MedleyStory

Police: Three shot in Mount Dora bar fight

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:55:57 -0500

Mount Dora police say three people were shot during a fight at a bar Friday night.

Police were called to the Rodeo Country Nightclub on Old US Highway 441 after receiving reports of a shooting at the establishment.

Once on scene, officials say three shooting victims were located. The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, police say.

Investigators say it appears a fight broke out inside the bar moments before the shooting.

Police say they are interviewing witnesses and plan to speak to the victims. An arrest has not been made in the shooting.

Police have not released the identities of the three victims.

Stay with WFTV and WFTV.com for more on this story.

Michelle Obama visits Longwood church, Disney

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:42:53 -0500

First lady Michelle Obama is making two stops in Central Florida on Saturday as part of her 'Let's Move' campaign.

Michelle Obama first spoke at a Longwood church Saturday morning. WFTV was there as hundreds of people packed the Northland church on Dog Track Road in Longwood.

The First Lady spoke to an audience of diverse faiths about the healthy lifestyle efforts of community organizations. Obama's Let's Move! campaign encourages faith and community organizations to initiate variety of physical activity programs in hopes of solving the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Michelle Obama will head over to Disney's Wide World of Sports Saturday afternoon. There Obama will participate in a physical activity event with hundreds of children and families.

Tickets to both events were distributed beforehand by local faith and community organizations.

Woman, horse killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:13:31 -0500

A deadly explosion has killed a 28-year-old woman and a horse near the Marion-Levy county line.

The horse was being treated in a hyperbaric chamber at the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center, or KESMARC, near Ocala, Fla.

Slideshow: Explosion at equine rehab center

Raw video: Aerials of Marion County explosion

Farm manager Erica Marshall died just three days shy of her 29th birthday, and the horse inside the chamber, which was being treated for tissue damage, was killed instantly.

The horse, from a Virginia farm, was spending the winter in Florida going through rehab.

Two employees were monitoring the horse by video from another room when he became agitated and started to kick.

Investigators said the employees tried to activate an emergency switch to decompress the chamber, but the horse had already kicked off a quarter-inch thick protective coating when his steel boot made contact with the steel chamber, creating a spark that cause the explosion.

Investigators said debris flew 1,200 feet when the explosion ripped off part of the roof and the siding.

"It is believed that the hyperbaric chamber caused the explosion," said Jessica Greene with Marion County Fire Rescue.

"I've stood in the chamber myself when we've had tours and things for classes, and it never crossed my mind that something like this could happen. It's horrible. It's terrible," the horse's owner, Kristen Petzold, said.

Sorcha Moneley, 33, was transported to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and is being treated for head trauma.

Thirty other horses inside the facility were not hurt.

"It's horrible … just horrible, freak accident," Petzold said.

The chamber was built three years ago by New Phase Construction and went through five inspections. But it's unclear when the chamber was last inspected.

Equestrian experts said it's highly unusual to put horses inside the chambers without tranquilizing them first, but it's not required.

WFTV was told that this could have been prevented if the horse had aluminum shoes because those are not magnetic and wouldn't have caused that spark.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating.

Police: Missing woman found, search continues for estranged husband

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:29:25 -0500

Officials say a missing woman has been found safe, but police are still searching for her estranged husband who allegedly forced her out of her apartment and into the woods Friday night.

Police responded to the Waterstone Apartments on Long Road around 11:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a domestic disturbance.

Witnesses told police the victim, Wanda Hollis, was heard screaming for help before being forced out of her apartment window by the suspect, Willie Hollis Sr. Police say Hollis Sr. was then seen leading Wanda Hollis into the woods bordering the apartment complex.

Police conducted an extensive search of the area to find the couple. Wanda Hollis was located unharmed late Saturday morning, according to police. Officials say they are in the process of interviewing her to determine what happened during the incident.

