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Police Briefs 3/23/17

Clay County Sheriff's Office
Posted 3/22/17

Melrose man dies in solo crash

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that a Melrose man died this week in a one-vehicle accident near the intersection of State Road 20 and Gordon …

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Police Briefs 3/23/17


Posted

Melrose man dies in solo crash
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that a Melrose man died this week in a one-vehicle accident near the intersection of State Road 20 and Gordon Chapel Road just east of Hawthorne.
Police said Aaron Moore, 40, of Melrose, was driving a 2006 Buick Rendezvous westbound on SR 20 when it crossed into the eastbound lane, went off the roadway and struck a tree. Police said the Buick caught on fire upon impact and Moore was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Police said he was not wearing a safety belt when the crash occurred March 21 at 11:10 a.m.

Breakup ends in assault, arrest
ORANGE PARK – What began as a conversation in which the victim told her boyfriend she wanted to end their two-year relationship ended in an arrest for assault.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kyle Evan England, 25, on March 19 after conducting an investigation at the scene, the InTown Suites motel at 442 Blanding Blvd. near Orange Park.
According to the police report, England became violent and started cursing at the victim when she told him the relationship was over and he needed to leave the motel room.
The victim, who is four months pregnant, said England began shaking her, so she began hitting him all over his body, neck and face to “get him off of her,” states the report.
England faces a felony charge of aggravated battery on a pregnant female. At press time, he remained in the Clay County Jail where his bond is set at $25,003.

Woman strikes officer in face
ORANGE PARK – A reckless driver report ended in an arrest for violence on a police officer last week.
Orange Park Police went to Speedway station at 1346 Park Ave. on March 15 where the officer approached the car that had been reported in as driving recklessly on Park Avenue.
According to the police report, he smelled marijuana coming from the car and began questioning three occupants while the driver was in the store.
A search of the car uncovered a metal grinder and one-tenth of a gram of marijuana from the purse of 19-year-old Marianna Nikolaeva’s purse. When the officer attempted to cuff Nikolaeva, the officer said she resisted and said she wasn’t going to jail and turned around. She then allegedly struck the officer in the face knocking his sunglasses off his face. Two other officers joined in securing Nikolaeva for her safety. Police said when she was placed in the patrol car, she began kicking the seat, which forced the officer to place her in a hobble restraint, which he removed later before transporting her to the Clay County Jail.
Police charged Nikolaeva – a Jacksonville resident – with battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis. She is free from jail on bond.

Police charge expectant father with beating wife
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—A Keystone Heights man was arrested Monday, February 27, after allegedly attempting to strangle his pregnant wife to death.
Carl Leslie Bryce, 28, was at home with his wife when, according to the victim, an argument about him and his wife’s relationship occurred. The argument led to Bryce become angry and pushed his pregnant wife to the ground.
Bryce began to strangle the victim while telling her that he wanted her to die. Bryce’s wife begged him to stop while screaming loud enough for their neighbor to hear, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office report. Bryce did not stop and told his wife that he will kill their unborn child, at which point, he began shoving his knee into her stomach.
The victim eventually escaped, ran out of the house and called the police. When police arrived, Bryce was nowhere to be found. Police eventually saw Bryce pull his vehicle back up to the front of the house where they arrested him.
Bryce denied the fight with his wife had occurred. While in transport, Bryce told police he was having a heart attack. Bryce was faking the heart attack and after he realized the police knew he was faking, he asked the police to shoot him because he didn’t want to live anymore, according to the police report.
Bryce was arrested and charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant female and domestic battery by strangulation. He is currently free on bond.

