News Update for 12/18/24
A convicted sex offender that absconded was located and arrested yesterday after he was found hiding in a closet of a home in Tampa. George Brown Jr., was convicted of a lewd and lascivious act in the presence of a child under the age of 16 in Alachua County back in 2003. Since that conviction he has had multiple convictions for failure to register and other crimes. Brown was taken into custody on three warrants that amounted to 16 counts of failing to properly register and one count of failure to appear. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Highlands County to face those charges.
A Polk County woman is facing charges for what the sheriff calls infuriating and reprehensible actions. The sheriff’s office announced yesterday, Lakeland’s Tiffany Shanta Simmons was arrested Monday on charges that include negligent child abuse. The 36-year-old was allegedly drinking in a Winter Haven lounge while her four kids were in a car in the parking lot. Deputies say staff at the Apple Lounge and Grill on Recker Highway called them after an employee found the kids alone in the car. The kids range in age from ten-months to eight-years-old. Deputies say when they arrived, Simmons was drunk, belligerent, uncooperative and kicked a deputy while she was taken into custody. DCF was notified, and the children were handed over to a relative. Simmons’ criminal history includes prostitution and drug possession. Sheriff Grady Judd says she has a history of bad decisions, and this one is the latest.
A Central Florida student is accused of bringing a gun to school. A Poinciana High School student was arrested yesterday. The sheriff’s office says the dean was searching 18-year-old Kori McBride’s backpack when they felt what seemed like a gun. That’s when McBride grabbed his backpack and fled the school. He was later found off campus, and deputies say they found a gun in the bushes nearby. The school went on lockdown as a precaution during the search for McBride. No one was hurt. McBride is facing charges that include possession of a weapon on school property.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its own. Police say Deputy Gregory Maynard died by suicide at his Davenport home on Sunday night. A woman and a child were inside the residence at the time of the incident, but neither witnessed it. The 32-year-old was hired as a detention deputy in 2015 before becoming a deputy two years later. Sheriff Grady Judd has called Maynard’s death a tragedy, saying the agency will make sure his coworkers have access to proper counseling during this time. Anyone who is in need of extra support can reach out to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 9-8-8.
A memorial service is planned for the Charlotte County deputy who was killed in the line of duty this past weekend. The public event honoring Corporal Elio Diaz is scheduled to take place at the Babcock Ranch Field House in Punta Gorda on Friday morning. Diaz died after he was shot during a traffic stop on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte Harbor. Deputies later shot and killed the suspect after he allegedly reached for a rifle. After Friday’s service, a procession will take Diaz to his final resting place at Charlotte Memorial Gardens.
Several plans are officially in place to protect tens of thousands of acres of land in rural communities throughout the Sunshine State. Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approved land deals worth nearly 320-million dollars yesterday. The agreements are designed to limit development on nearly 87-thousand acres of property in 15 counties from the Panhandle down to the Treasure Coast. The group of officials also approved more than 200-million dollars for conservation efforts through Florida’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The money will help protect greenspace, food security and wildlife corridors.
NASA’s Artemis moon mission is facing another setback. Crew members were at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center Tuesday to give an update on the ten-day trip around the moon. The launch is experiencing an additional delay with liftoff now planned no earlier than April of 2026. NASA officials are planning to use the extra time to ensure the four astronauts with the Artemis II crew have a safe journey. They will continue to check on the spacecraft’s heat shields and make sure contingency plans are in place.
Some Buccaneers players are doing their part to make sure kids in need have a merry Christmas. A handful of current and former players went shopping yesterday with 25 kids from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. Each kid got 200 dollars to shop at Target on Dale Mabry Highway. Running back Rachaad White was one of the players who joined the kids on their shopping spree. The gesture was appreciated. A sixth grader tells ABC Action News he was honored that White would spend time with him, and it was a great, fun experience.