Some animal advocates said that the sparsely filled out database leaves out some much-needed information.

Heidi Hardman, the president of Polka Dogz Pet Rescue, is working to find a perfect home for Coyote, the latest of 2,000 dogs her Polka Dogz team has rescued and rehomed since 2015.

The new law, Dexter’s Law, promised her a searchable statewide database of convicted animal abusers that she could use to check applications.

“We have no idea where they live in the state, nothing,” Hardman said.

The database that launched Wednesday is a list of 1,700 names, from John Smith to Timothy Brown, but it doesn’t include birthdays, photos or counties. So, in cases of people with the same name, like John Smith, there is no way to tell who is who.

Hardman and other rescue group leaders said it’s going to create a headache for the thousands of other John Smiths and commonly named people in Florida.

“And that’s going to make people more suspicious and make it harder,” Hardman said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, however, appeared to publish exactly what the law demanded: a list of names.

“Is this just too loosely written?” Nick Papantonis, an Orlando-based reporter, asked animal rights activist Debbie Darino.

“They did a list. I’m not sure what they were thinking, but that’s not what it was supposed to be,” Darino said.

Darino pushed for the new state law to be modeled after the one she helped pass in Volusia County, which includes photos and dates of birth.

Darino said she’s already spoken to the law’s legislative sponsor who plans to reach out to FDLE and urge them to add more identifying details.

“I’m all over it, just like, if I was you, and my name was in there, that just can’t happen,” she said.

Only convictions that are made when the law went into effect will be listed in the database. Older animal abuse convictions will remain unpublished.

On the pediatric floor of HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, therapy dogs Peach, Penny, Sadie, Oliver, Loki and many others made rounds visiting kids this week.

One grateful patient was 3-year-old Mia, who has been battling an infection since Monday.

“It’s been really good. It’s been a hard time,” Mia’s mom said.

Mia’s mother also said seeing the pups helped make the holidays special, even from a hospital room.

“It’s been a little bit of light in the dark,” she said

The dogs not only bring cheer to the patients of all ages, but also their owners.

Eleven-year-old Tristan came with his dad and shared his dog Finn with others.

He said he’s glad to share time with his dog if it means other children can feel even a bit more at home.

“To give basically what I have from my house, basically giving them the feeling of home,” said Tristan. “I’m glad that there’s, like, not that much, like, rooms that are like filled with people, because like we don’t want anyone in the hospital when it’s Christmas. Who does?”

All of the dog owners are volunteers with a nonprofit dedicated to training therapy dogs to visit those in need of emotional support.

Now a reunion two decades in the making resulted in a more cordial run-in than the first time.

On Christmas Eve 2005, former Steelers linebacker James Harrison slammed Cleveland Browns fan Nathan Mallett to the ground after a little too much liquid courage and Christmas cheer in the stands led him to run onto the field.

“So we got over there, ran into some other guys, they were dressed as elves and things,” said Mallett. “We just kept going; we got in there, and once we got in there, I was in no shape to be anywhere at that point.”

Harrison stopped Mallett with a wrestling-style tackle, and Mallett was eventually slammed by a judge following the incident.

Fast forward a couple decades, and this time around, the men’s rematch looks a lot different, with no flags or handcuffs this time around.

“Sober?” asked Harrison.

“Yeah,” said Mallett.

“OK. Congratulations,” said Harrison

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” said Mallett.

“Yeah, that’s nice, that’s good,” said Harrison.

“I get in too much trouble with it,” said Mallett.

“Yeah,” said Harrison.

“It makes me do things I otherwise wouldn’t be trying to do,” said Mallett.

Mallett told Harrison, that what felt like a hit at the time ended up being a wake-up call.

“I’m thrilled that you did that. That’s the kind of players I want; I like that, flat out like, not on my watch,” said Mallet.

“It was an opportunity I couldn’t miss,” said Harrison.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette organized the reunion dinner. Mallett said he has been sober 16 years now.

Just after midnight on Oct. 12, the victim found himself struggling to breathe after he suffered a severe allergic reaction during a visit to Central Florida.