According to court records, a domestic violence injunction was filed against Hollis Sr. in mid-January. The injunction indicates the couple has children.

Investigators say a warrant has been issued for Hollis Sr. for aggravated stalking. There's no word if additional charges will be added.

The search for Hollis, Sr. continues, police say.

Teens arrested in Oviedo car wash fire

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:19:21 -0500

Police have arrested two teenagers who they say are responsible for setting a car wash on fire near SR 434 and Chapman Road in Oviedo Friday evening.

Oviedo and Seminole County fire crews responded to the abandoned Mystic gas station car wash around 5:00 p.m. Officials say 911 callers reported seeing thick black smoke and two teenagers running from the car wash.

However, the burning car wash was the least of the firefighters’ worries as it stood just 20 feet from the gas pumps. Although the gas station had been closed for at least four months, there was still the chance of fuel underground in the pumps, officials say.

“I was kind of scared on the account that it was next to a gas station. We did not know if there was still gas in the tanks or not,” witness Andy Carbone said.

“It is very likely there is still fuel in the underground tanks,” Oviedo fire chief Lars White said.

Fortunately the fire was knocked down quickly by firefighters.

Shortly after, police detained two teenagers suspected of starting the fire. Officials told WFTV the teens were found with lighters that are believed to have been used to set the fire.

Oviedo police will not release the identities of the juveniles. The two are facing trespassing and arson charges, police say.

HOA dispute results in missing gates, arrests

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:13:12 -0500

Two disgruntled homeowners are facing charges, accused of getting someone to remove a gate leading into their neighborhood.

Orange County deputies say they believe the two did it because they were upset with their homeowners association.

The gate was at the entrance to a small community called Bristol Estates, an upscale gated community in the Avalon Park area.

Investigators say that initially the homeowners association thought someone had stolen the gates, but later learned it was part of a plot to get back at the association.

"All they've been doing is harassing us the past few years," said community resident Desislava Gliha.

Gliha says she’s angry at her homeowners association. And, she says, some of that anger stems from the gate.

Gliha says the gate has damaged cars.

In January the homeowners association called sheriff’s investigators to report that someone had stolen the gate.

A local company said the association’s president hired it to remove the gate, and even sent a money order with his signature to pay for the job.

Investigators learned it wasn't actually the president; they say it was disgruntled homeowners Desislava Gliha and her husband John.

"So, you guys went and had the gate removed because of that?” WFTV reporter Jeff Deal asked Desislava Gliha.

“I did not remove any gate. Please stop asking me stupid questions," said Desislava.

Investigators say one way they caught the couple was Desislava Gliha was captured on camera at a Winn-Dixie buying the money order.

The Glihas were arrested on charges of forgery and grand theft. The gate is worth $9,000.

Desislava Gliha denied any knowledge of the crime, and despite the evidence spelled out by investigators called the whole thing a setup.

"That's not the truth, not the truth. The guy made false complaints and I would like to sue his ass," Desislava Gliha.

The gates were recovered from the scrap yard. They had some damage, but have been put back up.

The Glihas bonded out of jail Friday.

Joerg Jaeger's state attorney bid surprises rivals

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:44:16 -0500

Questions are being raised about a new candidate getting in the race for state attorney of Orange and Osceola counties.

This latest candidate recently donated to the campaign of a man he's now running against.

As WFTV's Drew Petrimoulx reports, some believe it could be a strategic move to make it more difficult for other candidates to beat Lawson Lamar.

Orlando defense attorney Joerg Jaeger admits that he is friends with Lamar. He's hosted fundraisers for him. He and his business interests have donated money to Lamar's campaign. Jaeger's son and wife have chipped in, too.

All told, the attorney has had a role in at least $4,400 in donations that have flowed into Lamar's war chest since last October.

And that's why Lamar's chief rival, Jeff Ashton, scratched his head when Jaeger announced he, too, would enter the state attorney race.

"I was surprised that he would get in as an opponent of (Lamar)," Ashton said.

