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Florida Tattler, Palm Bay, FL (2026)

05/29/2026

Orlando man gets life sentence for coercing over 50 children into s*xtortion

ORLANDO — A 20-year-old Orlando man was sentenced Thursday to life in federal prison for running an extensive online s*xtortion scheme that targeted more than 50 children, federal prosecutors said.

Montrey Roseberry was convicted in February of three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in s*xual activity, three counts of production of child s*xual abuse material and one count of possession of child s*xual abuse material, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza handed down the life sentence during a hearing in Orlando.

Prosecutors said Roseberry posed as a woman on social media to befriend underage victims, then coerced them into producing s*xually explicit images and videos. He threatened to distribute the material unless they complied with further demands, including performing s*x acts with other children or animals in some cases.

The scheme spanned multiple victims across the country and involved the production and possession of child s*xual abuse material, officials said.

A federal jury found Roseberry guilty following a trial. He had faced a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The FBI investigated the case, and assistant U.S. attorneys prosecuted it.

Authorities are urging parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s online activity and immediately report any suspected exploitation to law enforcement.

Roseberry’s life sentence comes as federal officials ramp up their efforts against a surge in online s*xtortion schemes targeting minors. Such cases have exploded across popular social media platforms in recent years.

*xtortion *xualabuse

05/22/2026

Indialantic Teen Indicted in Palm Bay Killing of Registered S*x Offender

PALM BAY — A 19-year-old man from Indialantic faces a first-degree murder charge after authorities say he lured a registered s*x offender to his home, killed him and dismembered the body before dumping the remains in suitcases in a remote area, according to court records.

A Brevard County grand jury indicted Lucas Sander Jones on May 19 in the death of 28-year-old Colie Lee Daniel. Jones is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, abuse of a dead human body, tampering with evidence in a capital felony and improper disposal of a human body.

Daniel was reported missing March 21 by his parents. Investigators determined he was last seen March 20 when he arrived at a residence on Watson Drive in Indialantic.

Daniel's parents later visited the home to check on him, but Jones refused them entry and claimed Daniel was not there, according to an arrest affidavit.

The case escalated on March 28 when Palm Bay police responded to an area near 1574 Bombardier Boulevard — known locally as "The Compound" — after residents discovered abandoned suitcases in tall grass. Human remains were found inside.

An Amazon package addressed to Jones at his Indialantic home was discovered in one of the suitcases, providing a key investigative link.

A subsequent search of Jones' residence revealed extensive evidence of bloodshed. Investigators documented red droplets and spatter consistent with human blood throughout the hallway, living room, garage and kitchen. Signs of an attempted cleanup were also present.

Jones' girlfriend told detectives that he admitted to killing a man and dismembering the body. She said Jones claimed he struck Daniel with a baseball bat and used a cleaver, saw and knife to cut up the remains. He then placed the body parts in suitcases and storage totes, she told authorities.

Investigators also recovered a drill bit in a bag with some remains. The medical examiner noted an injury consistent with a drill hole matching the bit's size.

Jones had researched Daniel on a registered s*x offender database prior to the killing and later informed his girlfriend that Daniel appeared on the list, according to the affidavit. Jones' mother reportedly found and discarded a printed list of nearby s*x offenders before the initial search warrant ex*****on.

The medical examiner determined that the remains belonged to Daniel and ruled his death a homicide. He sustained multiple blunt-force injuries to his head and extremities before death, though the precise cause remained unspecified in initial reports.

The indictment alleges Jones killed Daniel on or between March 20 and March 21 by inflicting blunt-force trauma or other unspecified means.

Jones remains in custody in Brevard County following the May 19 indictment.

05/08/2026

A Tampa woman faces six felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty after sheriff's deputies say real-time crime cameras captured her throwing, kicking, and slapping a small dog outside her apartment.

Imania Davis, 33, was arrested after the April 30 incident in the 1100 block of East 127th Avenue, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said the video showed Davis carrying a 22-pound dog and throwing it onto the asphalt.

The dog returned to her with its tail tucked, officials said. Davis then kicked the animal, slapped its head twice, grabbed it by the scruff of the neck, swung it, and threw it about 10 feet into the air, according to a probable cause affidavit. The dog was shaking in fear when she approached again.

A veterinarian later found the dog had a broken front leg and was bleeding from the nose with a suspected head wound. Sadly, the puppy died during amputation surgery.