“Yes, my son is passing out. I need an ambulance,” his fearful mother told the dispatcher.

Osceola County Sheriff’s dispatcher Richard Calderale answered quickly, recognizing the child was in anaphylactic shock.

“We’re coming as quick and as safe as we can,” he said.

“He was having an asthma attack,” said the boy’s mother.

Calderale successfully walked the victim’s parents through lifesaving steps to keep his airway open until help could arrive.

Minutes later, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Michael Romero-Perez reached the vacation home in Davenport to find the child unresponsive inside of a car and in cardiac arrest.

“Hey, buddy. Keep breathing. Come on,” Romero-Perez said in bodycam footage.

Without hesitation, the deputy began CPR, applying his automated external defibrillator, and continued lifesaving measures. He worked to restore a heartbeat and help the child breathe.

“Continue with compression. Press, press, press. There you go, press. Breathe, son,” could be heard in video footage.

Paramedics rushed the boy to a hospital and then transferred him to a different hospital that was better suited for his condition.

Deputies said the child made a full recovery, something doctors call remarkable, as well as a reminder of how seconds matter. Training and teamwork can make all the difference.

“They come probably to Disney, to the happiest place on earth, right? And here they are in Kissimmee, in our area, and they go into a medical emergency,” said Osceola County Sheriff Christopher A. Blackmon. “And I don’t think anybody, when they planned their trip, thought a medical emergency was going to happen. So, thank God our deputy and dispatch were able to coordinate through that and save this child’s life.”

Doctors say only about 13% of children who suffer cardiac arrest survive without facing life-changing complications.

Calderale and Romero-Perez were recently recognized by the Arnold Palmer Hospital for their lifesaving work. Romero-Perez was also honored with the Life-Saving Award at a ceremony held at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

A small gesture made quite an impact on several South Florida veterans, leaving them with wide eyes and full smiles when their group home in Lauderhill was given a Christmas makeover, courtesy of Florida Power & Light and other organizations.

They aimed to inspire a simple joy for those who served our country.

Veterans like Rafael Castro were honored with a little bit of holiday cheer.

“I like it pretty well,” said Castro.

Castro was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1956 and served during the Korean War. He now embraces his Puerto Rican heritage and enjoys his time playing dominoes with his housemates.

Lauderhill Mayor Denise Grant described the moment they walked outside and saw the surprise.

“They were elated, seeing the lights and the children as well,” said Grant. “Very surprised that kids were there too, so their families were there to celebrate this moment as well.”

FPL “elves” were hard at work hours before, preparing for the grand reveal.

Thousands of LED lights, solar-powered displays and other energy-efficient décor were installed throughout the home.

A House with Heart Homes, an organization that provides shared housing to people like seniors and veterans, said that for some, the cheer is much needed.

“One of them is blind, another, the other one has Parkinson’s, so this is actually, like, the first time they recall celebrating the holidays since coming to us,” said A House with Heart Homes’ CFO, Roxane Rowles

Other residents were left in good spirits ahead of the reveal.

“It feels real good, I mean, I was surprised, I’m one of the newer residents, so I didn’t know, but for the guys inside, well, for everybody, but yeah,” said Michael Rudick.

FPL said the effort was well worth it to give the veterans a piece of the holiday spirit.

“It’s such a wonderful feeling being able to acknowledge the sacrifices they made for us and our country and to give back a little bit and make sure they get to really enjoy the holiday season with their families as well,” said FPL North Broward External Affairs Manager Christine Shaw.

This home makeover marks the 18th year that FPL has brought this holiday tradition to local heroes in the community.

The content creator’s identity is protected for now, as he is not facing any formal charges related to his AI content, but his chaos for content model is now stirring up a legal debate.

According to West Palm Beach Police, the content creator showed a gas station clerk an AI video of someone being dragged away, Nov. 30.

Officers said this sparked an argument, and when they arrived at the scene, the 22-year-old content creator refused to give his home address, so they arrested him.

