Friday, May 1, 2026
A two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Northwest Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Northwest 22nd Street in Ocala sent seven people to the hospital Thursday afternoon. Ocala Fire Rescue reported that three adults and four children were injured, with one child transported as a trauma alert patient.
Sources: WCJB TV20
Seth Day, Edward Kenny, and Tate Trauthwein, who were arrested in November 2025 on charges of battery and false imprisonment related to a violent hazing of a fellow firefighter, changed their pleas to guilty on Thursday. All three were convicted of simple battery and sentenced to one year of probation, fines of several hundred dollars each, and 100 hours of community service.
Sources: WCJB TV20
Gary Adams, 59, of Starke was arrested Wednesday after investigators received a cyber tip the previous week alleging he was uploading child pornography to Facebook. The Florida Attorney General’s office said Adams could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and additional charges may be filed.
Sources: WCJB TV20
Florida carried out the execution of an Orlando man found guilty of the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl, a crime committed roughly five decades ago. The U.S. Supreme Court denied a last-minute appeal from the condemned man before the sentence was carried out.
Sources: The Gainesville Sun
Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 22-year-old Dajuan Myhand after responding to a crash on Southwest 170th Street in Archer and determining the vehicle had been stolen earlier that day from Alachua County. Myhand has a prior criminal record that includes grand theft and armed burglary convictions for which he served prison time.
Sources: WCJB TV20
A Marion County judge ordered 29-year-old Isaac Toye held without bond Wednesday in connection with the February shooting death of 64-year-old Harold Harper, who was killed in his own front yard. At the same hearing, Judge Barbara Kwatkosky ruled that prosecutors may obtain Toye’s unredacted military record. Toye remains in the Marion County Jail facing a murder charge.
Sources: WCJB TV20
Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to a large blaze at the Outreach Thrift Store on Northwest 6th Street and Northwest 23rd Avenue around 10:30 Tuesday night, leaving the building with scorched walls and fire line tape across its entrance. The store, which serves North Central Florida residents with affordable clothing and household items, was closed following the fire, and no injuries were reported. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the blaze.
Sources: WCJB TV20 · The Gainesville Sun
The body of Alejandro Jacomino Gonzalez, a Florida truck driver who had gone missing, was discovered in Georgia. Authorities had been searching for him after he disappeared, and his remains were ultimately located across state lines.
Sources: The Gainesville Sun
Gainesville officials have designated a temporary restricted zone covering wooded areas bounded by NW Sixth Street, Main Street, NW 39th Avenue, and NW 53rd Avenue as firefighting efforts continue near North Main Street. Gainesville Fire Rescue and police officers are distributing safety maps to people in the affected woods and erecting fire lines, while the Florida Forest Service continues suppression operations that may involve water drops and heavy equipment. People who remain in the restricted area after outreach could face enforcement action, and city officials are urging residents citywide to avoid open flames given current dry conditions.
Sources: City of Gainesville
A multi-agency response successfully contained a fire burning along County Road 2082 in Alachua County. Residents seeking information about wildfires affecting the area were directed to AlachuaCountyReady.com for updates.
Sources: Alachua County
A traffic crash near Micanopy prompted an erroneous mass casualty alert, causing confusion before the University of Florida stepped in to clarify the situation. UF officials moved to clear up the misunderstanding following the accidental report.
Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator
Alachua County has declared a Local State of Emergency as Gainesville Fire Rescue, Alachua County Fire Rescue, and the Florida Forest Service work to contain two active wildfires amid what the county fire chief described as the longest burn ban in his tenure, in effect since November 17. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning covering Alachua County and 30 other Florida counties, with wind-driven conditions making the situation unpredictable; fire officials say 38 city staff are currently assigned to suppression efforts. Residents are urged to follow burn ban rules, which prohibit all open fires, fireworks, and off-road driving that could ignite dry vegetation.
Sources: City of Gainesville · Alachua County
In Brief