“I hate that he wasn't strong enough to be able to survive the surgery," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Wednesday during a visit to the Pet Resource Center.

Davis was booked into jail on the felony charges. She remained held on Thursday on a $75,000 bond.

Sheriff's officials described the video as disturbing. Investigators are working with the state attorney’s office to determine whether more charges will be filed against Davis following the dog’s death.

04/28/2026

A local fire crew turned a routine tool into the “Paws of Life” last week when they rescued a small Pomeranian named Odin from a baby gate.

Odin, a fluffy but feisty Pomeranian, became wedged in the gate at a home in Merritt Island last week and Brevard County Fire Rescue Station 42’s C-shift responded quickly.

Lt. McGrew, Fire Medic Frelich and Firefighter Vega used the jaws of life to carefully spread the metal gate apart. The tool allowed them to release Odin fast while keeping all four paws on the ground and helping the dog stay calm, officials said.

Thankfully, Odin was not injured, and the grateful pup stopped by the fire station over the weekend to thank the crew who helped him.

Fire officials said the lighthearted rescue showed how everyday tools can solve unexpected problems. No further details about Odin’s owner or the exact location of the incident were released.

Photos taken by the dog's mother.

04/26/2026

Authorities have identified human remains found on the Tampa Bay bridge as those of a missing University of South Florida doctoral student, while his roommate faces murder charges and a second student remains missing.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Friday that the remains recovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge were positively identified as Zamil Limon, 27, a doctoral candidate from Bangladesh. Limon and Nahida S. Bristy, 27, another USF doctoral student from Bangladesh, were reported missing on April 16.

Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, Limon’s roommate, was arrested at their home following a domestic violence incident and charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of Limon and Bristy, authorities said.

An autopsy was pending to determine Limon’s cause of death.

Bristy, described as Limon’s girlfriend, has not been found. The search for her continues, and the investigation remains active, officials said.

Both students were international doctoral candidates at the University of South Florida. Limon studied environmental science and geography, while Bristy was in a Ph.D. program in chemical engineering.

Their disappearance has shaken the USF campus in Tampa.

Sheriff’s officials described the case as “deeply disturbing.” Anyone with information about Bristy’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.

The developments come as law enforcement continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the students’ disappearance earlier this month.

04/23/2026

Florida wildlife officials discovered 31 dead sloths at a warehouse tied to a planned exotic animal attraction, prompting questions about conditions at the facility before its delayed opening.

Sloth World Orlando had intended to create what it described as a first-of-its-kind home for the slow-moving mammals, featuring a 7,500-square-foot cage-free rainforest exhibit on International Drive.

But many of the animals died shortly after arriving from overseas, well before the attraction could open to the public.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated after finding the dead sloths during a surprise inspection in August 2025.

Twenty-one sloths from Guyana died soon after arriving in December 2024. Another 10 from Peru perished following a February 2025 shipment.

Investigators determined that many in the first group likely succumbed to the cold. The warehouse lacked heat for at least one night, with temperatures dropping to 46 degrees on Dec. 22, and experienced intermittent outages of running water and electricity.

Workers relied on space heaters plugged into an extension cord, according to state findings.

The second group arrived in poor condition, with two already dead and the rest appearing thin and ill, officials said.

A former co-owner told investigators the building was not ready when the animals arrived, but it was too late to halt the shipment. The current owner disputed claims of inadequate preparation, attributing problems to a virus at the site. He said his team worked with veterinarians and state experts to address it, and noted that a recent inspection found no wrongdoing.

The state renewed the business license.

Florida regulations did not require the company to report the deaths, and officials only learned of them during the unannounced check.

State investigators found no evidence of intentional harm. They issued a verbal warning about cage sizes and attributed the deaths to a combination of cold exposure, stress from travel and the animals’ pre-existing health issues upon arrival.

The company maintained that it cares deeply about the sloths and has invested millions in their care. The planned attraction’s opening, originally set for March, has been pushed back and could occur later in 2026.

Photo: Sloth World Orlando

04/21/2026

Florida wildlife officials are searching for two teenagers accused of spraying expanding foam insulation into the mouth of a protected gopher tortoise in the DeLand area.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the case as possible animal cruelty. Witnesses told authorities they saw the juveniles deliberately spray the substance on the tortoise’s head, neck and into its throat near Glenwood Hammock Road, officials said.