Kidnapping charge added to Middleburg man
GREEN COVE SPRINGS—A Middleburg man was arrested Saturday, Feb. 25, after a warrant was issued for his arrest relating to a kidnapping that had taken place four days earlier.
On Feb. 21, the victim had been out with some friends when Mark Allen Crockett, 39, began following her and her friends around and harassing her via text messages and phone calls, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office report.
Later that night, as the victim was walking up at her apartment, Crockett allegedly ran from around the building, grabbed her and forced her into his car. Once in the car, the victim said. Crockett struck the victim in the abdomen and pulled her hair.
Crockett drove to his residence where he continued to hit the victim until she gave him access to her cell phone. Crockett began contacting the victim’s friends and threatening them. The victim agreed to have sex with Crockett if he would calm down and not physically abuse her any further, according to the police report.
The victim convinced Crockett to take her to a hospital to get help with her injuries. The victim told police that she fabricated a story about how the injuries came about to prevent Crockett from getting in trouble. After being released from the hospital, Crockett let her go later that day.
Four days later, police were called by the victim and she explained what Crockett had done. A warrant for Crockett’s arrest was put out shortly after.
Last Friday, March 17, Crockett was arrested and charged with domestic battery and false imprisonment. He is currently in the Clay County Jail with no bond amount set.
Crockett was first arrested Feb. 26 for one count of felony burglary of an occupied dwelling and one count of felony kidnapping of a child under 13 without the consent of a parent after allegedly taking an eight-year-old boy from his home to convince the boy’s mother to continue a relationship with him.


Exhibitionist gets collared
GREEN COVE SPRINGS—A Green Cove Springs man was arrested Saturday, March 15, months after aggressively fondling himself in front of two females.
In August of last year, Stuart Euguene Bates, 55, saw two girls doing yard work in the front yard of their home. Bates allegedly walked over to the victims and started a conversation with them, during which, he told one of the victims that she was pretty, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office report.
The victim then noticed that Bates had his genitalia exposed and was beginning to fondle himself. The victims asked Bates to leave and he did. The victims then called the police.
Police approached Bates and asked to speak with him. He agreed to talk with them.
Bates was arrested March 15 and charged with exposure of sexual organs. He is currently in the Clay County Jail with a bond amount set at $15,002.

Truck thief charged
GREEN COVE SPRINGS—An Interlachen woman was arrested Friday, March 17, after allegedly stealing a truck and some of the possessions in the truck.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from the victim who told police that his blue Dodge truck was missing on March 17. The victim also told police that there was an unfamiliar black Ford truck in his driveway when he got home. While talking with the victim, dispatch informed police of a vehicle that matched the description of the victim’s missing vehicle found nearby, according to the police report.
Police relocated to where the missing vehicle was reportedly seen. Once there, the police conducted a search and found the truck in question. Police approached the camper on the site in search of who might be responsible for stealing the truck. Eventually, after attempting to conceal herself under a blanket, Lori Ann Deramus, 41, exited the camper.
Police discovered multiple items from the stolen truck on her person including blank checks and insurance cards. Deramus refused to speak to police. Soon after, the victim arrived to the scene and confirmed that the vehicle and stolen possessions were his.
Deramus was arrested and is charged with burglary and grand theft auto. She is currently residing in the Clay County Jail with a bond amount set at $65,009.

Man charged with felony illegal dumping
MIDDLEBURG – Police say a Middleburg turned himself in to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office March 16 after he learned there was a warrant for his arrest.
CCSO charged Joseph Russell Patterson III, 20, with one felony count of littering more than 500 pounds of commercial or hazardous waste after conducting in investigation.
According to the arrest warrant, a property owner in the 2000 block of Mosley Road had contracted with Patterson to remove and properly haul away solid waste debris, such as yard waste, old tires, concrete, bricks and other debris.
Police said the property owner had given Patterson a partial payment – including landfill disposal fees – to start the cleanup project. However, on Feb. 27, the property owner met with Patterson where he saw that Patterson had a utility trailer full of debris in tow.
According to police, “The debris was later illegally dumped on a County roadway located at the 5100 block of Hogarth Rd.”
During the investigation, CCSO environmental crimes investigators found Patterson had illegally dumped a total of 12,360 pounds of waste and left it in the open roadway.
Patterson was booked on the charges after posting a $1,003 bond.

Meth charge lodged against Live Oak man
FLEMING ISLAND – A traffic stop recently led authorities to seize more than 50 grams of the illicit drug methamphetamine.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested James Shelton Boyd, 49, of Live Oak and charged him with trafficking methamphetamine and drug equipment possession after searching his vehicle on March 16 around 1:29 p.m.
The traffic stop took place in the 4500 block of U.S. Highway 17 on Fleming Island. A state database check found there are outstanding warrants for Boyd in Columbia County and that the registered owner of the vehicle he was driving had a suspended driver’s license.
After Boyd gave verbal consent to a vehicle search, police found drug paraphernalia, plastic baggies and 57.38 grams of methamphetamine.
Boyd was booked into the Clay County Jail, where at press time, he remained held with bond set at $105,505.