Free Republic

Officials in Lee County, Florida, are warning that not all post-Hurricane Ian looters may get off as lucky as the jailed accused scavengers arrested earlier this week — some of whom are in the U.S. illegally. Omar Mejia Ortiz, 33, and Valerie Celeste Salcedo Mena, 26, were arrested, along with 20-year-olds Brandon Mauricio Araya and Steve Eduardo Sanchez Araya. Lee County sheriff's deputies arrested all four on charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency, according to online jail records. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno held a press conference Tuesday in which he addressed the spike...

A Florida sheriff has taken the unusual step of releasing the mugshot and identity of a 10-year-old boy who was arrested for making a school shooting threat. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno defended releasing the boy’s identity by saying that “a child pulling a trigger equals the same aftermath.” Daniel Issac Marquez, 10, was arrested and perp walked on Saturday after sending text messages claiming that he obtained weapons and would shoot up Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral. The child had sent his friend a text with a Googled image of cash, saying “I scammed my friend.” “I bought...

Cape Coral, Florida – A fifth grade boy was arrested on Saturday for a text message threatening to carry out a mass shooting just days after the Uvalde mass shooting. The 10-year-old boy is a student at Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, Florida. "This student’s behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. “Making sure our children are safe is paramount. We will have law and order in our schools! My team didn’t hesitate one second…NOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat.” “Right now is not the time to act...