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<p> Two suspects in the burning of a 15-year-old boy in 2009 learned their sentences Wednesday.</p><p> Jesus Mendez pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree attempted murder in the October 2009 attack on Michael Brewer.</p><p> VIDEO: Brewer family reacts</p><p> Mendez, then 16 years old, Denver Jarvis and Matthew Bent, both of whom were 15, were arrested and charged as adults with second-degree attempted murder after police said they doused Brewer, then 15, with rubbing alcohol at a Deerfield Beach apartment complex and lit him on fire.</p><p> Brewer spent months in a hospital recovering after the attack.</p><p> A judge sentenced Mendez to 11 years in prison followed by one year of community control and 18 years of probation. </p><p> Jarvis also pleaded no contest Wednesday. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, one year of community control and 21 years of probation. </p><p> “I think they should get longer, but it’s all right. I know they’re going to mess up anyway,” Brewer said.</p><p> “It is a very long journey, and it’s nice to be able to see the light at the end of our tunnel, and our family’s really going to start to be able to heal,” Brewer’s mother said. “Having to come back time and time again, you have to reopen all these wounds, and the nightmares come back and the feelings come back, and it’s really difficult. We’re looking forward to closure so we can finally heal as a family.”</p><p> Bent's trial is scheduled to begin on March 12, 2012.</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:01:45 GMT
<p> Two men were rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital early Wednesday morning after they were ambushed and shot after leaving a Pembroke Pines club .</p><p> Police say three people, one woman and two men, were driving home from Cafe Iguana in Pembroke Pines when shots rang out. Both men in the car were shot, the woman escaped unhurt.</p><p> It all happened around 5:30 a.m. at 5920 Mayo Street in Hollywood.</p><p> According to police, shots from multiple vehicles were fired into car, striking the driver and a passenger in the back seat. </p><p> Both were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, where the driver, 25-year-old Bryant Thomas Howard was pronounced dead. </p><p> "I want them to know my son was a hard working guy, and took care of all three of his kids," said Howard's mother, Lesley Thomas.</p><p> The second victim, 24-year-old Martin Ham was shot twice in the leg and is expected to be OK.</p><p> "My wife was crying and I said 'What happened?' She said, 'Martin got shot,'" said Wilberto Alegria.</p><p> Police say the incident began at Café Iguana where the group got into some sort of a fight and were followed home. </p><p> Detectives say they are looking for multiple shooters that fired on the group from several cars.</p><p> "I think the guy should turn himself in. He shot a human," Alegria said.</p><p> Police are hoping surveillance video from Cafe Iguana will provide a description of the gunmen.</p><p> Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hollywood Police Department at 954-967-4357.</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:57:45 GMT
<p> Police are looking for the driver who hit two cyclists on the Rickenbacker Causeway early Wednesday morning. </p><p> Police said two men were riding their bikes east over the bridge at about 6 a.m. when a car hit both men. The driver fled the scene and left the men injured on the road, police said. </p><p> Cyclist Enda Welsh fractured his ankle in the accident, but his friend, Aaron Cohen, had more serious injuries. </p><p> Cohen is in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital with severe head trauma. Cohen's wife said he underwent surgery Wednesday morning.</p><p> "This guy, he's out there and he knows what he did,” Welsh said. “He didn’t even stop to see. He didn't care." </p><p> Police believe the suspect was driving a 2009-2011 silver Honda Civic. It is missing is right rearview mirror. Investigators also believe the car may have some hood damage. </p><p> If you see this car or if you have any information about this crash, you are asked to contact Miami police immediately.</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:58:28 GMT
<p> Tim Tebow has made a name for himself in the NFL as a throwback quarterback, so it's only natural that the former Florida Gator went "old school" with his reading list on Wednesday.</p><p> As part of the Book It! program to set incentives for reading, Tebow read the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs & Ham.</p><p> But the Broncos quarterback didn't read it in a house or read it with a mouse; instead Tebow read his favorite childhood book to a national audience via webcast.</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:34:18 GMT
<p> A woman trying to break up a fight between two of her dogs was shot in the leg by her son as he tried to shoot one of the dogs, police said</p><p> The shooting happened at at 45441 West Broward Boulevard in Plantation where William Hart lives with his 84-year-old mother, Sonya Piccone.</p><p> Hart said that around 6:30 p.m., he heard his mother screaming and saw her trying to break up a fight between several of their dogs. The family has six dogs.</p><p> Hart said he grabbed his gun and shot at one of the dogs. The bullets struck Piccone in the leg and also one of the dogs. </p><p> According to Hart, his mother wasn't seriously injured and was expected to released from the hospital late Tuesday.</p><p> Hart also said the dog wasn't seriously injured.</p><p> Police didn't say if charges would be filed.</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:00:29 GMT
<p> Four people were injured Tuesday evening in a wrong way collision on Oakland Park Boulevard.</p><p> The crash happened in the 700 block of West Oakland Park Boulevard about 7:45 p.m.</p><p> Wilton Manors police said officers were heading to a burglary call near the scene of the crash when they saw a car leaving an apartment complex parking lot without its lights on.</p><p> Officers followed the car without their sirens before turning around.</p><p> When the officers pulled away, the car turned the wrong way on Oakland Park Boulevard and hit another vehicle head-on, police said.</p><p> It then veered into a parking lot and hit a parked car.</p><p> About five blocks of Oakland Park Boulevard were shut down for two hours while police investigated.</p><p> Police said the occupants of each car were taken to Broward General Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.</p><p> Names of the victims were not immediately released.</p><p> Detectives are unsure if the car they followed was involved in the robbery call.</p><p> Police did not say if charges would be filed.</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:05:33 GMT
See this week's beautiful furry friends waiting at the Humane Society of Broward County to find a caring home.pet, dog, cat, Humane Society, Broward County, local 10, WPLG
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:31:50 GMT
After seeing some of these fine citizens showcase their "skills," let's hope the South never rises again.