Although he is not being charged for the disturbing AI video, police said, the content creator did admit that he did all of it for social media. He even said that people would love his content even more because he was willing to get arrested.

Melanie Valentine was the first to report an incident like this. She said that a month ago, a man at a Home Depot store showed her an AI video of her truck being stolen and tried to get her into his car to try and “catch the guy.”

“I’m definitely glad that he’s been arrested, because my concern was obviously that he would do it to other people,” Valentine said. “It was certainly scary. It was shocking, honestly, how realistic the video was.”

Police said it’s the same man tied to four incidents, including one captured on body camera video. The footage shows the man recording a shopper, creating a fake video of him kissing another woman, and showing it to the man’s wife while recording her reaction on his Meta glasses.

“That’s going to be the charge. That’s not his wife. That’s a fake one,” the content creator said. He then said, “I made a banger with this one, boss. I think my last one at Home Depot hit like, I think, like a mil.”

“Well, that certainly didn’t feel like a prank,” Valentine said when describing her experience with the man.

Criminal defense attorney Stuart Kaplan said creating AI videos with people recorded in public is not illegal unless you can prove criminal intent.

“If AI is manipulated or falls into the wrong hands, it can present a very, very troubling and damaging scenario for our way of life,” Kaplan said.

Investigators warned that AI videos like this are getting more realistic, and you cannot always believe what you see, especially online.

Investigators said the burglars spent hours in Jensen Beach cutting through a concrete roof before dropping into a store and stealing hundreds of pairs of high-end sneakers.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said the crafty crooks made mistakes along the way.

“They’re intelligent enough to pull off burglaries, but they did some really stupid things. One of those mistakes was at a Wawa,” he said. “The largest favor they did us though was, after spending the entire night and they were exhausted, they stopped by Wawa and bought some Red Bull energy drinks.”

Detectives said they were able to identify the group on surveillance cameras and track them across the state, watching as they rented more tools to carry out another burglary.

That happened last month at a mall near Daytona Beach.

“They were good at what they did, but Detective Perlman back here is better at what he does,” Sheriff Budensiek said.

Bodycam video captured the moment detectives moved in. Investigators said the four men accused of the break-ins are all from Tampa and are linked to at least 10 mall break-ins across Florida, Georgia and even Mississippi.

Budensiek pulled out a pair of sandals given out in jail at a Thursday press conference.

“These individuals are going to be trading in their nice Air Jordans for these kicks,” he said.

Investigators said they still haven’t recovered any of those stolen shoes, and they believe that more people were involved.

Jeffrey Parker, the Animal Protection and Shelter Chief in Hanover County, Virginia, addressed the outlandish sight.

“My officer came in and told me, ‘I pretty much apprehended a suspect. I was like, ‘fantastic, what happened?'” Parker said.

The naughty critter broke into the liquor store through the ceiling. It knocked down bottle after bottle and had more than a couple of drinks.

Then the four-legged burglar passed out near the toilet.

“It was just more or less hilarious of where he passed out, in the bathroom beside the toilet,” Parker said.

Wildlife officials “apprehended” the suspect over the weekend. They let the furry perpetrator take a little nap at the shelter before releasing it back into the wild unharmed.

The Animal Protection Chief had his team post about the “Black Friday break-in” on Facebook. It received an unexpectedly enormous response.

Comments on the post included:

“Somebody get this racoon a sponsor,” “If I get reincarnated… there will be signs!!” and “Are we sure it was a he?? Sounds like a momma who has had enough.”

“You can’t make this stuff up. It happens, and people just don’t realize it, and I actually gave my officer a high-five. I was like, ‘Fantastic. I wish we had little handcuffs to put on him,’ you know?” Parker said.

In total, the racoon broke about 14 bottles worth about $250.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers said they could not confirm what caused the vessel to overturn on Saturday, but said windy conditions may have played a role.

A witness who recorded video of the aftermath said he saw the boat racing moments before it flipped.

“Yes, I just so happened to look out the window. I looked — those boats are racing — and then as soon as everybody looked, the boat was upside down,” he said.

The witness said he was on the opposite side of the river when he noticed the boat speeding.

