Arrest Blotter
02/02/2026 – 02/08/2026
FELONY – DUI
Jose Luis Vargas, III, 24, LaBelle was arrested on February 4, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff M. Frazier on charges of Felony Probation Violation
Luis Andres Quinones, 38, Clewiston was arrested on February 4, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff M. Frazier on charges of Felony Probation Violation
Moses Alexander Thomas, 28, Clewiston was arrested on February 4, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff N. Garza on charges of Aggravated Battery on Pregnant Woman and Felony Probation Violation
Cyrus Matthew Owens, 36, Clewiston was arrested on February 5, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff R. Gosa on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and two (2) counts of Violation of Probation
Oscar Valentine, 35, Okeechobee was arrested on February 5, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff M. Frazier on charges of Felony Probation Violation
17-year-old male, LaBelle was arrested on February 5, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff C. Davis on charges of Battery and Felony Criminal Mischief
Michael Aaron Rosas, 35, Lehigh Acres was arrested on February 7, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff S. Farraj on charges of DUI, and DUI-Refusal to Submit to DUI Test
Christopher Scott Betz, 46, Ft. Lauderdale was arrested on February 7, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff A. McCarty on charges of Hit and Run and Hit and Run – Failure to Stop
Andrew Terrell Heredia, 31, Ft. Myers was arrested on February 7, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff H. Ramirez-Garcia on charges of Misuse of 911, Possession on Fentanyl, Possession of Cocaine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Rayven King, 24, Clewiston was arrested on February 7, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff M. Huapilla on charges of Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams
Eric Anthony Matus, 46, LaBelle was arrested February 8, 2026, by Det. D. Calvo-Driggs on charges of Sexual Assault, Kidnapping, 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm by Florida Convicted Felony
Monday, February 09, 2026
Saturday, February 07, 2026
One Dead In Highlands County Crash - Moore Haven Man Injured
Highlands County - State Road 70 - FATAL
DATE: 2/6/26
TIME: 10:14 PM
LOCATION: State Road 70 / County Road 721
CASE #: FHP26ON0057888
TROOPER: Trooper Khang
INVESTIGATOR: Corporal C. Davidson
VEHICLE 1: Ford 250
DATE: 2/6/26
TIME: 10:14 PM
LOCATION: State Road 70 / County Road 721
CASE #: FHP26ON0057888
TROOPER: Trooper Khang
INVESTIGATOR: Corporal C. Davidson
VEHICLE 1: Ford 250
DRIVER 1: Male / Age 19 / St Cloud – Injured transported
VEHICLE 2: Ford F150
VEHICLE 2: Ford F150
DRIVER 2: Male / Age 21 / Moore Haven - Injured transported
PASSENGER 1: Male / Age 23 / Okeechobee - Injured transported
PASSENGER 2: Female / Age 24 / Okeechobee – Injured transported
VEHICLE 3: Ford Ranger
PASSENGER 1: Male / Age 23 / Okeechobee - Injured transported
PASSENGER 2: Female / Age 24 / Okeechobee – Injured transported
VEHICLE 3: Ford Ranger
DRIVER 3: Male / Age 18 / Okeechobee –Injured transported to Lawnwood Medical Center and later pronounced deceased
SYNOPSIS:
Vehicle 1 was traveling east on SR-70, approaching the intersection of CR-721.
Vehicle 2 was traveling west on SR-70, east of CR-721.
Vehicle 3 was traveling west on SR-70, east of CR-721, directly behind Vehicle 2.
Driver 1attempted to turn Vehicle 1 left at the intersection, directly in front of the approaching Vehicle 2.
The front of Vehicle 2 collided with the right front of Vehicle 1.
The front of Vehicle 3 then collided with the rear of Vehicle 2.
Post collision, Vehicle 2 collided with the guardrail, entered the grass ditch, and overturned. Passenger 1 was ejected from Vehicle 2.
Driver 3 sustained critical injuries, was transported to an area hospital and later pronounced deceased.
The crash investigation remains ongoing.
SYNOPSIS:
Vehicle 1 was traveling east on SR-70, approaching the intersection of CR-721.
Vehicle 2 was traveling west on SR-70, east of CR-721.
Vehicle 3 was traveling west on SR-70, east of CR-721, directly behind Vehicle 2.
