Two firefighters arrested Tuesday on charges of growing marijuana for sale are no longer employed by the St. Lucie County Fire District.

One resigned and one was fired, according to Catherine Chaney, district spokeswoman.

Firefighter and emergency medical technician Herman Michael Gonzalez, 36, of Palm City had posted a $105,000 bond after his arrest for operating the third largest grow house to be raided in Martin County in the past 10 years. It was in a rental warehouse in the Tropical Farms area of unincorporated Martin County.

To see video inside the grow house, click here

Edward J. Nobles II, 37, of Fort Pierce, a firefighter-engineer, was arrested based on information obtained after Gonzalez’s arrest. He was found to being growing marijuana at his home. He posted $10,000 bond and was released by the St. Lucie County Jail. Investigators did not say how or if the two men are connected.

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SEBASTIAN — Police found female skeletal remains just off Main Street Saturday, but can’t say if they are a 50-year-old Sebastian woman who was last seen Sept. 7, Sebastian Police Department spokesman Officer Steve Marcinik said.

“We’re optimistic,” he said. “But there has to be forensic identification to say who the person is.”

Police and volunteers were searching the area for signs of Marcia Hulihan, who has been missing for five months. Hulihan, who lived in the Pelican Isles apartment complex, was last seen Sept. 7. She had called off from work and had her car towed to a mechanic’s shop that day, police said.

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SEBASTIAN — A former Sebastian River High School teacher won’t face molestation charges after a Circuit Court judge accepted a settlement deal late Wednesday.

The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office in May charged Aaron Scott Fusselman, 26, of the 7900 block of 100th Avenue, Vero Lake Estates, with a lewd and lascivious act on a person between 12 and 16 years old. The charge followed the accusations of a 15-year-old female student, authorities said. (more…)

It’s more than playing dress up.

Using a law enforcement badge or flashing blue lights for personal gain is a felony and dangerous to the public because the imposter is abusing the trust reserved for law enforcement officers, St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said.

“The citizens hold in high regard people in law enforcement,” Mascara said. “More than 90 percent of the public when they receive a command from a law enforcement officer will abide by the commands and wishes. That’s a tremendous amount of trust.”

A review of records from Treasure Coast law enforcement agencies shows each year agencies get a handful of cases involving impersonating law enforcement officers. But local law enforcement officials said they are concerned with recent cases, where a person not in uniform claimed to be a federal agent, because they could cause the public to question the commands given by legitimate officers. (more…)