Marion County
Hopefully, at some point you have heard someone discuss or read about “The CEP.” While we sometimes assume everyone knows who we are and what we do, we are reminded that is not always the case. The CEP is an acronym for the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (now you know why we use CEP!). We are the community’s chamber of commerce as well as its official economic development organization. The CEP was formed just over five years ago with the merger of the former Chamber and Economic Development Council. While this version is only five years old, our roots go back 130 years to the founding of the Ocala Board of Trade in 1887. Continue reading
MARION COUNTY, Florida (December 24, 2017)- Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Major Crimes detectives are currently investigating an early morning shooting in Ocala that left one man dead. At approximately 12:00 a.m., on Sunday, December 24, 2017, MCSO deputies were dispatched to the Queens Garden Resort located at 3330 South Pine Avenue in Ocala in reference to a shooting. When deputies arrived on scene, they found a black male victim lying on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds. Deputies began performing life-saving measures on the victim until paramedics arrived. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Continue reading
MARION COUNTY, Florida (November 6, 2017)- At approximately 8:30 a.m., on Monday, November 6, 2017, Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies responded to assist with a vehicle accident at SE 92nd Place Road and Baseline Road in Ocala. Responding deputies observed a male subject exit one of the vehicles with a firearm. The subject fled from deputies, and multiple K9 Units, Patrol Units and MCSO’s Air One responded to search the area for him.
After several hours of searching, MCSO SWAT Team members located the subject hiding in the exterior bushes of a home in Golf Park Estates, and he was armed and refusing to cooperate with SWAT team members. During this encounter, the subject was injured by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and was immediately transported to a local hospital. He is currently receiving medical care and is listed in critical condition. This subject matches the description of Belleview Police Department’s person of interest for the homicide that occurred in their jurisdiction early this morning. Deputies are still working to positively identify the subject. Continue reading
In an effort to comfort victims of violent or sensitive crimes, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has obtained a therapy dog to assist deputies and detectives during criminal investigations. Lily, a five year old female Beagle/Corgi mix, was rescued from a euthanasia shelter and enrolled in the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office’s “Paws & Stripes College.” During this 8-week course, the dogs learn basic obedience skills, and selected graduates move into the advanced training program to serve as PTSD dogs, therapy dogs and child victim advocate dogs. Lily graduated from the program’s Law Enforcement Investigative Therapy Dog Course and she was given to the MCSO at no cost. Since she came to the MCSO in May 2017, Lily has received full certification as a therapy dog and is out working in our community.
Lily’s handler is MCSO’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) Investigative Liaison, Detective Janeen Henley-Freeman. Detective Henley-Freeman and Lily will focus on adult and children DCF investigations, missing persons, sex crimes, child abductions and child exploitation internet crimes assisting the victims of these crimes. Our goal is for Lily to help victims feel more at ease while speaking about their situation(s).
The Lady Lake Police Department cannot function effectively without the assistance of concerned, responsible residents. We are depending on YOU to call and tell us whenever you see suspicious persons or activity.
Some residents fail to call the police simply because they are not aware of what seemingly innocent activities should be considered suspicious. Others may recognize suspicious activity and be hesitant to call for fear of being thought of as the neighborhood “busy-body.” Yet others simply assume that someone else has already called the police. Continue reading
SOUTH CAROLINA MAN ARRESTED FOR CREATING PORNOGRAPHY WITH MARION COUNTY TEENAGER
MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 31, 2017)- Detectives with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office
(MCSO) Major Crimes Unit arrested South Carolina resident John David Madura (DOB: 06/28/1979) after he had sexual intercourse on multiple occasions with a 15-year old female Marion County teenager. Madura was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Possession of Child Pornography and during that investigation, Minneapolis detectives discovered videos on Madura’s phone of him having sex with the teenager and of her posed in lewd positions. An analysis of the videos revealed that they were taken at a residence in Marion County, initiating MCSO’s investigation. Continue reading
MARION COUNTY, FL (October 16, 2017)
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) will be participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative on Saturday, October 28, 2017, from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative is a safe, convenient and anonymous way of disposing of prescription drugs and preventing them from falling into the hands of those who might abuse them. This is a one-day event where Marion County citizens can bring in their unused or unwanted prescription medications to three MCSO locations. Continue reading
MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 11, 2017) – Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Major Crimes detectives received information from the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, positively identifying human skeletal remains that were discovered in the Florida Highlands in August 2016. The remains belong to Nicholas Shawn Tillis (DOB: 03/27/1985), who was reported missing to the MCSO by his family in October 2016. Tillis was known to check in with his family monthly, and they had not heard from him in three months. However, deputies could not find anything suspicious regarding his disappearance. Detectives notified his family of this new information Tuesday afternoon.
MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 11, 2017)- Marion County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes detectives have arrested Gabriel Bowen (DOB: 03/20/1999) for an Armed Home Invasion Robbery he committed in July 2017. In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 22, 2017, Bowen entered the victims’ home, battered and restrained them, and stole miscellaneous belongings along with their vehicle. Bowen was located several hours later driving the victims’ vehicle by the Holly Hill Police Department, where he was arrested for Auto Theft and Resisting Arrest charges. Furthermore, MCSO detectives discovered the victims’ stolen belongings in the back seat of the car Bowen was driving. Bowen was sentenced on the Holly Hill Police Department charges and was extradited back to Marion County to face our charges Monday evening.
The two 72-year old female victims told MCSO Major Crimes detectives that an unknown assailant, later identified as Bowen, unlawfully entered their home located on SE 3rd Court in Ocala while they were sleeping. One of the victims said she awoke to something being placed over her head and being physically dragged to the bathroom by her shirt. Continue reading
MAN ROBS DRUGSTORE, CAUGHT QUICKLY AFTER
MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 11, 2017) – On Tuesday, October 10, 2017, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Timothy Aaron Hughes (DOB: 08/10/1984) for committing a robbery at the Sunshine Drugs store located at 3450 NE Jacksonville Road in Ocala. Hughes implied to the employee that he was carrying a weapon and demanded pills during the robbery.
At approximately 11:30 a.m., Tuesday morning, MCSO deputies responded to the incident location in reference to a robbery that had just occurred. An employee of the store told deputies that the robber, later identified as Hughes, approached him and said, “I don’t want any trouble. I just need opioids.” The victim stated that the suspect had his right hand in his pocket and looked down at his hand and then looked back at him, making the victim believe that Hughes was armed. The victim complied with the demands and gave Hughes a bottle of hydrocodone pills. Hughes then fled the scene. Continue reading