Jaeger's announcement has led to rumblings in legal circles that he and Lamar are in cahoots.

Here's why: Before Jaeger entered the race, all three candidates were Democrats.

If that remained the case, then all of the 772,000 registered voters in Orange and Osceola counties would have been eligible to cast ballots in the race.

But with Jaeger, a Republican, entering the race, the three Democrats will compete in a closed primary. In the two counties, the 333,000 registered Democrats are the only ones eligible to vote in that primary.

University of Central Florida political scientist Aubrey Jewett said Lamar's advantage in organization and fundraising are magnified in a closed primary.

"This could be good news for Lawson Lamar and potentially bad news for Jeff Ashton and the other challenger (Ryan Williams)," Jewett said.

And Ashton's advantage: Lamar's name recognition is diminished.

"He was probably planning on his notoriety from the Casey Anthony trial to help him with independents and even Republicans," Jewett said.

Ashton insisted Friday that the closed primary helps him. Lamar's camp said they have no idea why Jaeger entered the race.

Jaeger said the fact that he's funding his own campaign is proof that he's in the race to win.

Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida opens men's center

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:14:17 -0500

The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida has taken its first major step toward a new center just for men.

As WFTV's Tim Barber reports, the facility's groundbreaking comes as the state threatens to cut funding for other homeless organizations.

Not too long ago, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida was Rod Oliver's home.

It was a good place to live, but he says the new men's service center will be even better.

"I am stoked. This is going to be so good for the guys here," Oliver said.

The coalition is planning for the new 33,000-square-foot building to expand on its jobs program that helped Oliver.

"This will give them the motivation to get themselves up get on their feet, that's all they need," Oliver said.

The staff will also help the men get an education and social skills.

The historic groundbreaking also comes at a time when other homeless organizations are facing big cuts.

A Florida House bill slashes more than $2 million, which pays for data collection on homeless populations and help for grant applications.

But right now, none of that money will affect this organization or the new center.

Instead of thin mattresses, most of the men in the new center will get new comfortable beds.

Up to 250 men will also get case workers who will help keep men like Oliver on track to getting them off the street and on their feet.

"If you don't believe in miracles, miracles are true. This is a miracle," Oliver said.

The county donated $5 million to build the new center and the city added another $1.6 million.

The facility is expected to open next year.

Cop, victim relationship means plea deal in sex assault case

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:11:00 -0500

WFTV uncovered more trouble for the West Melbourne Police Department.

Prosecutors say they had to make a deal with a man accused of sexual assault because the officer who arrested him later had a sexual relationship with the victim.

Thomas Scot Griffith could have gone to prison for 90 years for having sex with a minor, but he will be able to get out of jail in one year. The Brevard County State Attorney's Office gave Griffith a plea deal because prosecutors say they found out Sgt. Bo Bryant, the West Melbourne detective who was investigating the case, had a sexual relationship with the victim.

“We wanted a situation where the defendant was held accountable for his actions. We did not want to risk a jury finding him not guilty, because he knew he was guilty,” said prosecutor Julia Lynch.

The victim was raped when she was a minor. She is now 22. The sergeant is in his 40s. The two met while he was investigating the case.

Prosecutors found out about the relationship during depositions. The police department planned to fire Bryant, but he resigned instead. He also lost his law enforcement certification.

“Nobody could be pleased with a result like that. You would want a sexual predator to receive a more severe sentence,” said West Melbourne City Attorney Jim Wilson.

Bryant told investigators he wasn't aware of any policy forbidding him to enter into a relationship with a victim in one of his cases.

City officials say Bryant will be able to keep his pension because he isn't facing criminal charges.

Opening statements begin in Sharpes murder trial

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:10:28 -0500

A Brevard County man is facing the death penalty for killing his estranged wife and the 19-year-old she was having an affair with.

