STUART — Authorities are looking for a man who stole more than $6,000 in cash and checks from a convenience store Friday.

Employees at the Stuckey Shell station in the 8000 block of Southwest Jack James Drive, Stuart, called deputies about 11 a.m. Friday after the theft. An employee said she had been counting cash and preparing to load an ATM machine when she left a rear office at the store for a few minutes. When she returned, a plastic bag with the cash was missing, according to the incident report.
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VERO BEACH — Caitlin Henderson’s poodle, French bulldog and border collie were playing in her back yard as usual when she came home from work Wednesday.

But their shelled, spiky-legged, wanna-be-pooch pal Reily was nowhere in sight.

Reily, a 30-pound, foot-and-a-half long rare African tortoise who’s been in the Henderson family for six years, was missing.

And since Reily’s not the most deft-of-foot creature — though not nearly as slow as the stereotype indicates — Henderson, 25, fears someone stole her prized pet.

“Reily steals the dogs’ food and hangs out with them like any other dog would,” Henderson said. “He means a lot to us. He’s one of our dogs, basically.”

Henderson last saw her 15-year-old African spur thigh tortoise during a 2 p.m. lunch break from work at a local animal hospital. When she got back from work at 6 p.m., the tortoise was gone, even though everything else about the yard appeared normal and untouched. (more…)

VERO BEACH — Absenteeism has doubled at Vero Beach High School in the last week with bomb threats starting off four school days.

And for many students who did show up for school this week, the decision came after a serious conversation at home.

“My daughter tried not to go Monday because of the Columbine anniversary,” parent Darby Dickerson said. “But I told her you can’t let two dead folks from 10 years ago stop you.”
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A former Walgreens pharmacy technician has been arrested after police say she befriended an elderly woman and then stole credit cards and prescription drugs from her.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s officials have charged Melissa Dewey of Bella Vista Way in Port St. Lucie with multiple crimes including grand theft from the elderly, trafficking in oxycondone and fraudulent use of ID and credit card.
They say Dewey first ingratiated herself to Dianne Birnbaum about six months ago when Birnbaum called her Walgreens pharmacy requesting if the drug store made home deliveries.

Birnbaum told investigators Dewey, a pharmacy technician, answered the phone, told Birnbaum that Walgrees does not make deliveries, but offered to drop off Birnbaum’s Xanax prescription on her way home. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — A confessed marijuana grower turned himself in Tuesday, a week after robbers bound him naked and stole dozens of pot plants from his Port St. Lucie home, according to police.

Jose Matilde Gomez, 60, of Miami was charged with trafficking and cultivating marijuana and possession of marijuana. He was being held Wednesday in lieu of $170,000 bail.

At least one of the men who robbed Gomez was taken into custody Thursday in Broward County on an unrelated matter, according to Gomez’s arrest affidavit. When detectives searched the suspect’s vehicle, they found 37 marijuana plants, the report said. (more…)

STUART — A woman has been accused of robbing a man after inviting him into her home last month, according to an affidavit released Tuesday by the Martin County Sheriff.

Dorthea Wayman, 53, has been charged with robbery and grand theft. (more…)