Tag: Florida

Democrats call for resignation of Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler amid sexual battery allegations

The Sarasota Police Department is currently running a criminal investigation over allegations of sexual battery against Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler. 

As of Thursday, police confirmed that investigators have not charged Ziegler with any crimes yet. 

Police released a heavily redacted report, obscuring details about the accusations, but claiming it involved a rape allegation against Ziegler. 

The complaint was filed Oct. 4, and stated that the alleged sexual battery occurred inside a woman’s Sarasota home on Oct. 2, according to the report. Among words not redacted in the report are “rape” and “sexual assault complaint.”

TWO ARIZONA REPUBLICAN OFFICIALS IN RURAL BORDER COUNTY CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH DELAYING 2022 ELECTION RESULTS

Earlier on Thursday, Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, released a statement to FOX 13 Tampa Bay acknowledging the reports of the investigation, saying that Ziegler has fully cooperated with the police requests. 

“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Byrd said in a statement.

The Republican Party of Sarasota County also released a statement Thursday: 

“We are shocked and disappointed to hear of the reports concerning Republican Party of Florida Chair and Sarasota County State Committeeman Christian Ziegler, and his wife, Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler. The Republican Party takes all such allegations of potential criminal conduct very seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators.”

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The Florida Democratic Party has also called on Ziegler to step down as the GOP chairman.

“This is serious. We demand his immediate resignation,” Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, posted on X. 

Ziegler is the head of the Florida GOP and the husband of Sarasota school board member Bridget Ziegler, who is also a co-founder of Moms for Liberty. 

DESANTIS TROLLS NIKKI HALEY WITH NEW CAMPAIGN MERCH MOCKING HER COMMENTS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA VERIFICATION

“Bridget was an original founder of Moms for Liberty, but she stepped back from the organization’s board in 2021. We have learned long ago to not believe everything we read online, and we are confident she will get to tell her side of things to those who are interested in more than clickbait,” Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, Moms for Liberty Founders told Fox News Digital. 

According to the Florida Center for Government Accountability, Christian Ziegler has deep-rooted ties to both Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Trump, who called out Ziegler’s name in a recent speech earlier this month during the “Florida Freedom Summit” in Kissimmee, and said he was doing a “fantastic job.” 

Florida squatter victim launching website to assist other landlords with illegal occupants

A Florida landlord is launching a website to assist other property owners with squatters after she spent thousands of dollars to remove illegal residents from her own property.

“My goal is to drive state and federal laws to treat squatters as criminals and to expedite the review of fraudulent leases,” Patti Peeples, 61, told Fox News.

Earlier this year, Peeples and her business partner Dawn Tiura ejected two female squatters from their home after they moved in illegally for over a month and left thousands in damages.

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The website, PushOutSquatters.org will launch later this week and will intentionally go by the abbreviation “POS.”

“So many who responded to news articles used that abbreviation, so I went with the double entendres,” said Peeples, who is a retired entrepreneur with experience in marketing.

The website will be both informational and community-oriented, she said.

“The purpose of the website will be to present the risks associated with squatting, the rise in frequency and to offer resources for those attempting to get squatters out, including everything from security resources to legal resources on how to review state statutes,” Peeples said.

She added that other squatter victims will be able to share their stories on the website so others can learn from those experiences.

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Peeples plans to also sell hats and t-shirts with the website’s logo featuring a stick figure kicking another stick figure out of a house.

“We will use the funds to lobby state legislators for better laws,” Peeples said.

Although Peeples successfully removed the two squatters from her Jacksonville, Florida, investment property, they illegally occupied it for 34 days and left behind $38,000 in damages. During the ordeal, Patti lost an interested buyer in the house, was physically pushed out of the house by the squatters and decided that she has had enough of working in real estate.

SQUATTER VICTIMS FED UP WITH BEING LANDLORDS AFTER FEELING WRONGED BY LEGAL SYSTEM

“This is my retirement, and so any sort of income that I was trusting to live off of for this year is diminished because of this act of stealing,” Peeples told Fox News. “That’s essentially what they’ve done – they’ve stolen my home from me.”

The squatters, who have a history of illegal occupancy, produced a fraudulent lease when police were called, allowing them to remain in the home until Peeples took them to court.

Peeples and Tiura were forced to pay $5,000 in legal fees to eject the squatters.

FLORIDA VICTIM OF SERIAL SQUATTER CALLS ON DESANTIS TO CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL HOME OCCUPATION

Peeples said that since her story became public, she’s seen a positive impact, including former President Trump mentioning squatters in Florida in a jab at Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“I’ve had hundreds of people send me messages on social media,” Peeples said, adding that the stories about her situation have been seen by millions of people.

“The publicity has also encouraged our local sheriff’s office to pay more attention to this and pursue criminal charges if they can find the squatters,” she added.

Click here to learn more about the squatters in Jacksonville, Florida.

Video shows cars piled up after tornado hits Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

A video has emerged showing cars piled on top of each other after a tornado with estimated peak wind speeds of 130 mph ripped through South Florida. 

Footage taken in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Palm Beach Gardens Saturday depicted a car overturned with another propped up against it. 

“Oh my God. Look at this thing,” a person could be heard saying as locals were wandering around the area to survey the damage. 