“He was going real fast for that to happen,” he said. “It was up in the air for probably a good three, four seconds. I saw a crash, all the water was just all over the place. It was pretty wild.”

Additional witnesses shared video showing the vessel overturned in the water. Footage from shore captured first responders surrounding the Cape Coral Yacht Club.

Three people were rushed to a hospital, where two were pronounced dead, officials said. The body of the fourth person on board was recovered Sunday afternoon.

FWC continues to investigate the incident.

Officials with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Florentino Arizpe was released Sunday. Cellphone video captured the 25-year veteran as he was wheeled out of the hospital and was embraced by a loved one and greeted by fellow law enforcement officers.

Investigators said the gunfire broke out Friday as deputies and a locksmith approached a house in the Bermuda Club neighborhood near Veri Beach to enforce an eviction. Arizpe suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Both the locksmith and the shooter were taken to the hospital, where they succumbed to the injuries. Investigators said the tenant who opened fire died Saturday afternoon.

Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Terri Sweeting-Mashkow was also killed. The 47-year-old was a wife and mother who served her community for more than 25 years.

Hundreds of residents and law enforcement officials honored the slain sergeant’s life with a blue light celebration.

“Because I remember Terri as a dispatcher when she started, and I was a young patrol deputy at the time, I just remember her being on the radio and just being that voice of calm when I needed it,” said Indian River County Undersheriff Thom Raulen.

While this community heals from the tragedy, Raulen said nearby agencies are stepping in to help with anything.

“Covering our shifts and our zones for us, they’re still doing that. I was out on the crime scene earlier today, and there was a deputy from St. Lucie County that’s there,” he said.

Raulen said the day Sweeting-Mashkow was killed was the worst day of his career, and the agency has now adopted an unofficial mantra.

“Terri dedicated a quarter-centuty of her life to serving the community and then gave the ultimate sacrifice just a few days ago, so when we say ‘serve like Terri,’ we mean be as dedicated and professional as Terri was in everything that we do,” he said.

The sheriff’s office will share details about a funeral service for Sweeting-Mashkow in the coming days.

The Grammy winner filed the lawsuit against social media commentator and blogger Milagro Cooper, known as Milagro Gramz, back in October of 2024.

The 30-year-old artist, whose legal name is Megan Pete, alleges in the lawsuit that Cooper took part in a coordinated and targeted social media campaign to harass, intimidate and defame her, along with working with rapper Tory Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, who was convicted of shooting and injuring Pete in a July 2020 incident.

Investigators said Lanez fired five rounds at Megan after she got out of an SUV shortly after leaving reality TV star Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood Hills home.

Doctors would end up having to remove bullet fragments from her feet as a result.

Lanez is currently serving 10 years in prison after being convicted in 2022, on charges of assault with a firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm and possession of a concealed and unregistered firearm in a vehicle.

Lanez appealed the conviction, but the California Court of Appeals upheld that conviction in November.

Meanwhile, Cooper has filed a motion to dismiss, as her attorneys claim that Megan’s “multiple allegations of ‘defamation’ are an overreach,” and claim that while some of the statements Cooper made online are her opinion, other statements are true.

A judge rejected that motion to dismiss, and at some point in the coming days, Megan is expected to take the witness stand.

“A lot of retailers have basically turned all of November into a pre-Christmas, pre-holiday sale season,” said Alex Bitter, a senior retail reporter for Business Insider.

Amazon promoted their “12 Days of Deals,” from Nov. 20th to Dec. 1, where shoppers can get big savings in 35 different categories, ranging from electronics to toys and even vacuums.

Starting on Friday at Walmart, there will be several deals and discounts on popular brands, including Apple, Levi’s and Lego products.

While Target has already begun slashing prices for Black Friday. Some items shoppers can save on include up to $70 on an Instapot, $100 on Beats headphones and $330 off select Dyson vacuums.

With so many deals already popping up, many savvy shoppers are wondering if it’s better to buy now or hold out for further potential savings closer to the actual holiday.