Patrick Wharen Sr.'s attorney admits that his client fired the shots that killed the pair in April 2008, but he told a jury Friday that the killing was in the heat of passion.

Wharen turned down a last-minute plea deal Friday morning. In an attempt to keep his children from having to testify, prosecutors offered to take the death penalty off the table and let the judge decide a punishment between 25 years and life in prison.

Wharen said no to the plea deal, and the trial got under way.

Wharen sobbed as his attorney told a jury he wasn't thinking clearly when he killed his estranged wife, Kelly, and her roommate, Jonathon Vuick.

His attorneys laid out the details leading up to the 2008 shooting in Sharpes.

Wharen's attorneys told jurors that Kelly had conjured up a nonexistent 19-year-old daughter named Missy, born before the Wharens' marriage, in order to explain Vuick moving into a second trailer the family owned across the street. Vuick was supposed to be the mystery daughter's fiance, and Kelly moved in with him.

"He's questioning not only the existence of this 'Missy,' but he's questioning the fidelity of his wife," defense attorney Mark Lanning said.

Weeks before the killing, Wharen's attorneys said, Vuick admitted to sleeping with Kelly.

His defense team said Wharen snapped. His son, P.J. Oakley, was shot trying to stop him.

"I think it was just a matter of a couple of seconds of me throwing him on the hood of the car, and the gun went off," Oakley said.

But prosecutors say the murder was premeditated. Prosecutors will play the 911 tape of Vuick as he was standing behind the door calling for help.

They said you could hear the gunshots that went through the door and killed him.

Medical examiner 'Dr. G' testifies in Delores Laster murder trial

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:05:49 -0500

Well-known Orange County medical examiner Dr. Jan C. Garavaglia took the stand Friday in the trial of former teacher Delores Laster, who is accused of killing her husband who cheated on her.

WFTV's Melonie Holt was in court as the doctor explained to jurors the autopsy evidence, a terrycloth towel possibly used in an attempt to muzzle a gunshot that has been preserved for nearly 24 years.

On Friday, an Orange County jury got a look at it and the other surviving evidence from the March 1988 slaying of Clarence Laster.

Delores Laster is accused of shooting her husband in the back of the head, then enlisting the help of her children to move him to the garage of their Elon Drive home from his bed.

Witnesses did testify there was a small amount of blood found on the bed. But they couldn't say much more than that.

"We did not obtain a DNA profile from the sample," witness Michelle Boyer said.

Prosecutors believe the blood was Clarence Laster's, and they think he may not have died immediately.

"With small-caliber gunshot wounds, they often don't die immediately," Garavaglia said.

Delores Laster looked away as her husband's autopsy photos were displayed for the jury, who have yet to hear what Laster's children told investigators about their father's death.

Rats take over Leesburg fire station

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:03:38 -0500

A rat infestation just cost Leesburg taxpayers $2,000. The rodents had overrun Fire Station No. 1 on Canal Street.

WFTV's Berndt Petersen saw how much damage they did before the city called exterminators.

The rats apparently got in through a hole in the roof and went straight to the kitchen. The last straw for firefighters was a stolen package of Oreos.

The crew at the station is obviously trained to battle fires, not rodents.

"It was a daily battle. We were fighting them pretty much every day," firefighter and local union President Allen Shaffer said.

Shaffer said rats were roaming around in the ceiling, the cupboards and behind the dishwasher.

"In this situation, they had taken over," Shaffer said.

There were too many for firefighters to kill off on their own, so the city sent in a crew to tear out and replace 300 ceiling tiles and most of the kitchen baseboards.

An outside firm was hired to clean up the droppings and remove what firefighters believe were rodent nests. The city's contracted exterminator set new traps around the building.

"Yeah, it's pretty well guarded. I think they're pretty well covered as far as any threats from rodents coming on the property," city spokesman Robert Sargent said.

Officials believe the rats may have been living around a vacant house a few feet from the station's kitchen window.