Published: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:38:32 GMT
<p> I have been to the BankAtlantic Center hundreds of times, but never felt compelled to write/blog - until now.</p><p> I want to preface this by saying the BAC is a great arena - spacious, clean, and well run. That said, I have no patience with rude and inconsiderate drivers. Case in point: last night, I took my wife to the Andrea Boccelli concert at the the Bank Atlantic Center for Valentine's Day. We had a great dinner and were in a great mood...until.....(can you hear me slamming on my brakes? Do you see my brake lights?)...until, I turned onto S.W. 136th Avenue/Panther Parkway.</p><p> Within a matter of seconds my mood, our mood, went from happy and docile, to P.O.'d and uptight. </p><p> First, the backup. All the traffic going to the concert was being forced into one lane to the left. Some turned into the first entrance, Gate 7. Others, myself included, made our way to the next entrance, Gate 6. That's the entrance for general parking, garage parking and the Lexus lot.</p><p> There is only one left turn lane. It was backed up almost to Sunrise Blvd. As you can imagine, most everyone was trying to get in the turn lane. They used turn signals, hand signals, and sad puppy dog faces. When that didn't work - they just forced their way in - not caring whether they upset you, nearly clipped your bumper or fender or caused an accident. Of course, by now, it's getting closer to concert time and nerves are on edge. Then, come the hereos - the Sunrise police officers on duty who were not going to let people cut over into that queue line (the left lane). They forced them to go straight to the next entrance. That should do it. NOT!</p><p> They kept at it. I threw in the red flag - for a moment. I just wanted to make that turn. Finally, the officer waved us forward. And, now I had to deal with the inconsiderate drivers turning into to lot from the north, making a right. Have you heard of common courtesy folks? One car from the south goes, then one from the north, etc. Now, I am saying that serenity prayer over and over.</p><p> Here's the kick. Two problems.</p><p> One, drivers who don't have their money ready. Didn't you see the big, flashing neon sign? It read "$30. Have your money ready." Hello. We could have thrown the car in park, run over to Sawgrass Mills, gotten change for that $50 bill and run back with plenty of time to spare to move the next ten feet -- and you didn't 'think' to pull out your cash to help move things along just a tad? Ugh!</p><p> Second. The parking design. I have dealt with this for years as a hockey fan. Once you make that left turn into the lot, there is only room for three cars, which are sent left, right or straight ahead after we pay. I beg of whoever is in charge at the BAC to please come up with a better design to get more cars off the street, off Panther Parkway and into the lot. It is frustrating when you are caught at light after light and potentially dangerous stuck in the intersection while someone fusses around looking for cash.</p><p> Something needs to be done -- about the design at the BAC and about our attitudes, the driving public, the patrons of places like the BAC. We need to stop being inconsiderate and rude. We need to chill. Where are we going in such a rush. Nothing is that important to chance an accident, or worse yet, road rage. I have covered too many shootings where people settle a score on the road with a weapon. Stop! Consider that you may lose your life over something so petty - or cost someone else their life.</p><p> As a good friend recently asked 'John, can you drive all of those cars in front of you?' The answer was obviously, no -- but I sure have visions of trying.</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:15:09 GMT
<p> One of the jilted lovers of a man whom investigators called the “Sweetheart Swindler” took the stand Tuesday to explain her accusations that he stole her cash and her heart. </p><p> With tears in her eyes and a tissue in her hand, Rose Marie Anglade described how a seemingly perfect romance cost her $283,000. </p><p> "I meet him so I said I could trust him because I knew him before when I was a teenager, and I trust him and then he was a big, big, big liar," Anglade told Local 10. </p><p> Anglade testified with the help of a translator as she tried to convince a jury that Paul Francois is a devious con-artist who was only after her cash, not her heart. </p><p> "Before he stole your money, he's like a little angel. He put himself on his knees to beg you for anything," Anglade said. </p><p> Anglade first met and began dating Francois in 2007. After several months, they decided to buy a home together, so Anglade said she opened a joint bank account and poured her life savings into it. </p><p> But a check she wrote bounced, and Anglade said she found out her money was gone – and so was her fiancé. </p><p> "If they let him go, they don't put him somewhere, he will do that over and over again," Anglade said. </p><p> At least one other woman has come forward claiming Francois, now 57, did the same thing to her at about the same time. </p><p> Prosecutors said Francois stole nearly $400,000 in total from women he wined, dined and eventually proposed to. </p><p> The defense maintained the man was in love and women gave their finances freely. </p><p> "I don't deserve what he did to me,” Anglade said. “I don't deserve it."</p>
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:24:09 GMT
Click to see the latest mugshots from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:57:36 GMT
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