FORT PIERCE — Police arrested a 47-year-old man after he allegedly snatched an 11-year-old boy’s basketball and football and chased the boy and his sister with a shovel, according to recently released records.

Roger H. Willis reportedly has been dating the grandmother of the 11-year-old boy and his 21-year-old sister, the sister told police Wednesday.

The siblings were visiting the grandmother’s house and the 11-year-old boy played outside with the football and basketball, the sister said. (more…)

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Two of the youngest people to dial 911 this month were given a citizens award by Sheriff Deryl Loar for composure under pressure.

Amanda Reynolds, 8, and her brother Zachary, 7, of Indialantic were visiting their grandmother, Beverly Ferguson, of Vero Beach on July 1 when the 71-year-old was struck by a dizzy spell, she said. (more…)

John Christopher Woods is hoping his photos and additional information about his birth parents he has been able to extract from the Florida Department of Children and Families will trigger memories in someone on the Treasure Coast, maybe even his mother or siblings.

Woods, born Jan. 16, 1961, at Martin Memorial Hospital, said he feels he is creeping closer to identifying and perhaps meeting his birth mother, but her name and location are still elusive. His mother was 24 when she gave birth to him and then gave him up for adoption. (more…)

Samuel Jenkins

On Friday night police received an anonymous call that a man was swinging a bat at a woman on Lennard Road. When officers arrived, they couldn’t find either person.

The next day, police were called to St. Lucie Medical Center, where a 22-year-old woman told investigators her younger brother, Samuel Jenkins, had hit her with a bat the night before.

The woman reported she and her brother were at a home in the 1600 block of Lennard when she blamed Jenkins, 19, for breaking her cell phone. Jenkins became upset, she said, retrieved the bat and struck her several times. He later left with other relatives, she said.

According to doctors, the woman suffered no broken bones and was discharged from the hospital the same day she came in.

Jenkins was arrested Saturday and on Monday afternoon was being held in the St. Lucie County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.