Free Republic

PORT RICHEY, Fla (WFLA) - A Port Richey woman arrested on a child abuse charge is now free on bond. When News Channel 8 approached 38-year-old Latoya Dortch about her arrest, she had no comment and rushed back into her home. Investigators say she and the victim got into an argument at a home on Lancelot Road in Port Richey. That's when they say she kicked him out and locked the door. He broke into the house to retreive his seizure medication, which he has to take at certain hours of the day. He then left the home and started...

The City Council has invited qualified applicants to make their case at Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. meeting. Filling a vacancy on the council will be harder. PORT RICHEY — Officials aren't entirely sure who will lead the city now that two mayors have been arrested and suspended from office in less than a month. Nothing like this has ever happened before in the small, coastal Pasco County municipality of 2,800, said Assistant City Manager Jocilyn Martinez. Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Mayor Dale Massad after he was arrested Feb. 21 on a variety of charges, including attempted murder. On Tuesday,...

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) - A run down looking Dale Massad walked into courtroom 3-A at the Pasco County Courthouse in a jail jumpsuit. It's a fall from grace for the former Port Richey mayor removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Pasco County Sheriff's Office deputies went to his home in February to arrest him for practicing medicine without a license, they said. While there, they claim he opened fire. "He never shot at any officers," said attorney Bjorn Brunvand. "There were never officers in the path of any bullets. Did he fire bullets? Yes. But not toward...

Shots were fired at the Pasco County Sheriff's Office SWAT team at the home of Port Richey Mayor Dale Massad on Thursday morning and Massad has been arrested on charges of practicing medicine without a license, according to officials...Massad was also arrested on charges of Practicing Medicine without a License. These charges pertain to the search warrant deputies were trying to serve at the time of the shooting. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement received information from the Port Richey Police Department that Massad, whose medical license was relinquished in 1992, was still practicing medicine, according to a press release......