VERO BEACH — A woman who flashed an Orange County Sheriff’s Office badge and threatened to take a Goodwill shopper to jail Monday was not a law enforcement officer, according to a police report.

Jennifer Cuccia

Jennifer Leigh Cuccia, 36, of the 2400 block of 17th Avenue Southwest, Vero Beach, was charged with falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer and unlawful use of a police badge. She was being held in lieu of $3,500 bail at the Indian River County Jail.
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FORT PIERCE — A 43-year-old man was arrested Monday after St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigators found about an ounce of cocaine in a leaf blower in his shed, according to an affidavit released Tuesday.

Gerald Rodney Scott, of the 2500 block of Avenue N, was arrested on felony charges of trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent and possession of cocaine after investigators executed a search warrant at his home.
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STUART — A Stuart man stabbed a neighbor in the leg during a dispute Sunday, police said.

Enoch Massey Jr., 50, of the 200 block of Southwest Albany St., Stuart was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He was being held in the Martin County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.
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PORT ST. LUCIE — A 31-year-old man was arrested about 10 a.m. Monday on animal cruelty charges for allegedly dragging a dog nearly 2 miles behind his pickup truck.

According to Port St. Lucie Police Department reports, Napoleon Davis, who told police he was homeless and living with a brother in the 1500 block of Iffla Avenue, said he was taking the dog to the Humane Society of St. Lucie County because his relatives would no longer take care of it.

Tom Nichols, public information officer with the Port St. Lucie Police Department, said the cab of Davis’ truck “was full of stuff, and rather than clean it up and put the dog up there where it belonged, he put it in the back (of the truck),” tying the dog to a post in the truck bed with a 15-foot leash.
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Five Okeechobee County residents are facing a host of drug-related charges after authorities found marijuana and illegal prescription drugs in their possession, according to a news release from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office.

About 9:20 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies and Okeechobee Police officers searched a residence in the 4100 block of Southeast 74th Way and found about 251 grams of marijuana, 59 illegally obtained prescription pills, various drug paraphernalia and $2,000 in cash.
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FORT PIERCE — An intoxicated man who swore at a pastor conducting his service Wednesday evening was taken to jail, according to an arrest affidavit released Thursday.

A deputy was called at 7:48 p.m. to Midway Baptist Church and encountered Dexter James Scott, 44, “who was outside of the church yelling at the pastor calling him a ‘stupid (expletive),’ ” the affidavit states.

The pastor was conducting his service inside the church, situated in the 1100 block of West Midway Road.
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PORT ST. LUCIE — Police on Monday busted a marijuana grow house in St. Lucie West, arresting two people and discovering nearly three dozen pot plants, according to arrest affidavits released Tuesday.

Craig J. Linden, 36, and 30-year-old Claudia Maria Saracino each face charges including cultivation of marijuana, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Special Investigations Unit members executed a search warrant at the $207,500 home in the 600 block of Southwest Indian Key Drive.
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HOBE SOUND — A son of prominent attorney Willie Gary of Stuart and a Hobe Sound man were arrested Tuesday after the Martin County Sheriff’s Office raided a Hobe Sound home used as a marijuana grow house, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Kobie Gary, 30, of Jensen Beach, and Stephen Shepherd, 33, a tenant at the $125,030 home in the 7200 block of Mulberry Drive, were each charged with cultivation of cannabis and possession of marijuana over 20 grams.

Both Gary and Shepherd posted $10,000 bond and were released about 10 p.m. Tuesday, officials said.
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FORT PIERCE — A 39-year-old Vero Beach man was arrested Saturday after being found with a short-barrel assault rifle outside a gun show at the Havert L. Fenn Center in Fort Pierce, according to a recently released arrest affidavit and a sheriff’s official.

James Mathew Kennedy, of the 1000 block of 27th Avenue Southwest, took the AR15-type rifle into the gun show, where he went to buy parts, officials said. They gave this account: The rifle had a barrel length about three inches shorter than is allowed without first going through a lengthy federal approval process.
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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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