The animal was found in distress and rushed to the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet. Staff there spent several days carefully removing the expanding foam and monitoring the tortoise before releasing it back into the wild, the center reported.

Officials called the tortoise’s full recovery fortunate. In similar cases, the material can block an animal’s ability to eat or cause lasting internal damage that proves fatal, they said.

Gopher tortoises are listed as a protected species in Florida. The burrows they dig provide shelter for hundreds of other animals, making them an important part of the state’s ecosystem.

The FWC did not release the exact date of the incident or any descriptions of the teenagers beyond saying they are juveniles. The agency is asking anyone with information to come forward.

The case comes as wildlife officials continue to stress the importance of protecting the state’s native species from intentional harm.

04/16/2026

Palm Bay man arrested in stabbing of woman at apartment complex 🚔

PALM BAY — A Palm Bay man was arrested after police said he attacked a woman inside an apartment, stabbing her and striking her in the head with what he later described as a trophy.

James Walker, of Palm Bay, was taken into custody Monday evening following a disturbance call at Woodlake Village Apartments on Palm Bay Road, according to Palm Bay Police.

Officers arrived and found Walker with blood on his clothing and minor scratches. They then located a woman inside the apartment who had suffered significant injuries, including blunt-force trauma to her head, a facial laceration and blood covering much of her body, police said.

The woman, identified by Walker as Ivonne Caraballo, told officers that Walker had attacked and stabbed her, according to the police report.

She was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Her condition was not immediately available Thursday.

Walker was detained at the scene and later arrested. He was transported to Palm Bay police headquarters, where he agreed to a video- and audio-recorded interview after being read his Miranda rights.

In the interview, Walker told police that Caraballo had hit him first but acknowledged that his response went far beyond self-defense.

“He advised that he attacked Ivonne possibly with a trophy from his case,” the report states. Walker declined to discuss the incident further.

He was placed in a holding cell at the police department and later transferred to the Brevard County Jail where he is being held on a $50,000 bond.

An investigation remains ongoing.

04/12/2026

A math teacher at Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High school was arrested Saturday on charges she had s*x with a male student, the Brevard County Sheriff's office said. 📚

Kirsten Rose, 37, faces one count of lewd and indecent exposure offenses against a student by an authority figure and five counts of unlawful s*xual activity with a minor, authorities said.

Agents with the sheriff’s Special Victims Unit took Rose into custody Saturday afternoon on an arrest warrant. She was booked into the Brevard County Jail without bond.

The investigation began in March after the parents of the student grew concerned when he arrived home late one evening from what they believed was work. When they checked his location, they found he was at an unfamiliar residence.

The student initially told them he was at his girlfriend’s house but later admitted he was involved in a relationship with his teacher, officials said.

Investigators determined the student and Rose began communicating outside of school through Instagram in November 2025. The relationship became s*xual on multiple occasions in February and March, according to the sheriff’s office.

ℹ️ The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Agent Kimone Edwards with the Special Victims Unit at (321) 633-8419.

04/09/2026

A man drove a car into a Brevard County canal in Merritt Island with his ex-girlfriend inside after he allegedly strangled her when she refused to get back together, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, (BCSO).

John Lucas faces eight charges, including attempted second-degree murder. Deputies say he forced his way into her car in a parking lot off North Courtney Boulevard on Monday, choked her, and then fled with her still inside.

“When deputies arrived and approached the vehicle, Lucas put the car in reverse and pushed a patrol car out of the way, hitting its front right side, and then sped off,” Brevard County Sheriff's Office spokesman Tod Goodyear stated.

The woman could not get out of the submerged car on her own. Rescuers pulled her to safety within minutes. She went to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Goodyear said deputies believe Lucas intentionally drove into the water.

"He decided to drive off the bridge, we are guessing in an attempt to end both of their lives," Goodyear said.

Lucas escaped from the car and ran into the woods. Deputies searched and found him the next day.

Judge Jonathan Skinner set Lucas' bond at $157,500 during a hearing where he appeared upset. Lucas asked to lower the amount and suggested an ankle monitor. The judge said no.

"Sir, you fled from law enforcement, crashed into a law enforcement vehicle, and then ended up in the Barge Canal with your victim in the canal," said Judge Jonathan Skinner. "I'm not going to be reducing your bond at this time."

No deputies were hurt, though one patrol car was damaged. Lucas is due back in court on April 30.

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