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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FORT PIERCE — A trauma surgeon and nurse on their way to work at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute on Saturday became first responders at an accident scene.

Dr. Alex Funicello, who was returning from a Hutchinson Island condo to finish rounds at Lawnwood, found the base of South Bridge blocked with police cars and accident tape.

Raymond Chew, 47, lay in the intersection of Seaway and Indian River drives, his motorcycle nearby and his helmet loose but still on. No emergency medical crews had arrived when Funicello arrived.

So, the trauma surgeon went to work, assessing the patient.
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A six-member jury took only two hours to find Indian River County Administrator Joe Baird not guilty of DUI late Wednesday afternoon.

Baird, noticeably jubilant, sat with his attorney Bobby Guttridge as the court clerk read the verdict at 3:57 p.m. Baird then hugged his girlfriend and deferred comments to his attorney, before leaving the courthouse. (more…)

STUART — Three people were attacked by a swarm of bees on Monday that came from a hive about the size of a car engine.

“I have never experienced anything like this before in my life,” said Kendall Todd, owner of Affordable Pressure Cleaning in Palm City.

Todd and his brother were pressure cleaning Becky Engebretsen’s driveway in the 1800 block of Northwest River Point Drive, when they first started noticing some bees. After spraying the bees with water, more continued to show up until finally they were forced to take off on foot.
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STUART — An alleged crack dealer’s plan to allow a client to buy him shoes in exchange for drugs was stopped short by Stuart police Friday, according to an affidavit released Monday.

Michael Deshawn Harris, 30, of the 7900 block of Southeast Kingsway Street in Hobe Sound, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and resisting arrest without violence.

Police had been watching a foreclosed home in the 800 block of Southeast Nassau Street after a suspicious vehicle was reported parked in the driveway several times that day.
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FORT PIERCE — A man authorities said “built out” marijuana grow house interiors was convicted Wednesday afternoon of conspiracy, trafficking in marijuana and racketeering.

Dennis Enrique Rondon, 32, of Port St. Lucie, is the first of about a dozen defendants connected to Global Home Builders Inc., a construction company authorities allege was a cover for a marijuana growing operation, to be tried and convicted.

On Nov. 27, 2007, the father-and-son Global Home owners, Roberto Alberto Cepero, 46, of Port St. Lucie, and Roberto Patricio Cepero, 24, of Miami, as well as Rondon and 18 other people, were arrested in raids yielding 10 marijuana grow houses and more than 400 pounds of marijuana.

Rondon was charged with conspiracy to traffic in marijuana and trafficking in more than 25 pounds of marijuana. On Dec. 12, 2007, a racketeering charge was added.

He equipped houses for growing marijuana; and during the trial that started April 1, jurors were shown light fixtures, wiring and electrical panels taken from seven of the grow houses, as well as numerous marijuana plants ranging in size from about a foot to about 6 feet tall.

“In all, there were more than 100 pieces of evidence,” said Assistant State Attorney Daryl Isenhower, “including over 100 pounds of marijuana, some of it still growing and some of it hung up and drying.”

Jurors deliberated about four hours before reaching the guilty verdict.

Rondon faces at least three years in prison, the mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking, and up to 90 years — 30 for each of the three first-degree felonies. Circuit Judge Larry Schack has scheduled a May 1 status hearing on the case.

By Tyler Treadway, TCPalm.com

FORT PIERCE — Two men are suspected of trying to break in to a Fort Pierce Dunkin’ Donuts, according to arrest affidavit released Sunday by the Fort Pierce Police Department.

The report does not say whether the men were attempting to steal cash or doughnuts from the store at 920 U.S. 1.

Eric Demond Donley, 35, of the 1100 block of 32nd Avenue in Vero Beach, and Rony Harold Jeudy, 19, of the 1100 block of South U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce, were arrested on charges of burglary, property damage and criminal mischief and resisting arrest without violence on Friday. (more…)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — After making changes, Dr. Abdul Raoof Shadani received county permission to build a 14,400 square foot mosque on Bell Avenue.

“This project meets or exceeds all of the land development code provisions,” said Johnathan Ferguson, the attorney representing Dr. Shadani.

Neighboring residents were upset but prepared for the county commissioners’ 5-0 vote at 1 a.m. Wednesday. Those in favor of the building cheered after the passage. (more…)

FORT PIERCE— A former St. Lucie County firefighter was arrested today on theft charges in connection with a severed foot she took from an accident site in September.

Cindy Economou, 38, of Port St. Lucie, was arrested on one misdemeanor charge of petit theft and booked into the St. Lucie County Jail, then released on her own recognizance, according to an arrest report.

Economou admitted to taking Karl Lambert’s foot from the scene of the crash on Interstate 95 in St. Lucie County on Sept. 19.

Lambert had crashed into a tree, severing his foot, and was later flown to St. Mary’s Medical Center. Lambert, 46, survived and Economou told St. Lucie County Fire District investigators that she took the foot because it was too damaged to reattach and she intended to use it for training cadaver dogs. (more…)