News Update for 8/7/23
A man wanted in connection with a fatal Highlands County shooting earlier this year has been nabbed in Gulfport, Mississippi. Highlands County Sheriff’s officials say Shavarte Makel Deloach was wanted for the February premeditated shooting death of 57-year-old Arthur Scurry jr.
This past February 5th, Sheriff’s deputies were called to a Highway Park address south of Lake Placid where they found Scurry dead of multiple gunshot wounds.
So far, there are no details on how Gulfport officials located Deloach.
Highlands County sheriff’s investigators still are looking for details on the person or persons who opened fire in a crowd during a party in Leisure Lakes over the weekend. As many as 100 – 150 people were gathered in a wooded area – known as a party spot – when somebody started pulling the trigger.
A 19-year-old Sebring girl and a 16-year-old Okeechobee boy were hit. Both were airlifted to a trauma center and at last report were listed in “stable condition.”
Two fatal shootings are under investigation in Lake Wales. Both occured at the Lake Wales Housing Authority’s Grove Manor Complex. Officers first were called to a North First Street address where they found 23-year-old Rhasaan Marquese Johnson who had been shot. He was transported to AdventHealth Lake Wales where he was pronounced dead.
As police descended on Martin Luther King jr Blvd in search of a person of interest identified as Kendrick J. Akins, they heard gunshots. When they arrived, they found Akins on the sidewalk with multiple bullet wounds. He also died.
No motive has been determined, and detectives still are looking for information.
Hardee County sheriff’s officials hope they can clear up a cold case file, with the extradition of 52-year-old Anselmo Avalos. He is wanted in the 1993 slaying of a 21-year-old woman at Clamen’s Mobile Home Park.
Reportedly the victim – who was not identified – had her throat slashed during an argument with Avalos. However, it took authorities nearly two decades to find his whereabouts.
They finally got information from the FBI that Avalos was in Mexico, and begain extradition proceedings. He now is back in Hardee County.
It’ll be a busy session for the Frostproof city council tonight. They first will take action finalizing an ordinance regulating food trucks in the Friendly city, then will look at an annexation that would bring 11.5 acres of groveland inside the city limits.
In other action, the council will look at setting the municipal fire assessment for the upcoming fiscal year, and will hear a presentation from representatives of Tillman Fiber about building a high speed interet service for the city.