News Update for 6/23/25
A tragic crash in Lake Placid early Saturday morning claimed the life of a 19-year-old ATV driver and critically injured his two passengers. Florida Highway Patrol says the Kabota Gator ATV collided with a pickup truck at the intersection of Washington Boulevard Northeast and Placid View Drive around 12:45 a.m. The ATV turned into the truck’s path, causing a deadly impact. Neither the ATV driver nor his passengers were wearing helmets or seatbelts. The truck driver, who suffered minor injuries, was buckled up. FHP’s Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating.
Highlands County deputies arrested 25-year-old Justin Daniel Calderon of Lake Placid on June 19, accusing him of defrauding Suncoast Credit Union out of more than $6,300. Investigators say Calderon deposited fake checks via ATMs and his phone between mid-October and early November 2024, then withdrew cash before the checks bounced. Video evidence and bank records allegedly tie him to nearly $24,000 in fraudulent deposits. Calderon faces charges including grand theft, bank fraud, and forgery.
An ambulance company serving AdventHealth hospitals in Highlands County accidentally let its county certification expire in March but continued operations to ensure emergency care. County commissioners stepped in this May, granting a provisional 60-day extension while the company re-applied. Assistant Fire Chief Dustin Fitch confirmed on June 17th that the license renewal is now complete and officially approved. Fitch noted that such lapses aren’t uncommon but stressed it’s the company’s duty to report them. The service provides both basic and advanced life support, helping save lives across Sebring and Lake Placid.
A Texas woman is still recovering after being attacked by an alligator while kayaking in Central Florida back in March. According to a new Florida Fish and Wildlife report, the 64-year-old was pulled into the water by an eight-foot gator that bit her arm and caused serious injuries. Her husband was able to get her out of the water, while a good Samaritan paddled over to help. As the man was flipping the women’s kayak back over, the gator bit into his life jacket and he fought it off by jabbing its eyes and escaping from the jacket. FWC says the unprovoked attack likely stemmed from territorial behavior during mating season, and the alligator was later captured and killed.
Highlands County is moving forward with a new ban on sleeping outdoors in public places, following a state law passed in 2024. County Attorney Sherry Sutphen modeled the ordinance after Polk County’s version and added restrictions on panhandling. However, Sheriff Paul Blackman warned commissioners that the panhandling language is too vague and could expose the county to lawsuits if misapplied. The commission agreed to delay a vote on the solicitation ban until clearer rules are written but will vote on the outdoor sleeping ban July 1st and revisit the panhandling portion July 15th.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office arrested 22-year-old Anthony Walker Jr. on June 16th, charging him with lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor. Deputies say the investigation began in April of 2024, after the Department of Children and Families reported sexual allegations. Detectives say the victim provided messages where Walker allegedly asked for nude photos and sexual favors through Snapchat and Instagram, and described him touching her inappropriately despite repeated pleas to stop. Walker denies the accusations. He faces multiple charges, including molestation and obscene communication.
July 4th travel is shaping up to be a record-breaker. Triple-A is predicting over 72 million-people will venture at least 50 miles from home over the Independence Day holiday period from Saturday, June 28th to Sunday, July 6th. That’s an additional one-point-three-million road travelers compared to 2024. It also says five-point-84-million will be flying to their destination, also a new record. With the holiday falling on a Friday, Triple-A says travelers have the option of making it a long weekend or taking the entire week off.
Officials have issued a warning over a rise in phone scams involving individuals posing as law enforcement officers or government investigators. Scammers are contacting victims by phone claiming the victim’s bank accounts have been compromised, their identity is tied to criminal activity or they are under investigation and must cooperate to avoid arrest. Victims are told to stay on the call under the false claim that tracking software or GPS has been activated on their phone. They may be told to withdraw large amounts of cash from their bank and lie to bankers about what the cash is needed for. The scammers then tell victims to mail the cash to a “secure location,” buy prepaid cards or deposit cash into unfamiliar ATMs.