Drinking spree ends in arrest
MIDDLEBURG – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Middleburg man after he pulled out a revolver and shot four holes in his kitchen floor.
Police arrested John David Stover, 58, on July 11 at 7:35 p.m. in his Muscovy Road home after conducting a brief investigation and talking to witnesses.
The victim told police that he went to visit a friend on Muscovy Road and before he decided to return home, he would go visit Stover also.
“The victim was sitting in a chair in the kitchen when the defendant started arguing with him,” states the report.
The victim said Stover went into his bedroom and came out with a revolver and fired four shots near the victim’s feet in order to make him leave his house.
“It should be noted that all parties involved admitted to be under the influence of Alcohol,” states the CCSO report.
At press time, Stover remained in the Clay County Jail awaiting a bond hearing.

DOT reacts to fatality of 8-year-old
OAKLEAF – A two-vehicle crash that occurred July 10 in the Oakleaf area has the Florida Department of Transportation not only offering condolences to the families involved, but pledging to make changes to the traffic signal at the dangerous intersection where the crash occurred.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that Angel Rios, 8, of Lakeland, was a passenger in his mother’s 2002 Toyota Camry traveling eastbound on Oakleaf Plantation Parkway. He was later pronounced dead at Orange Park Medical Center.
FHP said Michelle Rios, 27, attempted to make a left turn to go north of State Road 23 when her vehicle was struck in the passenger side by the front of a 2006 Honda CRV driven by Angelica Joyce Soloman, 28, of Jacksonville. Soloman was heading westbound on Argyle Forest Boulevard in the left lane when, police said, she struck Rios’ Toyota.
Michelle Rios and her daughter Giselle Rios, 9, were also transported by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue to OPMC for minor injuries. Soloman was not injured.
“First and foremost, our condolences to the family involved. The loss of life in the motor vehicle crash which occurred yesterday at the intersection of SR 23 and Argyle Forest Boulevard is a tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Angel Rios,” said Mary Justino, a FDOT public information officer.
Justino said FDOT conducted field reviews of the intersections within the involved, active construction limits on Tuesday and looked at ways traffic safety could be improved. She said where changes or improvements are warranted, they will be made.
She said crews worked after rush hour on July 11 “to change the traffic signal so that it includes a protected left turn using solid red/green arrows. This safety improvement may cause general delays at the intersection and we ask drivers to exercise patience while the work is being done this evening and after the changed signal pattern takes effect.”
Meanwhile, FHP said no charges have been filed as the crash is still under investigation.

Man bites officer during attempted hospital escape
ORANGE PARK – A Keystone Heights man was arrested after attempting to escape from Orange Park Medical Center and allegedly biting a deputy.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Brandon James Haugdahl, 28, on July 8 at 12:30 a.m. after he cracked a glass door while attempting to escape Orange Park Medical Center and then attacked a law enforcement officer.
According to the report, Haugdahl was being held at Orange Park Medical Center after being held under the Baker Act. The man attempted to escape the medical hold and cracked a glass door with his shoulder. A deputy from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Haugdahl when the two fell to the ground and Haugdahl bit the deputy on his forearm.
Following medical release from OPMC, Haugdahl was handcuffed and transported to Clay County Jail. He faces two felonies for vandalism of $1,000 or more and for attacking a law enforcement officer. Haugdahl is being held on $30,000 bond with a court date set for August 16.

Orange Park man attacks pregnant girlfriend
ORANGE PARK – An Orange Park man was arrested after attacking his pregnant girlfriend at their Orange Park apartment.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Christian Justice Michael, 21, on July 5 at 8:11 p.m. after he turned himself in at the Middleburg substation following the incident.
According to the report, Michael had become angry with his girlfriend after she changed her Facebook password to talk to Michael’s mother. Michael threw both of their phones before taking the victim, who is five months pregnant with his baby, into the house and throwing her on the bed. Michael proceeded to kick the victim in her legs. The attack resulted in bruising of the woman’s arms and legs.
Michael faces a felony for aggravated battery on a pregnant female and was taken to the Clay County Jail following his arrest. He has since been released on bond.

Green Cove Springs man caught sharing child porn
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Green Cove Springs man was arrested after sharing child pornography from his home computer.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kevin Michael Steedley, 27, on July 5 at 1:08 p.m. at his home in Green Cove Springs after an online investigation into Steedley’s sharing of child pornography on the internet.
According to the report, CCSO has investigated a network created for the sharing of child pornography and located Steedley based on an IP address found during the investigation. Steedley was arrested and officers found files containing videos of girls between the ages of 5-14 engaging in sexual activity on his computer’s hard drive.
Steedley faces three felonies for child pornography and is being held in the Clay County Jail on a $75,000 bond. His next court date is set for August 9.

