R News is Your News
R News is Your News
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TAMPA Things just keep getting worse for top brass at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, after a Federal Judge threatened to impose sanctions against the agency during a hearing in Tampa on Tuesday. Former Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Deputy Matthew Puglia is suing the agency for wrongful termination and violation of his civil rights after he complained about deputies pressuring him and his girlfriend to join in on the “agency-endorsed” sex parties. Puglia...
SPRING HILL – Yesterday, R News reported the arrest of two suspects who officials say are responsible for the death of a teenage girl who died at a residence on Bancroft Ave, Tuesday. Officials say 18-year-old Joshua Ware arrived at the Bancroft Ave residence around midnight Monday evening with the 17-year-old victim who was already unconscious. Ware and his friend 24-year-old James Richard Briski carried the victim into the home from a vehicle that was parked in the b...
TALLAHASSEE – Today, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued arrest warrants for 54-year-old Tiffany Carr and 57-year-old Patricia Duarte, the former CEO and CFO, respectively, of the now defunct Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV). Carr and Duarte are accused to stealing more than $3.7 million while overseeing the FCADV, but that all came to an end in 2021, when the FDLE began investigating allegations of fraud. According to a statement from the F...
WEEKI WACHEE - A woman's body has been discovered at an address on Darts Street in Weeki Wachee. There are unconfirmed reports that the body was wrapped in plastic. Officials say foul play is suspected. An investigation is underway and there are no further details at this time....
DADE CITY (HERNANDO) – An investigation is underway into the discovery of a body that was found floating in the Withlacoochee River. Fire Rescue located the deceased on the riverbank near the 33000 block of Ranch Road after a passerby reported seeing the body in the area. The investigation is just getting underway and there are no further details at this time....
BROOKSVILLE – An investigation is underway into a commercial robbery that occurred at a local 7-Eleven. There aren't many details at this time but according to sources, the 7-Eleven located at Cortez Blvd and Barclay Ave was robbed around 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. Officials have not commented on the robbery at this time....
BROOKSVILLE – Four people are now charged in connection with a drive-by shooting that occurred at a residence on Holiday Drive last weekend. According to Sheriff Al Nienhuis, a teenager decided to throw a party while his parents were out of town last Saturday night. At some point during the party, a physical altercation broke out while the host was not at the scene. At around 4:30 a.m., Nienhuis says 27-year-old Heath Gates and 18-year-old Connor Bradley returned to the p...
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has announced the arrest of a Cape Canaveral man on charges of Criminal Mischief in connection with a June 10th incident in Orange County. Officials say 48-year-old Jason Brown was part of a group of protestors who hung antisemitic banners on the Daryl Carter Parkway Bridge that crosses I-4. The banners contained images of swastikas, and read "Wh*te P*wer World Wide," and "Destroy ALL pedophiles." The banners were p...
TALLAHASSEE – Amid all the bad news, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement declared a Brooksville man Citizen of the Year after he located a missing toddler earlier this year. In February, 2-year-old Joshua "JJ" Rowland disappeared from his mother's Brooksville home and was missing for several hours. A massive search ensued and the next morning, Marine Veteran Roy Link found him while searching his property. Officials announced the award during the Florida Missing C...
SPRING HILL – Deputies have made two arrests in an early morning drive-by shooting that occurred Sunday at a residence on Holiday Drive. According to jail records, 18-year-old Conner John Bradley and 27-year-old Heath Gates were booked into the Hernando County Jail just before 3:00 a.m. Monday and charged with Discharging a Weapon into a Building and Aggravated Battery with a Weapon. Gates and Bradley are held without bond at this time. Officials have not commented on the a...
SPRING HILL – Earlier today R News Reported a drive-by shooting that occurred at the 6400 block of Holiday Drive. Officials initially reported that no one was shot, but that has since changed. According to an update by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, a victim was later identified at a local emergency room who had suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. R News received reports from an anonymous source who said the victim is a female under the age of 18 and tha...
BROOKSVILLE – A pedestrian who was struck by a car while walking on US-41 has succumbed to his injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Officials say a 32-year-old Brooksville man was walking northbound in the Southbound Lane of US-41 (The correct right-of-way for pedestrians), near Yontz Road, when he was struck by a pickup truck driven by a 78-year-old woman. The victim was airlifted to a trauma center where he later died....
SPRING HILL – At least one person is in custody after sources say shots were fired from a vehicle, which may have resulted in a rollover crash on US-19. Around 6:15 p.m. this evening, Law Enforcement and Fire Rescue responded to reports of a rollover crash at the intersection of Pine Forest Drive and US-19. Witnesses reported seeing a red pickup truck flip at least four times before coming to rest on its roof on US-19. Sheriff’s Deputies then received reports that someone fir...