Driver 1attempted to turn Vehicle 1 left at the intersection, directly in front of the approaching Vehicle 2.
The front of Vehicle 2 collided with the right front of Vehicle 1.
The front of Vehicle 3 then collided with the rear of Vehicle 2.
Post collision, Vehicle 2 collided with the guardrail, entered the grass ditch, and overturned. Passenger 1 was ejected from Vehicle 2.
Driver 3 sustained critical injuries, was transported to an area hospital and later pronounced deceased.
The crash investigation remains ongoing.
Moore Haven Lady Terriers Basketball Score Big Win
The team went undefeated, finishing the season with an impressive 25-0 overall record. The Lady Terriers not only dominated the regular season but also showcased their talent in the playoffs so far, securing two more wins on their journey to the championship. It was a remarkable achievement that had never been done before by a female basketball team at MHMHS. The entire school community was buzzing with excitement and pride for the Lady Terriers. They move next to the Regional State tournament.
Key contributors to the team's success were Chanel Hunter, Sa'Nyree Myers, Charisma Micco, Cherrish Micco, Zaylie Green, and Freshman Aundraya Fortune. These outstanding athletes consistently delivered exceptional performances on the court, leading the Lady Terriers to victory with their skills, determination, and teamwork. Sa'Nyree's sharp shooting, Charisma and Cherrish's tenacity on defense, Zaylie's court vision, and Aundraya's poise and composure as a freshman all played crucial roles in the team's win.
The coaching staff, led by head coach Jeff Gonzales and assistant coach Rashondra Croskey, had done an exceptional job guiding and inspiring the team throughout the season. Their leadership, strategies, and mentorship were instrumental in the Lady Terriers' success.
As the news of their historic season spread, the entire community rallied behind the Lady Terriers, flooding social media with congratulatory messages and words of admiration. The young ladies were humbled by the overwhelming support and were grateful for the opportunity to represent Moore Haven with pride and excellence.
The Moore Haven Lady Terriers had truly made history, and they had done so with grace, determination, and unwavering spirit. The season was one to remember, and the legacy of this remarkable team would be etched in the annals of MHMHS sports history for years to come.
-Credit: Jeffrey Gonzalez, Glades County Schools
Friday, February 06, 2026
Investigation Requested About Immokalee Based Monkey Importer
Miami — PETA is calling on a slew of national and state authorities to investigate after receiving a whistleblower report that an Immokalee-based monkey importer and laboratory supplier BC US LLC tossed a wooden crate containing a live monkey into a biohazard waste dumpster, which was then trucked across the state—and no one at BC US noticed the primate, who should immediately have been placed in quarantine, fed, and watered, was missing until he was found alive in Miami five days later.
PETA wants to know how a newly imported macaque — who is required to be placed immediately into CDC-mandated quarantine —reportedly ended up loose inside a biomedical waste processing facility miles away in Miami, and today filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Florida public health officials, and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). PETA calls on the agencies to immediately investigate what appear to be profound failures in basic inventory controls, containment practices, the safeguards often falsely touted by the primate importation industry, and depriving a monkey of care and nourishment after a grueling overseas flight.
The monkey was one of hundreds of long-tailed macaques who were packed into wooden crates and endured a 28-hour flight aboard a charter plane flown by Poland-based SkyTaxi from Mauritius to Miami International Airport that began on Tuesday, January 27. The primates were then unloaded and trucked two hours north to BC US in Immokalee, where staff unloaded them from the shipping crates into quarantine cages late at night on January 28. Staff threw the crates into a biohazard dumpster, at least one apparently containing a live monkey.
The monkey stayed there, when temperatures dropped into the 30s at night for two days before waste disposal company Stericycle collected the dumpster on Friday, January 30. It is unknown where it went from there, but it ended up in Miami, the whistleblower alleges.
The dumpster was unloaded on Monday Feb 2, and the monkey who had now been without food or water for over five days reportedly got loose inside the facility, before being captured and sent back to BC US.
"BC US’s apparent inability to count and look after the primates it imports--incapable of even securely moving a monkey from one cage to another-- meant five days of misery for the monkey and represents a serious biosecurity risk to the human population," says PETA Senior Science Advisor for Primate Issues Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel. “PETA calls for immediate local and federal investigations and an end to this primate-import pipeline.”
