FORT PIERCE — A 48-year-old woman accused of stealing an American flag and using it as a blanket after getting “drunk and high” faces desecrating flag and larceny charges, according to an arrest affidavit released Tuesday.

Tammy Miller

An officer was dispatched about 7:20 a.m. to the 2500 block of South 13th Street, and spoke with a man who brought the officer to the spot on his porch “that used to house a 24-hour lighted American flag.” The man said he heard dogs barking around 3 a.m., but thought little of it until he went out to his front porch.

Police checked a neighboring home. At the top of the driveway, the officer noticed an American flag wrapped around a sleeping woman identified as Miller.

Asked if the flag was hers, Miller said, “No, I took it off of the porch across the street.”

Miller said she’d gotten “drunk and high” the night before and didn’t know where she was. She didn’t know how to get home, so she took the flag and used it as a blanket.

Miller left footprints on the flag and also caused fraying on an edge.

PALM BEACH GARDENS — A 75-year-old man living in a West Palm Beach assisted living facility was arrested Feb. 13 by Palm Beach Gardens Police and charged with six counts of possessing photographs of sexual performance by a child.

Beginning in August, Jupiter Police detectives began investigating a complaint concerning a subject who might be in possession of child pornography, according to a police report. The suspect, Bruce Garwood, had several pornographic photographs involving children on his personal laptop computer, police said.

Following an examination of Garwood’s personal computer confirming the allegation, Jupiter Police issued an arrest warrant.

Garwood was arrested and booked into Palm Beach County Jail by police from Palm Beach Gardens who executed the warrant.

VERO BEACH — A woman killed Monday as part of a murder-suicide at a nursing home had been staying there for about two months, police said.

Mary P. Lett, 84, and her husband, Frederick R. Lett, 91, of the 4700 block of Bethel Creek Drive, Vero Beach, were found dead in the courtyard of the Royal Palm Convalescent Center about 8:50 a.m., Vero Beach police said. The center is in the 2100 block of 10th Avenue.

Police believe Frederick Lett shot his wife during a visit and then turned the gun on himself.
(more…)

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Deputies charged a woman with beating a boy with an extension cord Wednesday.

Lehoter Pleshett St. Aime, 35, of the 4700 block of 40th Avenue, Vero Beach, was charged with child abuse and aggravated assault. She posted $5,000 bail Thursday at the Indian River County Jail. (more…)

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Authorities Tuesday filed charges against a man who allegedly punched and killed a 6-pound dog earlier this month.

Justin Dabelow, 23, of the 1300 block of 16th Court Southwest, Vero Beach, posted $7,000 bail Wednesday at the Indian River County Jail. He was charged with cruelty to animals, disposal of bodies of dead animals and abandonment of an animal.

Dabelow told the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 7 he was at his home and removing his girlfriend’s Yorkshire terrier from its crate when it bit him on his hand. He punched the dog and it went unconscious.

Later, he and his girlfriend checked on the dog and found it was dead, according to an incident report. Dabelow took the dog’s body and tossed it into the woods behind his home, the report states.

By Lamaur Stancil, TCPalm.com

FORT PIERCE — A man stabbed several times was taken to a local provisional trauma center early Tuesday, though his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening, a St. Lucie County Fire District spokeswoman said. (more…)

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:
(more…)

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.
(more…)

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:
(more…)

SEBASTIAN — An elderly Sebastian couple remain hospitalized with serious burns following a mid-day fire Monday in their duplex unit in the 1000 block of Louisiana Avenue.

Karen Baker, 68, and her husband, Jimmy Yates, 75, were taken to a burn treatment facility in Orlando after initially being treated at Health First in Melbourne, officials said.

Barker, who is an invalid on oxygen, had burns on about 45 percent of her body, said her daughter, Debora Wagner.
(more…)