Bitter believes any early deals are likely to be very similar to what shoppers would find in stores on the actual day of the shopping holiday.

“The length of the holiday season has at least doubled in the last several years, thanks to all these early deals. So I think it’s really hard to find a deal on Black Friday or Cyber Monday that is genuinely unique or that you can’t buy earlier or later than that specific weekend,” said Bitter.

Other retailers that have already begun Black Friday sales include Wayfair, Lowe’s and Macy’s

Rana Harb lost all her belongings when the fire destroyed her home but she’s glad to still have her kids.

She said her 12-year-old son jumped into action, ensuring his siblings got out of the smoke-filled home safely.

“The smoke’s getting bad, smoke’s getting bad. And he said, ‘OK, let’s go outside.’ So he gathered both of them and took them out the door with the neighbor,” said Harb.

Harb says her son’s heroic actions didn’t stop there.

After securing his siblings, he even attempted to fight the fire.

“He ran back in with the neighbor. That’s when they started using the fire extinguishers and nothing was stopping the flames,” said Harb.

The mother says the fire started on accident due to a candle while the kids were at home with a babysitter.

Despite the damage caused to all their belongings, she’s assured her son that he managed to save what was most important.

“My 12-year-old is my hero. He said, ‘Mom, I didn’t save anything.’ And I said, ‘But you still saved me. You saved your siblings. And you guys, you saved yourself,'” said Harb.

It’s not the first time that her family has had to start over.

Harb says they had moved there after getting away from a dangerous living situation.

“I started in this apartment with literally a blow-up mattress for my children and a trash bag full of clothes to use as a pillow as I slept on the floor,” said Harb.

Since there are no homeless shelters in the area, the family is staying at a motel.

“They already went through enough trauma. They don’t need to go through more trauma of switching schools,” said Harb.

In the face of devastating times for her family, the motel owner, Ileana Szasz, offered a small gesture of kindness, giving them a few nights free of charge while they recover from the ordeal.

“The Lord has called us to be good stewards, you know, and my motel is actually a ministry,” said Szasz. “If she ever goes through any hardship financially, we’re going to be there to back her up.

Szasz wasn’t the only member from the community stepping up to help. Several others filled the family’s motel room with donations in a sign of support.

Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Matthews is turning trauma into triumph, one stroke at a time, nearly a decade after a wrong-way crash.

“I was hit by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the highway,” she said.

Matthews said she can’t remember much from that horrible night in June of 2016.

“I don’t think it really set in until I woke up and I couldn’t feel anything,” she said.

The wreck left Matthews paralyzed from the chest down.

“‘OK, this doesn’t feel right.’ I think it hit when I got into a wheelchair for the first time,” she said. “‘This is the new normal, apparently.'”

Now a freshman at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Matthews has found her passion for swimming — thanks to her therapist, who recommended water therapy.

“It kind of just makes me feel like I’m a normal kid in the water, but it makes my body feel like it doesn’t have the weight to it,” said Matthews/

Matthews is competing with other children her age in the pool, and that comes with some obvious challenges.

“It’s definitely tough ’cause I’m trying to catch up when they’re going twice as fast as I am, ’cause they can use their legs, and I have to use my arms,” she said. “So I have to work 10 times harder that everybody else, I feel, but I don’t know. It’s just – that’s just kind of what I feel like; I just have to work harder.”

That hard work is proven with the seconds she’s shaved off in the 50-meter freestyle.

“She’s been pretty consistent,” said Andrew Campbell, the teen’s coach. “She dropped seven seconds in one race a couple of week’s ago, which is a significant time drop.”

Campbell said he is inspired by Matthews’ drive.

“Perseverance is, really, the big thing I want everyone to take away. You know, she was dealt a really bad hand at a really young age and spent most of her life in a wheelchair,” he said. “Now here she is, competing against able-bodied swimmers and going to regionals and hopefully going to states, so it’s a big deal.”

Matthews acknowledged the wheelchair is part of her story.

“It made me realize, be grateful for what you have, ’cause you don’t know how long you’re going to have it for,” she said.

But she’s just a regular teenager, living life on her own terms.

