A man believed to be homeless was killed Tuesday evening after being struck by a box truck on Northeast 39th Avenue near the intersection of State Road 24, according to Gainesville police. Witnesses reported the man may have stepped into oncoming traffic outside of a crosswalk. Investigators say the driver does not appear to have acted wrongfully, and the case remains under investigation.
Sources: The Gainesville Sun · Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20
Mindy Osteen, 34, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder and additional felony charges for the July 2025 shooting death of Christopher Travis Jones outside Auntie Lili’s Daycare in Starke, where Jones was picking up the couple’s two children. A judge accepted the negotiated plea agreement, resulting in a 100-year prison sentence and closing the case without a trial. The victim’s family described themselves as traumatized by the killing.
Sources: WCJB TV20
An Alachua County Sheriff’s Office detective with nine years of experience is speaking publicly about the psychological burden of investigating child abuse and death cases. Sheriff’s office data show the number of such cases investigated has climbed sharply, from 288 in 2024 to 382 in 2025, with 214 already recorded through the first half of 2026.
Sources: WCJB TV20
A 39-year-old Pennsylvania man, Joshua Barber, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Gainesville on multiple charges including attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, cyberstalking, and threatening communications. Barber appeared in federal court for arraignment and is scheduled for a jury trial on August 4; he faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. The case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative.
Sources: WCJB TV20