The city of Palm Beach Gardens said there were reports of “roof damage, minor structural damage to buildings, a lot of trees down and a lot vehicle damage” in the wake of the EF-2 tornado. 

BIDEN DECLARES FORT LAUDERDALE A DISASTER AREA AFTER SEVERE FLOODING 

“Fire Rescue states that no injuries were reported in our jurisdiction as a result of the storm, but they did assist with transports in nearby areas,” the city added, noting that “multiple roadways were blocked with debris and downed trees.” 

More than 11 million Florida residents had been placed under a tornado watch that covered most of the Florida Peninsula Saturday, according to FOX Weather. 

Another video taken of the tornado showed a car being lifted off the ground and thrown through the air while it was in the middle of a street. 

Palm Beach Gardens said it has activated its “Emergency Operations Center with personnel from Police, Fire and Public Works to address cleanup.” 

DAMAGING TORNADOES SWEEP THROUGH OKLAHOMA, LEAVING AT LEAST 2 DEAD 

“A cell merger that began between the turnpike and Interstate 95 in Palm Beach Gardens was able to take advantage of a favorable environment for tornadoes and spawn an EF-2 tornado,” the National Weather Service (NWS) had said in a report. 

“The tornado began just east of Interstate 95 and moved northeast across A1A, passing just south of the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center,” it continued. “As it moved through the Sanctuary Cove Community it turned more north-northeasterly crossing PGA Blvd near the intersection with U.S. 1. 

“After a short trek up U.S. 1, the tornado dissipated before reaching Juno Beach,” the NWS statement concluded. 

The NWS also said that the tornado destroyed a dry-cleaning business, collapsed light poles and caused an electrical concrete pole to lean over. 

The tornado lasted 11 minutes and traveled nearly 3 miles before it dissipated, the NWS added. 

“The City Engineer and Building official continue to do structural damage assessments,” the City of Palm Beach Gardens said. 

Florida bakery reopens after owner nearly killed by son: 'Long way to recovery'

Knaus Berry Farm reopened Monday after one of the Florida bakery owners’ sons nearly killed his own mother.

“Thank you for the prayers and kind words. We are overwhelmed with this communities kindness! Also thanks to the first responders @miamidadefirerescue and the diligent work @miamidadecountypolicedep,” Knaus Berry Farm — a popular Redlands bakery and farm — wrote in a Monday Instagram Post.

They continued: “We received encouraging words from Rachel’s doctor today. A slight improvement! It will be a long way to recovery but are hopeful. We are comfortable in opening tomorrow for Presidents’ Day.”

Rachel Knaus Grafe and Herbert Grafe were at their home in the Redlands when their 30-year-old son, Travis Grafe, allegedly attacked them on Friday evening, WSVN-TV first reported.

KNAUS BERRY FARM OWNER BEATEN AT FLORIDA HOME, SON ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER

Miami-Dade Police Department officers responded to a violent domestic dispute in the 15700 block of SW 248 Street in the Redlands, authorities told Fox News Digital over the weekend.

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An injured husband and wife at the home told responding officers that their son attacked them with a “blunt object” before he fled the scene,” authorities said.

Grafe reportedly has a traumatic brain injury, according to WPLG.

A family friend told WTVJ-TV that the couple was “extremely shocked and upset” over the incident.

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“I’ve just heard that Travis wanted money, and his mom wouldn’t give it to him, and he beat her pretty bad — close to death — with a flashlight,” the family friend said.

Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Giménez said he and his wife are “praying for” the Grafe family in a Saturday tweet.

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“Knaus Berry Farm is an iconic business in our district, providing some of the best baked goods and milkshakes in South Florida. Horrified by this news,” he wrote.

Travis Grafe is being held on $25,000 bond at Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation. He is charged with attempted murder, robbery and aggravated battery.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Florida man wearing ankle monitor arrested for burglary and grand theft: reports

A Florida man wearing an ankle monitor after posting bond for pending charges was arrested this week for burglary and grand theft, according to reports. Joshua Reed, 19, was ordered by the Broward County Court to wear a GPS ankle-worn monitor for a pending case in Palm Beach, after posting bond for charges of grand … Continue reading Florida man wearing ankle monitor arrested for burglary and grand theft: reports

Florida men arrested in Bank of America robbery, police say

Florida police have nabbed two men in connection with a Bank of America robbery in Tampa on Saturday morning.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said a man entered a Bank of America in Tampa just before 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, August 20, 2022.

The sheriff’s office said the man jumped behind the teller’s counter and demanded money. He left with an undisclosed amount and fled in a waiting white Honda Accord.

Investigators tracked down the vehicle to the Park on Waters Apartments at 2701 W Waters Ave. Deputies connected the vehicle to 48-year-old John Ward, the sheriff’s office said. Inside the vehicle, deputies found “large amounts of cash” that matched the money stolen from the bank.

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Deputies located another man who they said was running around wearing only his boxers and a white tank top. The rest of his clothes were later found at a nearby lake. The man — later identified as 28-year-old Terry Zukowski — admitted to driving the getaway vehicle in the bank robbery, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office said that he also admitted to driving the getaway car in the robbery of a Suncoast Credit Union earlier this month.

“Thanks to the hard work, great investigative skills, and quick response by deputies responding to the scene, the two suspects were located and charged,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.

Ward and Zukowski are both charged with robbery while wearing a mask.