Armed Robbery charge for Jacksonville man
MIDDLEBURG – A Jacksonville man was arrested on an outstanding warrant after crashing his car into a tree in Middleburg.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Keith Lamar Belamy, 29, on July 6 at 7:11 p.m. after he reversed his car into a tree in front of a deputy in Middleburg.
Belamy had a warrant issued for his arrest in March after allegedly robbing a woman in Orange Park. According to the repor,t Belamy went to the victim’s home to sell her marijuana hours after she had requested to buy it. When she wouldn’t open the door, Belamy kicked the door in, choked the woman and threw her to the ground before throwing two chairs at her. He then proceeded to steal $100 cash from her purse and threatened her with a firearm in his waistband before leaving.
For the incident, Belamy faces a felony for home invasion with a weapon, in addition to numerous other outstanding drug and traffic violations. Belamy is being held on $168,000 bond with a court date set for August 9.

Shotgun incident ends in felony charges
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Green Cove Springs man was arrested on a warrant issued in late May at his home in Green Cove.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested James Scott Perdue, 47, on July 8 ar 12:19 a.m. on an outstanding warrant issued after Perdue allegedly fired a shotgun into the ground near three other people in a way that was not considered self-defense.
Upon the deputy’s arrival, Perdue was asleep on his couch, when he woke up and became aware of the situation he covered his arms with his chest and laid face down on the couch to prevent the arresting officer from putting him in handcuffs. Once he had been restrained, Perdue would not walk on his own or get into the police cruiser, according to the report.
Following his arrest, Perdue was transported to the Clay County Jail and has since been released. He faces misdemeanor charges for improper use of a firearm and for resisting arrest. Perdue has since been released.

Car wash robbery ends in arrest
ORANGE PARK – Two Jacksonville men were arrested after attempting to rob an Orange Park car wash last week.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested David Howard J. Moore, 27, and David Keith Ayers, 37, on July 7 at 7:40 a.m. at Oasis Car Wash after the two attempted to steal money out of the cash machine at the car wash.
According to the report, the two men, both convicted felons in the state of Florida, were arrested after the owner of the car wash called police while watching them try to break into a machine containing cash from car wash customers. After being taken into custody officers found a loaded handgun in their car. The two men did an estimated $1,700 in damage to the cash machine during the attempted robbery.
The two men were taken to Clay County Jail following their arrest. Both men face three felonies: causing damage valued at over $1,000, grand theft damage of $1,000 or more, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Moore is being held on a $25,000 bond and Ayers is being held on $300,000. Both men will appear in court on August 9.

Middleburg woman dies in boating accident
ST. AUGUSTINE – A Clay County teacher died last weekend after falling off a boat Saturday night, July 8 in the Intracoastal Waterway near the St. Augustine Inlet. A spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Jodi Nesi, 42, of Middleburg was hit by the boat’s propeller.
Nesi died the next day at a St. Augustine hospital. FWC reports that Nesi was run over by the new Stingray boat she and six others were on, according to the accident report.
FWC officers were called about 8:30 p.m. to the scene. Nesi had been kneeling on the bow of the 19-foot boat being driven by her husband when it ran into rough water, the report said. Nesi lost her balance and fell overboard, then was run over and hit by the propeller. She was transported to Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine where she died the next day, the report said. No one else on the boat was injured.
Nesi was a speech pathologist at Plantation Oaks Elementary in the Oakleaf community in Clay County. Prior to serving at POE, she was at Doctors Inlet Elementary.
Funeral services in celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. on July 14 at Orange Park United Methodist Church, 2051 Park Ave., with Rev. Oscar Otero, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church officiating.

State officers charge woman with forging veterinary documents, more

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Keystone Heights woman who has been wanted since October 2016 for allegedly forging veterinary documents used in the sale of pets.

Police arrested Sheila Kay Topp, 51, on July 11 at 4 p.m. where she turned herself in to the CCSO at its Green Cove Springs headquarters. She faces two counts of presenting forged official certificates, three counts of criminal use of personal identification, two counts of transfer ownership of animal without official certification or veterinarian inspection.

The investigation began October 25, 2016 when an officer with the state Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement contacted a law enforcement officer for the state Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services regarding what officers believed to be a fraudulent health certificate issued from Baldwin Animal Clinic in Baldwin, Fla. west of Jacksonville.

During the investigation, the clinic’s owner, Robert Engle, told investigators that he did not issue to the fraudulent certificate nor given anyone else permission to use the certificate or his veterinarian license number.

On November 9, 2016, investigators were led to Topp’s home in Keystone Heights to “obtain a statement and review documents pertaining to the sale of dogs,” states the arrest warrant. However, when police approached the home, no one answered the door, but heard dogs barking from inside an air-conditioned garage. Investigators left Topp a voice mail asking her to call them back.

When she finally did call the officers back, investigators stated, “I received multiple telephone calls from a woman who identified herself as the defendant. She was very irate, harassing and refused to cooperate in any way.”

After booking in the Clay County Jail, Topp was released on $35,015 bond.