News Update for 8/14/24
The trial is underway in the case of a Marion County woman accused of killing her neighbor last summer. Opening statements began early yesterday after an all-white jury consisting of four women and two men were seated in the case of Susan Lorincz. She is accused of shooting A.J. Owens, a Black woman, through the front door of her apartment following an argument over the victim’s children. Lorincz, who is charged with manslaughter, claims she reacted in self-defense. Owens’ children are expected to testify during the trial after witnessing the incident in June of last year. Deputies say they had been called out to the complex seven times due to disagreements between the victim and suspect.
A Central Florida hospital system is the first in the world to use a new blood testing technique to help patients with traumatic brain injuries. The emergency room at Orlando Regional Medical Center is able to run blood tests that will give doctors an idea of how bad an injury is within 15 minutes. The director of Clinical Research at Orlando Health, Dr. Linda Papa, told News 6 that the new process will revolutionize treatment by allowing the tests to take place on the sidelines of sporting events, in the military, and in the ambulance to screen patients. The blood test is currently only in use at the Orlando facility, but the developer, Abbott Laboratories, is hoping to expand to other hospitals nationwide.
Hurricane Debby is blamed for a death in Sarasota County. The sheriff’s office announced yesterday divers on Monday found a body inside an SUV in Sarasota in Philippi Creek. He was identified as 67-year-old Jose Andino. He was reported missing a week ago when he failed to show up to work in Bradenton. Deputies believe Andino’s SUV was washed into the creek by rising floodwaters. The SUV wasn’t visible until Monday, though, because it took that long for water levels in the creek to recede.
The Tampa Bay Lightning may soon be under new ownership. Sportsnet.ca reported yesterday that Blue Owl Capital co-founder and CEO Doug Ostrover is planning to buy the team for two-billion dollars. It would be the largest sale in NHL history. Current owner Jeff Vinik will still have full operational control and what Sportsnet calls a significant ownership stake. Details still need to be worked out before the sale is final.
A Polk County barber is using his skills to help the homeless. Travis Doodles is using a mobile barbershop to give the homeless free haircuts at Lakeland’s Gospel Village. He relies on donations to his nonprofit Worth and Purpose to cover his expenses. Doodles says a haircut is a fresh start, it brings hope and it brings one’s confidence back. His support for the homeless goes beyond haircuts, though. Doodles is helping Matthew Kallhoff start his own lawn care business. Kallhoff tells ABC Action News that Doodles has been very supportive and tells him not to give up.
A man accused of shooting two people in Seminole County is in custody. Santana Sutton of Orlando turned himself into police in Polk County Monday on charges of attempted second-degree murder, battery, and armed burglary. Investigators say the 51-year-old suspect showed up to his ex-girlfriend’s Sanford apartment over the weekend before an argument broke out. Lakechia Jackson and James Williams are expected to make full recoveries after they were found shot at the scene. At the time of the incident, Sutton had a warrant out for his arrest in connection to an unrelated incident.
A recent sighting in Brevard County is a troubling sign for those who track invasive species. Titusville’s Heath Gerling recently saw a green iguana on his porch and posted a photo of it online. He says it was the first one he has seen in the seven or eight years he has lived in the area. The iguanas are not from Florida, but they’re spreading across the state. In Central Florida, Polk County has recorded the most sightings with over a hundred. Orange County has had about 40. Ken Gioeli studies invasive species at the University of Florida, and he says green iguanas present a very difficult situation. He tells Fox 35 their droppings, if left on fruits and vegetables, can cause salmonella or E. coli, and there’s no easy way to eradicate the species.
Orlando’s tourism and marketing agency is accused of bad recordkeeping. Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond released a preliminary audit yesterday that he did into Visit Orlando’s finances. He found Visit Orlando mistakenly labeled millions in public funds as private funds. County Commissioner Mayra Uribe says this matters because there are different rules for how public and private funds can be used. Uribe tells Channel 9 this is the opposite of what transparency and good government should be. Visit Orlando says it’s reviewing the findings, and it’s committed to being good partners.