Category: Crime and Public Safety

A Boca Raton couple are accused of selling counterfeit designer bags and jewelry out of their salon west of Delray Beach, which the husband said they did to get by in difficult financial times, according to a probable cause affidavit. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s detectives received an anonymous tip on Aug. 30 about the fake items being sold out of The Salon Delray in the 1500 block of Jog Road, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Wednesday. After an investigation where an undercover detective made several purchases and the execution of a search warrant at the salon, owners Jacqueline,...

A 19-year-old man is facing a second-degree felony charge seven months after he allegedly hit a pedestrian near the Nova Southeastern University campus and drove away before officers arrived, police said. A probable cause affidavit was written in May for the arrest of Vincent Walla, of Staten Island, N.Y., for charges of failing to stop or remain at an accident involving serious bodily injury. The warrant was served Monday, according to court records. At the time of the crash in March, Walla was an NSU student, according to the affidavit. On the evening of March 30, a pedestrian was hit in the...

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown was arrested in Broward County Sunday on a warrant for allegedly failing to pay child support, court records say. A Broward Sheriff’s Office Civil Division deputy pulled over a cab in the 1000 block of Griffin Road in Dania Beach Sunday afternoon and made contact with Brown, 35, who lives in Hollywood, in the backseat, a probable cause affidavit said. He had an active arrest warrant out of Miami-Dade County. The affidavit did not contain further details. The arrest warrant, issued in early August, was related to a 2013 paternity case involving his minor...

Multiple members of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, including sworn deputies, are under federal investigation for their participation in collecting COVID-19 relief money known as the Paycheck Protection Program, sources said this week. The South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office has been pursuing cases of pandemic relief fraud involving the program, which was run by the Small Business Administration and meant to help keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic. Those facing scrutiny had submitted paperwork for loans for the most money possible under the program, according to a source. Since...

A woman was killed in a car crash in Lauderdale Lakes last week, and all efforts to identify her have been unsuccessful, leading the Broward Sheriff’s Office to release a sketch of her Tuesday. The 4-foot-9, 80-pound woman was crossing the road near the 3400 block of North State Road 7 and the intersection of Northwest 34th Street shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sept. 27 when the driver of a  2023 Kia Soul heading southbound hit her in the right lane, the Sheriff’s Office said. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Kia driver stayed to cooperate with the investigation. The Sheriff’s Office...

Eight South Florida residents have either pleaded guilty or been convicted for their participation in a scheme where thousands of fake nursing diplomas and transcripts were sold out of three accredited schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties to aspiring nurses, allowing them to sit for national board exams and to land nursing jobs across the country. Seven of the eight pleaded guilty, including two nursing school owners, while one defendant was convicted Thursday. Four of them are awaiting sentencing. A total of 20 defendants who federal prosecutors announced charges against in the Southern...

Defense lawyers in the YNW Melly double murder case are demanding a dismissal of the charges, accusing prosecutors of withholding incriminating information about their lead detective. Over the summer, attorneys for the rapper, whose real name is Jamell Demons, filed a complaint against Miramar Police Detective Mark Moretti, accusing him of forcibly taking a cell phone belonging to Demons’ mother while he was questioning her in connection with the case at the Broward courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale in October 2022. According to the defense, Moretti was outside his jurisdiction when he...

A 19-year-old man died after he was shot multiple times in Lauderhill on Thursday night, police said. Romauni Berkett was found lying in the road, unresponsive, about 8:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Northwest 59th Way about 8:30 p.m., Lauderhill Police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The police department released few details Friday afternoon aside from that Berkett was walking in the area when he was shot. They have no motive or suspect. Authorities ask anyone with information about the shooting to call Lauderhill Police at 954-497-4700 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

A driver who was attempting to park at a restaurant in Plantation on Friday evening instead crashed into the building, injuring 20 people and sending 12 of them to the hospital, officials said. The driver who tried to park crashed into the Thai Meal restaurant at 8257 W. Sunrise Blvd. in the Jacaranda Plaza, said Lt. Aston Bright, spokesperson for the Plantation Fire Department. Initial 911 calls came in shortly after 6:30 p.m. Bright said the restaurant was packed with its Friday night crowd. Firefighters set up a triage area and treated people at the scene while 12 people were taken to either...