The rats likely climbed a palm tree to get onto the roof and into the building. The palm has been cut down. Shaffer says they knew they had a problem the night they left an unopened package of Oreos on the kitchen table.

"The next morning, we got up and there was a little piece of the wrapper on the table. The whole rest of it had been dragged to the cabinet. The cookies were opened, and there were crumbs everywhere. The package was there, and the cookies were gone," Shaffer said.

A city spokesman says just one rat and one mouse were found the day the ceiling was removed, but firefighters insist there were lots of them.

Most of them may have been caught in the new traps. Since the cleanup, no rats have been spotted.

9 Investigates: Electric smart meter dangers

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:08:36 -0500

Power companies say smart meters being installed in Florida right now are the way of the future. They transmit your home's energy use in real time and let you check your usage online. But critics say they're dangerous.

Building biologist Diana Schultz tests homes for potentially harmful radiation, and she said what she finds radiating from these digital smart meters can put you at risk.

"Smart meters are emitting electromagnetic radiation that we can't see, can't smell, can't feel," Schultz said.

Florida power companies got hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government to install smart meters, but these devices have created a storm of controversy across the nation.

Critics said they expose you to around-the-clock electromagnetic radiation that can be linked to cancer and other health problems.

The radio frequencies are similar to other devices like cellphones and baby monitors, but those are devices you choose to use.

But are these single devices dangerous to your health?

A study last year found exposure levels from a smart meter are far lower than you would get from a cellphone and within safety limits set by the Federal Communications Commission, but it was immediately criticized by doctors across the nation.

They claim the study didn't take into account what could happen when you group smart meters outside an apartment complex or with the other exposures in your house, such as your cellphones or microwave.

Norma Lorenz got sick when her digital meter was installed outside her Longwood home.

She's been diagnosed with electrohypersensitivity -- an uncommon but debilitating condition recognized by the World Health Organization. Her only relief is staying away from her electric meter.

"I feel nauseous. I get heart palpitations. You can't see the frequencies. People just don't understand this," Lorenz said.

Now public utility commissions in Michigan, Nevada and Maine have opened investigations into whether their residents should be able to opt out of the meters.

Florida's Public Service Commission has received 172 complaints about the meters but has no plans to start its own investigation.

Progress Energy will soon roll out its smart meters, while Orlando Utility Commission has already installed several thousand.

Both companies declined to comment on the safety of meters because they say they're not at the forefront of this industry.

State regulators in California just required one of their largest companies to allow customers to opt out of the meters for a fee.

Veterans protest over city's NBA All-Star game tickets

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:06:12 -0500

The upcoming NBA All-Star game has become the must-have ticket, but there is some controversy over whether the city of Orlando should make room for the public in its box seats.

WFTV's Jamie Holmes learned there are tickets for 16 seats and an additional eight spaces in the city's box.

The city said it is keeping all of the tickets, contending it's a working event. But some commissioners, and some protesters, feel like the city needs to give up some of those tickets that would otherwise cost the public thousands of dollars.

A small crowd of veterans and even some high school students stood outside City Hall on Friday. They want city officials to turn over their All-Star game box seats to combat veterans.

"If they give it to these kids who have sacrificed far more than any of these elected officials, than they'll understand to a small degree what these kids have given," Vietnam veteran Tom Pastore said.

Instead, city officials are using the seats as an opportunity to mingle.

So far, 12 of the tickets will go to city commissioners. Corrine Brown will get two tickets. So will all of the city commissioners, except for Phil Diamond, who said the meet-and-greets should happen at another time.

"I would be more than happy to meet with event planners at some other time and have another event where we can talk about the city. I'm glad to do that," Diamond said.

Diamond is running against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who said the All-Star game will be a working night.

"I have a role of representing the city at the biggest event that has ever come to the city of Orlando," Dyer said.

