VERO BEACH — A high-level financial struggle over the troubled Vero Fashion Outlets now may reach into an owner’s family trust, court records show.

In early October the outdoor mall filed for bankruptcy in federal court, a move that halted a foreclosure lawsuit filed by the mall’s creditor, LNV Corp. of Nevada, in Indian River Circuit Court. LNV Corp.’s attorney Kenneth Curtin contends the mall defaulted on a $32 million loan for purchase of the 329,000-square-foot mall in 2007. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — A 42-year-old man was arrested after allegedly leaving his baby daughter alone in a vehicle at a business on South U.S. 1, according to an affidavit released Wednesday.

Tyrone R. Anderson, of the 1900 block of Southeast Hillmoor Drive in Port St. Lucie, faces a felony child neglect charge following the Tuesday afternoon incidents in the 10700 block of South U.S. 1.

A witness reported seeing the vehicle about 4:30 p.m. with the baby inside. The vehicle was running and no adult was present. The witness said another person indicated the vehicle was parked in the same spot about 3:45 p.m.
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FORT PIERCE — A Port St. Lucie man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for collecting and trading more than half a million images of child pornography over the Internet, some involving children as young as infants.

Jason David Bingham, 23, was detected in February after German authorities traced sexually explicit photos of children to his computer in Port St. Lucie.

Federal officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated and seized Bingham’s computer, which was found to contain 577,943 images of child pornography plus several explicit videos.

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PORT ST. LUCIE — Police arrested a man after they say he pointed a gun at another man and punched him “a few times” in the head, according to an affidavit released Monday.
battery
The victim went to drop off his two children Sunday at his ex-wife’s home in the 400 block of Southwest Paar Drive, authorities said.

The affidavit gave this account:
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VERO BEACH — A 25-year-old New York woman faces seven driving-related charges, including child endangerment, after eluding law enforcement at high speeds for 10 miles on Interstate 95 early Tuesday afternoon, reports show.

Maria “Zion Christ” Roberts drove her white van in excess of 110 mph from northern St. Lucie County to Indian River County while going in and out of traffic and attempting U-turns.

Four miles south of Sebastian she crossed the median and sped north in the southbound lanes for several miles before sheriff’s deputies finally were able to puncture one of her tires and the car slammed into a guardrail.
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By Jim Turner
TCPalm.com

PALM BEACH GARDENS — One-time U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney and his wife of 24 years have agreed to a 50-50 split of their assets, keeping the contentious separation from going to trial, the attorney for the former congressman said Wednesday.

Joel Feldman, the attorney for the Palm Beach Gardens Democrat, said Mahoney will get to keep the Cayman Place home in the PGA National Resort and Spa that was used as his District 16 residence. However, Feldman declined to discuss other details of the settlement.

“They each have what they agreed to get,” Feldman said.
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FORT PIERCE — Land along Ten Mile Creek, west of Florida’s Turnpike, owned by former Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins quarterback Bernie Kosar, may be auctioned as part of a bankruptcy settlement.

To satisfy creditors of his companies and investments, Bloomberg.com is reporting that Kosar filed a plan last week that would include auctioning 140 acres of the proposed development called Creekside.

The undeveloped land is owned by Kosar’s company BJK.
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PORT ST. LUCIE — A 28-year-old man accused of driving over his ex-girlfriend’s foot during a weekend child exchange faces a felony aggravated battery charge, according to recently released records.

The victim told police on Saturday she met her ex-boyfriend, Brian Jarrette Haddon, in the parking lot of police headquarters for a child exchange. She has a 19-month-old girl and 5-week-old twin boys with Haddon.

Police records gave this account:
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A minor league pitcher in the Baltimore Orioles farm system was charged with driving while under the influence Sunday night, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
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FORT PIERCE — On a morning just over seven years ago, Joan Loughman was on the phone with her twin sister when she ended their call abruptly.

“She said, ‘I have to go, someone’s at the door,’” Assistant State Attorney Lynne Park told a group of jurors today.

Park said it was the last time anyone heard from Loughman before she was found bludgeoned to death and stripped of her jewelry inside her father’s house on Hutchinson Island south of Fort Pierce.

A jury in 2005 determined that Loughman’s death came at the hands of Michael Andrew Gosciminski, who wound up on Death Row for the crime. But a state court’s ruling last year overturning his conviction has led to a second trial, which began Friday, two days after the seventh anniversary of Loughman’s murder.

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