Florida
Florida housekeeper assaults, robs 83-year-old employer who couldn’t afford her Christmas bonus: sheriff
No, Scrooge you!
A 29-year-old Florida housekeeper robbed and assaulted her 83-year-old employer on Christmas Eve when the elderly woman said she couldn’t afford to pay her once-trusted worker a holiday bonus, authorities said this week.
Heather Nelson, 29, became irate when her request for a $500 bonus was rejected by her octogenarian boss — and decided to take what she wanted anyway, according to a press release from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
“Nelson responded by physically wrenching the victim’s checkbook from her hand, stealing a check from the checkbook, and then, I guess in an effort to ruin other people’s Christmas as well, stole Christmas cards that were set to be mailed out also containing checks,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in the statement.
The housekeeper, whom Ivey repeatedly called a “Grinch,” allegedly grabbed the checkbook with such force that she nearly broke the woman’s wrist.
Nelson then allegedly wrote a check for $1,400 — and used the victim’s credit card to pay her rent and make other purchases, BCSO said.
“What’s next … kick her dog, too?” Ivey asked in the release.
Nelson was nabbed on Jan. 7 after the check cleared and credit card transactions were posted, Law and Crime reported.
“Since you were so worried about getting your bonus, we had some extra gifts for you, like a keepsake booking photo, a slightly used pair of shower slides and unlimited access to our world-famous one-star dining facility where you can enjoy absolutely nothing you eat,” Ivey snarked in the BCSO statement.
She faces a laundry list of charges, including aggravated battery, robbery, forgery, fraud, passing a counterfeit instrument and grand theft, according to court filings reviewed by the outlet.
She was held on a $30,000 bond and released on Jan 9, the outlet reported.
Florida
Man killed in Florida train crash railroad crossing in Indian River
The train hit a pedestrian about 7:20 a.m. March 29 at the 77th Street railroad crossing, just west of Old Dixie Highway.
A man died in a freight train crash on the morning of March 29 in Indian River County, according to sheriff’s officials.
The Florida East Coast Railway train hit the man, identified as a pedestrian, about 7:20 a.m. at the 77th Street railroad crossing, just west of Old Dixie Highway, according to officials.
The man was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to officials. His name was withheld pending notification of his next of kin.
Because of the length of the train, several crossings in the area remain closed until the train can be moved. Drive alternate routes if traveling in the area.
County Road 510 at the crossing and 77th Street at 58th Avenue are currently closed.
A Brightline train was seen stopped just south of 69th Street unable to travel north.
Sheriff’s deputies and railroad officials remain at the scene investigating the cause of the crash.
No further information was immediately available.
Laurie K. Blandford is a breaking news reporter with TCPalm. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.
Florida
Commandment wins the Florida Derby, now eyes Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown trail
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Commandment broke his maiden last fall at Churchill Downs. He’ll soon be headed back there, looking for a much bigger victory.
By the slimmest of margins — a photo finish — Commandment won the Florida Derby on Saturday, completing a worst-to-first rally in the six-horse field and overtaking The Puma with the final bob of his head.
It was the fourth consecutive win for Commandment, who had jockey Flavien Prat aboard on Saturday. Next up: the Kentucky Derby, the start of the Triple Crown series on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
“He’s a racehorse, bottom line,” said trainer Brad Cox, who saddled the Florida Derby winner for the second consecutive year. “He always shows up. … He’s a Grade 1 winner. Florida Derby’s a big race. Proud of the horse. Very proud of the horse.”
The Puma took the lead at the top of the stretch and was maybe an inch or two shy of keeping it the rest of the way. Bettors roared when the official order of finish was announced, and Cox could finally exhale.
“Little too close for comfort,” Cox said.
Commandment returned $5.80 for the win. Chief Wallabee was third, favorite Nearly — the 7-5 top choice — was fourth and Wayne’s Law was fifth.
Commandment got 100 points toward the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. The Puma got 50 for finishing second, Chief Wallabee got 25 for third, Nearly got 15 for placing fourth and the fifth-place showing by Wayne’s Law earned him 10 points.
The Puma and Commandment went into Saturday’s race with spots for the Kentucky Derby basically secured, based on their point totals coming in — The Puma had 56, Commandment 50, and those likely would be enough to make the field.
Now, assuming both emerge from Saturday healthy and stay that way, they’re locks for the Run for the Roses.
“He’s got a great mind,” said Cox, just the fourth trainer to win the Florida Derby in back-to-back years, joining Todd Pletcher (who did it three times), Nick Zito and Horace Jones. “That’s going to take him a long way, the first Saturday in May.”
History has shown there’s a clear path from the winner’s circle at Gulfstream Park to the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs. The Florida Derby has been run by 26 eventual Kentucky Derby winners, more than any other prep race — most recently Sovereignty last year. Sovereignty was second in last year’s Florida Derby.
And Florida Derby winners have gone on to win 31 Triple Crown series races, including the Kentucky Derby on 15 occasions — the last of which was when Always Dreaming pulled it off in 2017. Those 31 victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont have come from 21 different Florida Derby winners.
UAE Derby
On Dubai World Cup day at Meydan, Wonder Dean won the UAE Derby for trainer Daisuke Takayanagi.
Wonder Dean is the fifth consecutive Japanese-trained winner of the UAE Derby. All four of the others went to the Kentucky Derby and Takayanagi — who guided T O Password to a fifth-place finish at the Run for the Roses in 2024 — said Wonder Dean is on his way as well.
Florida
Man shot to death in Wabasso, Indian River sheriff seeks help
A man is dead, found by Indian River County sheriff’s deputies with multiple gunshot wounds early March 28, Sheriff Eric Flowers said in a social media post by the agency.
The victim was not publicly identified.
Authorities believe the shooting happened about 5:30 a.m. near the 8500 block of 64th Avenue in the unincorporated area of Wabasso, Flowers said in the video, where he stood at the scene of the shooting.
The victim, Flowers said, was “transported to the emergency room, where he succumbed to his injuries.”
Flowers also asked for assistance from the public in piecing together what happened.
“Anybody who knows anything about this, anybody who lives in the Wabasso area who may have seen something or heard something, any delivery drivers, we’re looking for information from you,” Flowers said.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers, 800-273-8477.
This story will be updated.
Wicker Perlis is TCPalm’s Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at Wicker.Perlis@TCPalm.com.
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