BC US imports long-tailed macaques from Bioculture, its sister facility in Mauritius, which has had multiple outbreaks of tuberculosis, including one in 2023 that killed 200 monkeys. The whistleblower reported to PETA that monkeys are sometimes sick in quarantine at BC US, but that staff are told to keep it secret.
In nature, macaques live in large, tight-knit groups, travel several miles each day exploring diverse habitats, and cuddle together in their favorite “sleeping trees” at night. Monkeys imported to U.S. laboratories are bred on squalid factory farms or abducted from their forest homes, pushing some species toward extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently reaffirmed the long-tailed macaque’s Endangered status.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA wants to know how a newly imported macaque — who is required to be placed immediately into CDC-mandated quarantine —reportedly ended up loose inside a biomedical waste processing facility miles away in Miami, and today filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Florida public health officials, and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). PETA calls on the agencies to immediately investigate what appear to be profound failures in basic inventory controls, containment practices, the safeguards often falsely touted by the primate importation industry, and depriving a monkey of care and nourishment after a grueling overseas flight.
The monkey was one of hundreds of long-tailed macaques who were packed into wooden crates and endured a 28-hour flight aboard a charter plane flown by Poland-based SkyTaxi from Mauritius to Miami International Airport that began on Tuesday, January 27. The primates were then unloaded and trucked two hours north to BC US in Immokalee, where staff unloaded them from the shipping crates into quarantine cages late at night on January 28. Staff threw the crates into a biohazard dumpster, at least one apparently containing a live monkey.
The monkey stayed there, when temperatures dropped into the 30s at night for two days before waste disposal company Stericycle collected the dumpster on Friday, January 30. It is unknown where it went from there, but it ended up in Miami, the whistleblower alleges.
The dumpster was unloaded on Monday Feb 2, and the monkey who had now been without food or water for over five days reportedly got loose inside the facility, before being captured and sent back to BC US.
"BC US’s apparent inability to count and look after the primates it imports--incapable of even securely moving a monkey from one cage to another-- meant five days of misery for the monkey and represents a serious biosecurity risk to the human population," says PETA Senior Science Advisor for Primate Issues Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel. “PETA calls for immediate local and federal investigations and an end to this primate-import pipeline.”
BC US imports long-tailed macaques from Bioculture, its sister facility in Mauritius, which has had multiple outbreaks of tuberculosis, including one in 2023 that killed 200 monkeys. The whistleblower reported to PETA that monkeys are sometimes sick in quarantine at BC US, but that staff are told to keep it secret.
In nature, macaques live in large, tight-knit groups, travel several miles each day exploring diverse habitats, and cuddle together in their favorite “sleeping trees” at night. Monkeys imported to U.S. laboratories are bred on squalid factory farms or abducted from their forest homes, pushing some species toward extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently reaffirmed the long-tailed macaque’s Endangered status.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
-News Submitted by PETA
Thursday, February 05, 2026
Yolanda Garcia DeLeon Dies At 74
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Yolanda Garcia DeLeon, a beloved mother, grandmother, and sister who touched the lives of many. Born on November 3, 1951, in Pharr, Texas, she left this earthly realm on February 2, 2026, in LaBelle, Florida, surrounded by love.
Yolanda was a woman of kindness and loyalty, qualities that defined her throughout her life. She cherished her family above all else, serving as a steadfast matriarch and bringing strength and warmth into their lives.
She is survived by her children: Abby Norton, Hector DeLeon, Isreal DeLeon, Edward DeLeon, Eddie DeLeon, Evelyn Esquivel, Jessie DeLeon, and Jessica Deleon, along with her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who will all carry forward the love she bestowed upon them.
Her siblings, Martina Beltron and Raul Martinez, lament the loss of their dear sister, who always kept the family close with her caring nature and unwavering support.
The family invited friends and loved ones to honor Yolanda's memory during the visitation, which took place on February 5, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Akin-Davis Funeral Home in LaBelle, followed by a graveside service at Fort Denaud Cemetery at 11:30 a.m.
Yolanda’s spirit will forever dwell in the hearts of her family and friends, a testament to a life lived with love and devotion. She will be deeply missed but warmly remembered for her boundless affection and familial dedication.
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