But the veterans group wants clear rules on how many tickets the city gives away. They believe city officials love the big games, but donate the box when the Magic play a lesser-known opponent.

"The city officials have many other opportunities to mingle and enjoy themselves, and hobnob, or whatever it is they wish to call it," Pastore said.

Six of the 24 tickets will go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation for a young boy with leukemia. The fate of the remaining tickets is still undecided.

If the commissioners use the tickets for business, it is tax-exempt.

Since May 2011, the city of Orlando gave away its box seats to 37 non-Magic events.

After the lockout shortened the NBA season, the city gave its box away at 11 Magic games so far.

City officials kept and used the box for five games so far.

Sanford expects big savings with wellness center

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:28:35 -0500

Taxpayers in Sanford are about to foot the bill for a new wellness center for city employees.

The city says the center will save money, but others aren't so sure.

At a time when the Sanford faces a $1.6 million shortfall for next year, officials want to buy office space in building next to Central Florida Hospital. The city will shell out $100,000 so its employees can get more affordable health care.

Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett said the wellness center is something the city needs.

“Sure. It's a business decision. It is an investment, and it is a risk. We're taking a risk,” said Triplett.

Triplett said it’s a decision that comes with a projected savings of $500,000 over three years.

According to city officials this is how the Sanford would save money: If three people went to their doctors, the city would have to pay insurance $300 dollars to cover the cost. But, they say, one doctor could do the same thing at the wellness center in one hour, and the city would only have to pay him $50.

But in order for it to work, a large percentage of Sanford's 672 employees and their families members would have to take advantage of it, which is why some taxpayers are skeptical.

“Getting people to use it is the trick. Everyone has to be on board. Everyone got to be part of the cure, if you will,” said local business owner Michael O’Brien.

“These are the steps we have to take now to save in the long run,” said Triplett.

The city hopes it can make a dent in its health insurance costs of $3.2 million a year.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is giving the city an additional $50,000 to cover building costs.

On Monday night, the city commission will vote on whether or not to move forward with the plan.

Port Orange father, son dead in South Florida shooting, stabbings

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:01:01 -0500

A Volusia County father and his 9-year-old son are dead following a shooting and standoff in south Florida.

Investigators said they have no idea why the De Jesus family traveled from Port Orange to a Deerfield Beach RV park and confronted a Canadian couple in their 70s.

William De Jesus, 37, shot and killed the Canadian man, and, after a standoff, everyone was either hurt or dead, except the Canadian's girlfriend.

One neighbor said he saw De Jesus Thursday cleaning a white Jeep. Nobody imagined him turning on his family like this, but neighbors said there was something about De Jesus that just wasn't right.

Word of the tragedy more than 200 miles away in Deerfield Beach hadn't even reached the Port Orange neighborhood where the De Jesus family lives when WFTV arrived.

But the gruesome incident hit home for neighbors like Mark Durkin, who has seen William De Jesus, his wife and two children in this front yard next door.

"Devastated. They were my neighbors and I lived next door to this guy. It scares me," Durkin said.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office is still trying to find out why De Jesus and his family traveled to the Highland Woods RV park. That's where he confronted a 76-year-old Canadian man outside of his RV and shot him, then barricaded himself with an elderly woman and his family inside the RV.

After a standoff that lasted several hours involving deputies and SWAT, De Jesus let the elderly woman go. But inside the RV, they found De Jesus had stabbed and killed himself and his 9-year-old son Jeshiah De Jesus. His wife Deanna, 37, and their 7-year-old son Samson were badly injured.

Neighbors said they didn't know De Jesus well, but said they often saw him in his yard, sometimes even in the middle of the night, making noise.

"Just by his actions, I never thought he was actually sane," a neighbor said.

His wife and son are still in the hospital in serious condition.

Central Florida's first heart transplant recipient talks about procedure

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:24:41 -0500

A 49-year-old retired police officer is the first recipient of a heart transplant here in Central Florida.

