confirmed that they took a report and will assign a detective to investigate the incident.

If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Margate Police arrived at the school, located at 500 NW 65th Ave., Monday afternoon.

Police confirmed that there was no threat and cleared the scene.

Students are set to be dismissed at 3:45 p.m.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and fire rescue crews on Monday morning arrived at a home in the 5900 block of Southwest 27th Street after receiving a medical call involving the infant.

Once at the scene, emergency crews found the unresponsive infant and it was transported to an area hospital, where it was pronounced dead.

It is unknown if there was foul play involved in the baby’s death or if it died due to a medical condition.

The Broward Medical Examiner’s Officer will determine the infant’s cause of death.