Mario Boone

Mario joined the Channel 9 Eyewitness News team in September 2013.

Before coming to Orlando, Mario spent two years reporting for the ABC affiliate in Asheville/Greenville/Spartanburg.

During his time there, Mario uncovered countless exclusive stories like police officers illegally parking at meters without paying and broken city fire hydrants endangering the lives of residents.

As the "cops and courts" reporter in Knoxville, Tenn., Mario covered the high-profile trial of David Kernell, who was convicted of hacking the email account of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.  Mario also broke the story of several police officers who flunked a shooting test and had their guns stripped away.

Mario studied broadcast journalism at the prestigious Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.

In addition to reporting in several TV markets, Mario freelanced at CNN headquarters in Atlanta as an assignment coordinator on the Regional and By Request desks.

To the surprise of most, Mario is also a former Georgia state law enforcement officer. He spent nearly five years supervising violent felons, tracking and arresting fugitives and testifying in Superior Court. One of his most exciting professional challenges was learning how to shoot, qualifying with a Glock .40 semi-automatic service weapon and covering the federal sex trafficking trial of cult leader Tony Alamo.

Mario is a North Carolina native who’s happy to call central Florida home.

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