Doctors at Florida Hospital performed the milestone procedure last week The heart came from an anonymous donor, and the patient told WFTV's Bianca Castro how the transplant changed his life.

Just a week after getting a new heart, Edwin Ace is able to walk on his own, and with no pain.

"I was ready to die, but now I want to live," Arce said.

Arce suffered from congestive heart failure, and had been in pain for years. He got on the waiting list for a new heart on Christmas day last year.

The average wait is five months. He waited just seven weeks.

"When they told me that, I was so overwhelmed. You know what it is to be sick for so long and to hear you're gonna live?" Arce said.

His procedure marks a milestone in Central Florida. Only five other hospitals in the state offer the procedure.

Florida Hospital started its program two years ago, and trained a staff of 150 for its first transplant.

The program means local patients can stay close to home.

"It's very difficult to uproot a family for upwards of six months while you're sitting in the hospital waiting for a heart," Dr. Donald Botta said.

In fact, that's why Arce says he waited so long to get help. He said he is surprised with the results.

"It actually works! It does what it's supposed to. Give you life strength," Arce said.

Arce said he doesn't know who donated the heart. Most donors and their families remain anonymous, but it's a gift he said he won't ever take for granted.

"This is the most beautiful gift any human being could give," Arce said.

A typical transplant costs about $750,000, but because Florida Hospital just started its program, it's required by federal law to perform its first 10 heart transplants for free.

Right now, 165 people are on the waiting list for a heart in Florida.

On average, 35 hearts per year are recovered from Central Florida, and they're only viable for four hours after they're removed from a donor's body.

Woman, horse killed, 1 injured in Marion Co. hyperbaric chamber explosion

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:52:32 -0500

A deadly explosion has killed a 28-year-old woman and a horse near the Marion-Levy county line.

The horse was being treated in a hyperbaric chamber at the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center near Ocala.

Slideshow: Explosion at equine rehab center

Raw video: Aerials of Marion County explosion

Clinical trials: Help yourself and others

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:40:22 -0500

CLINICAL TRIALS: Clinical trials are generally considered to be biomedical or health related research studies in human beings that follow a pre-defined protocol. ClinicalTrials.gov includes both interventional and observational types of studies. Interventional studies are those in which the research subjects are assigned by the investigator to a treatment or other intervention, and their outcomes are measured. Observational studies are those in which individuals are observed and their outcomes are measured by the investigators. Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available, and help others by contributing to medical research. (clinicaltrials.gov)

BENEFITS: Clinical trials that are well-designed and well-executed are the best approach for eligible participants to:

Play an active role in their own health care.
Gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available.
Obtain expert medical care at leading health care facilities during the trial.
Help others by contributing to medical research.

RISKS: There are risks to clinical trials.

There may be unpleasant, serious or even life-threatening side effects to experimental treatment.
The experimental treatment may not be effective for the participant.
The protocol may require more of their time and attention than would a non-protocol treatment, including trips to the study site, more treatments, hospital stays or complex dosage requirements.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: The factors that allow someone to participate in a clinical trial are called inclusion criteria and those that disallow someone from participating are called exclusion criteria. These criteria are based on such factors as age, gender, the type and stage of a disease, previous treatment history, and other medical conditions. Before joining a clinical trial, a participant must qualify for the study. Some research studies seek participants with illnesses or conditions to be studied in the clinical trial, while others need healthy participants. It is important to note that inclusion and exclusion criteria are not used to reject people personally. Instead, the criteria are used to identify appropriate participants and keep them safe. The criteria help ensure that researchers will be able to answer the questions they plan to study. It is important to learn about the trial before deciding to participate.(clinicaltrials.gov)

Woman could lose both legs, arm after pit bull attack

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:46:57 -0500

An Orlando woman could lose both her legs and an arm after being mauled by a pit bull.

Deputies said the dog attacked the woman at a house on 30th Street.

