News Update for 2/17/25
Highlands County came together in a powerful show of support for two grieving families at Thursday night’s Jr. Livestock Show & Sale. Emily Tharp, who lost her cousin Kaedince Ruelas and friend Bo Ward in a tragic car accident this month, auctioned off her 278-pound swine to raise money for their families. The community responded in a big way, rallying together to push the bids to an astonishing $60,000. With a standing ovation and a moment of silence, the event honored the young lives lost while providing support for funeral expenses and scholarships in their memory.
A routine lost-and-found case at the Highlands County Courthouse led to fraud and stolen credit card charges for a 35-year-old woman. Lapetra Shonic Evans was arrested Wednesday after courthouse bailiffs found her unattended purse containing multiple IDs and credit cards belonging to others. Inside, deputies discovered six different identification cards, including two Florida driver’s licenses, a Social Security card, and several debit and credit cards. Evans claimed the owners had given her permission to use them, but authorities confirmed otherwise. She now faces multiple felony charges, including illegal possession of stolen credit and debit cards.
A woman with a long criminal history is in trouble again in Polk County. Melanie Davis was arrested last week for allegedly punching a man and hitting him with a garden hoe in Frostproof. The sheriff’s office says she was upset that her plans to “hang out” with the man fell through. He was taken to the hospital and treated for what deputies call a serious arm laceration. Davis was arrested on charges that include aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. She has been arrested 28 times in the last 28 years.
Sebring voters will head to the polls on March 11th, not for City Council seats, but to decide on a key referendum regarding the city clerk position. The proposed amendment to the City Charter would change the clerk role from an elected position to an appointed one, making it a City Council employee with revised duties. If approved, the change will take effect when current City Clerk Kathy Haley retires in 2026. Meanwhile, with only two candidates qualifying for two open City Council seats, Roland Bishop will serve a second term, and Rebekah Kogelschatz will join as a new council member. Both will be sworn in on April 1.
Highlands County’s Jr. Livestock Show & Auction brought in an impressive $1.1 million Thursday night as bidders purchased steers, heifers, goats, swine, and citrus trees. Steers alone accounted for $306,500 in sales, with the top bid reaching $10,300. In the heifer category, the highest bid came in at $8,100, contributing to a total of $109,400. Market goats saw top bids of $5,100, while two swine tied as top-sellers at $6,000 each. The event also featured the Highlands Youth Citrus Project, with the grand champion tree selling to High Grove. The auction, running past midnight, set one of the highest sales records in event history.
A pilot of a small plane is dead after crashing in Central Florida. NTSB investigators said the accident happened Friday . near the Flagler/Volusia county line and that they’re still trying to identify the pilot. The plane was going to be used for the skydiving event Saturday but was rescheduled instead. Officials said the plane hit the ground quite hard and no black box was found. Officials are still investigating the cause.
A Miami man is behind bars in Polk County for stealing a $16,000 dump trailer. Deputies arrested 47-year-old Ileak Gomez-Martinez on February 13th, charging him with grand theft and driving on a suspended license. Investigators say he was spotted towing the stolen trailer in Wahneta on February 11th. When he learned deputies were after him, he tried to ditch it in Gordonville, but authorities intercepted him. He initially denied the theft but later admitted to removing the GPS tracker. Gomez-Martinez is now in the Polk County Jail.
More than two dozen people are facing charges in connection to a Central Florida human trafficking case. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office talked about the arrests of nearly 30 suspects while highlighting “Operation Forced Labor.” Undercover detectives went onto websites tied to alleged sex work as part of the three-day sting that took place last week. The group of suspects were charged with prostitution and drug offenses after traveling to meet with undercover police. Four victims of human trafficking were rescued during the investigation thanks to the help of six law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security.