SPRING HILL – Christmas will never be the same for the Ptarcinski family, after their 18-year-old daughter Ariana Ptarcinski was murdered on the night of December 24, 2021, inside their Sterling Hills home. Click Here for Full Story Ed and Judy Ptarcinski trusted that investigators would charge their daughter's alleged murderer, Ramon Calderon Durst, with her death but last month they were told that because he "remained silent" they couldn't make an arrest. The unexpected resp...
SPRING HILL - Sheriff's Deputies are currently on the scene of a drowning involving a 2-year-old boy at an address on Bentley Ave. Sources say the toddler was pulled from a residential pool and was not responsive. Deputies are performing CPR at this time. Fire Rescue is responding. UPDATE: The victim will be transported to Bayfront Health Spring Hill where he will be airlifted to a trauma center for treatment....
PORT RICHEY – A bullying incident outside a local middle school led to a woman's arrest after officials say she battered a 12-year-old female student who was walking to her parent's car. According to reports and cellphone video taken at the scene, on Thursday, August 24th, several students were walking westbound on Ridge Road after being released from Chasco Middle School. As the group left school grounds, a female student grabbed the backpack of another student and began s...
HERNANDO – In response to damage caused by Hurricane Idalia, FEMA has approved a Federal Declaration for Individual Assistance applications for Hernando County. Anyone wishing to apply for FEMA assistance can apply on the FEMA.gov website....
BROOKSVILLE – Sad news to report this morning, after a volunteer search team located the bodies of the missing elderly couple that disappeared Tuesday from their home on Star Road. The family searched desperately in the area of downtown Brooksville, yesterday after cellphone pings pinpointed their location to be somewhere near the Health Department on S. Main Street. The family spoke with We Are the Essentials (WATE) who offered their services to locate 76-year-old Albert A...
BROOKSVILLE – A search is underway for an elderly couple who disappeared yesterday afternoon from the home on Star Road. Officials say 76-year-old Albert Allen and his wife 73-year-old Cynthia Allen were last seen on Tuesday at 3:15 p.m., when they drove away in their green 2005 Saturn Relay minivan bearing Florida tag 0016TM. Mr. Allen suffers from dementia and is deaf. Cynthia is partially paralyzed from a recent stroke. Neither took their medications with them when they l...
CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO HERNANDO COUNTY - All areas along the coast of Hernando County are closed to access due to rising waters and a second round of storm surge later this afternoon. Homeowners are being turned away at checkpoints. Officials expect a high tide at 1:25 p.m. today, which will make conditions worse along the coast. WREC has disconnected power to the regions, in an effort to prevent fires and danger of electrocution. There have already been several structure...
HERNANDO – Hurricane Idalia is heading into the Gulf of Mexico as a category 1 storm, but it is expected to strengthen and possibly make landfall as a major category 3 storm. Officials expect Idalia to make landfall somewhere around Cedar Key, resulting in a storm surge of 8-12 ft from Hernando County northward. High tide for Wednesday morning is scheduled for 2:15 a.m., which isn't good news for coastal regions. With high tide at 2.9 ft, storm surge could be as high as 15 f...
SPRING HILL – Fire Rescue is on the scene of a drowning involving a 2-year-old girl who was found in a residential pool on Dandelion Court. Sources say the toddler is not conscious or breathing and CPR is in progress. We will bring more on this as it develops. UPDATE 5:41 p.m.: The child has been resuscitated and is conscious and breathing. The child will be airlifted to a trauma center for treatment....
HERNANDO – The National Weather Service has issued a Hurricane Warning from Franklin County, south to Manatee County, which includes, Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco Counties. Officials with Hernando County Emergency Management held a press conference this morning to provide an update on what is expected to be Hurricane Idalia by the time it reaches our area. Officials say a mandatory evacuation will go into effect tomorrow morning and they urge anyone living in a low-lying a...
BROOKSVILLE – Devastating news to report for a family who hoped justice would be served and their daughter's killer would be held accountable. 18-year-old Ariana Ptarcinski was murdered on December 24, 2021, at the hands of her boyfriend Ramon Durst, according to her parents Eddie and Judy Ptarcinski (See previous R News Report). Since their daughter's murder, Ariana's parents remained silent, just as they were told to do by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and A...
BROOKSVILLE - More problems for the leadership at the Hernando County Sheriff's Office after sources say a Special Investigations Unit [SEU] was suddenly disbanded due to multiple violations committed by the elite squad. Officials have not commented on the allegations, but according to our source within the agency, at least five detectives were removed and placed on regular patrol, pending the outcome of Internal Affairs Investigations. According to the source, "The SEU unit...