Residents of the home were there when a friend of the dog's owners brought the woman to the house.

For some reason the dog attacked her. It was an attack that lasted almost five minutes.

The dog was taken by Orange County Animal Services.

The man who brought the woman into the house, Ian Summers, was arrested and charged with negligence.

Children to testify in murder trial for former teacher

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:32:59 -0500

The children of a retired Orange County teacher are expected to testify against her during her murder trial on Friday.

Delores Laster was arrested in 2009 and charged with the 1988 murder of her husband Clarence Laster.

The case was re-opened after her adult children told investigators Delores Laster forced them to move their father's body.

The defense has called those memories questionable.

A retired Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime scene technician was the first to take the stand to testify on Friday.

The jury heard a lot about the original evidence collected in the case.

But with little forensic evidence, the case may come down to the testimony given by the Laster children.

The state still has a number of witnesses to call before it rests its case.

WFTV will be in court and will update this story as it develops.

Original arrest story: Teacher Arrested For 1988 Murder Of Husband

Two officers honored with Purple Heart following shooting

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:00:05 -0500

Two Saint Cloud police officers shot by a young gunman armed with an AK-47 were honored for their bravery Thursday night.

In November, officers said a 17-year-old went on a shooting spree with the high-powered rifle and injured officers Clint Wise and Spencer Endsley.

On Thursday night, the officers were awarded the Purple Heart for their heroism.

Both Wise and Endsley are still recovering from their injuries.

They spoke with WFTV for the first time.

"Dealing with all of that trauma, mentally and physically, that goes with something like that, is very difficult," said Wise.

"I don't know what it was, but I missed it, I cheated death," said Endsley.

Wise was shot in the foot, and Endsley's face was cut with shattered glass.

The suspect, who shot himself in the head, survived. He's still in jail and awaiting trial.

SR 44 in DeLand reopened after fatal accident

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:41:31 -0500

A fatal crash in DeLand is blocked eastbound lanes on State Road 44 on Friday morning, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

The crash was at North Summit Avenue.

No further details are available at this time.

Stay with WFTV for updates on this developing story.

Police search for man who slashed man with machete

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:20:52 -0500

Palm Bay police are searching for the man who attacked and slashed another man with a machete.

Officers said the victim and the attacker got into an argument early Friday morning. That’s when the attacker pulled out a machete and cut the victim.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries to his head, arms and legs, according to police.

His name has not yet been released.

Police are still searching for the suspect, but have not yet released a description.

Deputies investigate crash, stabbing in Dr. Phillips

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:05:01 -0500

Deputies in Orange County are searching for a suspect after a man was found stabbed several times in a Dr. Phillips neighborhood Friday morning.

Deputies are investigating the scene in the subdivision on Kenmure Cove in Orlando.

Slideshow: Orange Co. deputies investigate stabbing

Deputies said when they arrived at the home on Camberly Court for what initially was believed to be a car that had crashed into a light pole, they found the driver, Richard Luyo, 25, was badly injured.

After a brief investigation, deputies said they discovered that an altercation had taken place between two people, but did not know the nature of the incident.

A deputy told WFTV that a man in his 20s was stabbed several times.

The crime scene is located in two areas: the area where the car crashed against a light post and another about a block away at the home where the apparent stabbing happened.

The crashed car had blood on the outside and a neighbor said there was someone outside the car trying to stop it as it tried to speed away.

Detectives have confirmed that a 6-year-old child of the victim was in the vehicle when it crashed into the power pole. The mother now has custody of the child.

At the house where this may have begun, investigators are spending a significant amount of time examining the garage.

People who live nearby have been kept from driving out down their street since about 4 p.m. Thursday when this incident happened.

Neighbors said the Luyo is recovering at Orlando Regional Medical Center after undergoing surgery. Officials said he is in critical condition.

The male suspect in this case has been identified by witnesses on the scene, but investigators said they are not yet releasing his personal information.