“As long as, if you like doing something, say, ‘Hey, this is something I like doing, and I’m going keep trying to do it to my best of my new normal,” she said

Matthews said she has competed at the Special Olympics, and she may choose to swim competitively in college.

The tense moment happened Sunday afternoon inside the child’s home.

“Send the child out, please,” a deputy can be heard saying through a door inside a home in Brandon. “Drop the knife and bring the child out of the room.”

Bodycam video showed the moments the 7-year-old boy pleaded for help as deputies attempted to negotiate with his 27-year-old brother.

“Bust down the door,” the child can be heard screaming.

Immediately after, deputies kicked down the door to the bedroom, finding the older brother wearing a motorcycle helmet and holding his younger sibling in a chokehold with a knife to his throat.

“Let me see your hands right now,” a deputy said.

Deputies confronted the 27-year-old, ordering him to let go of his brother and surrender.

After appearing to refuse to drop his weapon, the deputy fired his weapon, striking the older sibling.

“The deputy had to fire his weapon one time, one time,” said HCSO Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer. “The suspect then fell to the ground and we rescued that young boy, to safety.”

Officials say the 27-year-old died from his injuries at an area hospital.

They also said the suspect had a troubled past, with two prior domestic violence charges and a history of mental illness.

“He was wearing a motorcycle helmet. He was also wearing two ballistic vests with armored plates,” said Maurer.

Maurer also stood by the deputy’s decision to shoot the 27-year-old to save the young boy, saying his actions were justified. That deputy was identified as Antonio Gonzalez.

“The only shot he could take was the shot he had to take to stop that threat from harming that boy and rescuing him and saving him,” said Maurer.

Maurer believes if Gonzalez had not discharged his weapon, the 7-year-old would have been harmed by his brother.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that that boy would’ve been harmed if it weren’t for the actions of our deputies,” said Maurer.

The boy’s family is now left trying to process what they’ve gone through and the violent actions deputies said was necessary to protect a young child.

“Right now, in the aftermath of that heroic action, is a family that has to pick up the pieces,” said Maurer.

Authorities said that when the incident began, the siblings’ mother was inside the home.

Investigators are still looking into what led up to the incident, but they believe mental health was a factor.

Twenty-five-year-old Connecticut native Ali Truwit is getting ready to run the TCS New York City Marathon, only two years removed from surviving a shark attack.

“I flew to Turks and Caicos with a five-year plan for my life,” she said. “I left on a medical evacuation plane, not sure if I was going to survive.”

Two days after receiving her diploma from Yale University, Truwit took a trip to Turks and Caicos with her friend Sophie.

Truwit said they encountered a shark while snorkeling.

“Pretty quickly, it had my leg in its mouth. Next thing I knew, it had bitten my foot and part of my leg off,” she said.

Truwit credited their competitive swimming experience for saving their lives, as they fought their way back to the boat, where Sophie applied a tourniquet.

Truwit was airlifted to the U.S., where she underwent multiple life-saving surgeries but had to have her left leg amputated below the knee.

“I was 23 years old and had just become an amputee for the rest of my life,” she said.

Last year, Truwit punched her ticket to the Paralympics, where she would go on to win two silver medals swimming for Team USA.

Now on Sunday, she’s ready to conquer land.

“There’s a lot of kind of things, like hills without an ankle are a new thing to learn to navigate, and I’m doing a lot of strength training to make sure my right leg is really strong, to kind of assume some of that pressure,” she said.

Truwit has also started her own nonprofit, Stronger Than You Think, which focuses on water safety, the Paralympics and raising money to provide prosthetics for those in need.

“It is a message of, like, it feels like your life is over, and if you can get your mind around it and use the support around you or whatever is working for you, there is a full and beautiful life ahead you,” she said.

Truwit had also run a marathon just 10 days before the shark attack.

Johnathan Coston says he was defending his son’s patriotism when things got heated between him and his son’s coach.

Eight-year-old, Ryan Coston knows what it means to honor his country so when the national anthem plays, he removes football helmet, but Saturday, the Ormond Beach youth football player was told to put it back on by his coach.

“Walked up to me and said, anything wrong with your helmet, you want me to fix anything, I said no, and then he said put your helmet back on,” said Ryan.

Ryan’s father went to confront the coach about it, and that’s when he says it turned into a heated argument with the coach and the commissioner of the youth league.

He claimed the coach began using profanity, and according to a report, Jonathan began to use some choice words of his own in response, and allegedly poked the commissioner, which he denies ever happening.

Jonathan said he was kicked out and cited for trespassing, however Ormond Beach Police have dismissed the case since then.

Monday afternoon, Jonathan was sent an email stating that he was banned from attending his son’s games until the following year.

“It’s upsetting and disheartening, you want kids to do the right thing and go in the right direction, and you teach them the right things, and then they get yelled at for doing the right things,” said Jonathan.

The league released the following statement regarding the situation.

“Ormond stands firm in our zero-tolerance code of conduct, both parties were removed from our program until this investigation is complete. No profanity, fighting or intimidation is allowed on our fields or near our youth.”

They went on to say that the coach was attempting to enforce safety.

“The coach, who is now on leave for the season, reacted to a child he saw dis-robing before they had safely made their way to the sideline, and in no way was attempting to prevent his respectful salute to the flag. This procedure was corrected by the very next game, where we instructed all of our coaches to ensure players were stopped, and helmets removed, as soon as the music began.”

Jonathan said his son’s small act carried a bigger message.

“Like when I saw his helmet off I mean I looked over to my wife and said check it out, check it out,” said Jonathan.

A young boy proud of his country and a father who is even prouder of his son.

“You got to stand up for what’s right, like you stood for what’s right, you stood for the freedom, you stood for our country,” said Jonathan.

Jonathan said he was allowed to attend practice Monday without an issue and hopes the ban will be lifted.

Officials with the little league have not yet said whether the decision will be reconsidered.

Mia Garcia described the moment she was collecting shells with her little sister at Lakes Park when she slipped into the water, at around 10 a.m. on Saturday.

“I felt like an alligator was going to come swim to me and drag me under the water,” said Garcia.

Garcia’s grandmother, Dawn Louchart, said her granddaughter, who is on the autism spectrum, knows how to swim, but the conditions in the lake made it difficult.

“She couldn’t get out because it was so slimy,” said Louchart.

After struggling to get out on her own, Garcia did another thing her family taught her to do when she needs help.

“We taught her at a young age to scream, and she started screaming for us, and she needed help that she couldn’t get out,” said Louchard.

Garcia’s screams for help caught the ears of Bridgett Addison, who was at a nearby pavillion and jumped into action.

“When I looked over, I saw her in the water, so I just ran,” said Addison.

Addison said she doesn’t know how to swim herself, but she wasn’t thinking about that as she jumped in the water to help.

“I was able to get her and, like, get her, like, sling her up so she won’t be where the slimy part, to get her out of the embankment. But I kept falling down, the grandma kept falling down, and that’s how I got skinned all up,” said Addison.

Addison said the scratches she got were more than worth it, knowing that she helped a little girl live to see another day.

“I don’t care who they are — what color, what their disability, I don’t care — if you can do it, go and help somebody. That’s my only thing,” she said.

Garcia’s grandmother expressed her heartfelt gratitude for saving the young girl.

“It shows a lot, that there are good people out there, and she is one of them,” said Louchart.

Five days a week, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., Julius Woods is the gatekeeper at the entrance of Belle Meade Island in Miami.

Julius has kept an eye on countless cars coming and going during his almost 30 years as a security guard here.

Valeria Santeusanio, resident: “I’m 25, so I was born and raised here, and he’s been here since day one. I always feel like he’s a part of our family.”

And last month, dozens of people from his extended family…

Family and neighbors (singing): “Happy birthday to you!”

…came out to celebrate Julius’ 99th birthday.

Commissioner Christine King presented him with a proclamation in his honor and a key to the city.

Julius Woods: “I love you all, and I hope that I can still serve.”

Luis Gonzalez, resident: “He was the first ambassador to the island. He has a big smile for everyone — an unbelievable person, human being.”

Miami Commissioner Christine King: “He’s fantastic. His life is a story. It’s inspirational.”

Julius told us he doesn’t quite know what to say to those who view him as an inspiration. But he still had plenty to say when we sat down to talk with him.

We start with the obvious question: Why does he keep working?

Julius Woods: “Well, I work because I feel good at meeting people, and I enjoy my job, and I enjoy talking to people. Sometimes they come and they sit down, and they tell me the problems they have. I’m a good listener.”

Julius still drives to and from work, and if you’re wondering what his secret to staying in such good shape is, Julius says it is not his diet.

Julius Woods: “I can’t say I eat properly because I eat everything under the sun. But I never drank, and I never smoked; I guess that helped a lot.”

Speaking of food, Julius has special treats for the four-legged residents of the island.

Julius Woods: “I love my pups. I don’t own a pup.”

Although Julius’ job is to keep residents safe, they are very protective of him.

Julius Woods: “I think everybody on the island just about looks like they have my phone number. If I’m not there, I get a call at least from four or five people, ‘Julius, what’s wrong? You all right? You need anything?'”

Ralph Humbertson has lived on the island for 50 years and has a special bond with Julius. Both are Navy veterans.

Ralph Humbertson, resident: “And I just turned 81, so, you know, he considers me the kid. He served in World War II. He’s a hero. He was involved in Iwo Jima, where so many people were killed.”

His oldest son, Julius Woods Jr., was also in the Navy.

Julius Woods Jr.: “He always taught us, you know, just take care of family and everything. Can you imagine at 99 getting up at 3:30 in the morning, every morning? He gets up, goes to work, and I go back to sleep. I just hope I got his genes. You know, hey, 99, say he’s gonna work till 100.”

While this 66-year-old is retired, his dad has no plans to turn in his uniform.

Julius Woods: “As long as I feel like I do, I won’t retire.”

Julius’ message to all of us is this:

Julius Woods: “Always try to treat everyone like you want to be treated yourself.”

A “golden rule” to cherish and guard.

Tavares Jones, 7News.

While there are no official rankings, Julius is likely the oldest working security guard in Florida and possibly the country. If there is anyone older, we’d like to hear about them, so contact us!

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

South Florida based nonprofit Do Good 4-1 (‘Do Good For One’), opened the doors to its new tech innovation lab at the Culmer Community Action Center, in Overtown Wednesday night.

“The reason we brought it here to Overtown [is because] this is where I’m from. This is where I’m born and raised and we understand its a gap. Talent is universal but opportunity is not,” said President and Founder of Do Good 4-1, Max Joseph. “Kids in these communities don’t have opportunities to the STEM education. So we’re here to bring that to this community where we have kids, that can go into engineering, that can go into tech, and all these different industries.”

They’re dedicated to bridging the educational gap by providing high-quality STEM education to high-need communities, and creating clear career pathways for kids to soar, while uplifting neighborhoods.

But the first step to bridging that gap is exposure.

“Probably 100% of these kids have never coded a robot or built a robot so these kids are engaging in something they never had experience in,” said Joseph. “This past summer we had a chance to go to Houston to a robotic competition and [at]that robotic competition they look like me and you.”

These youngsters, both boys and girls alike, are all in and ready to take full advantage of the opportunities they are being given.

“It’s like engineering, coding and you’re using team building skills,” said Do Good 4-1 participant, Kaiden Brown.

“Girls who look like us, we are also capable of working in STEM, fixing computers it’s not just for the men but it’s for us Black girls as well,” said Do Good 4-1 Communication Director, Jazmin Joseph.

Max and his team’s main priority is to pushing children enrolled in the program to their fullest potential.

“So these kids can engage and have that same opportunity at scholarships and to be engineers in the field,” said Max.

The effort was also made possible by Miami Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon and City of Miami Commissioner Christine King, along with Walmart and the Bank United iCare Program.

The organization said they hope to reach as many communities as possible.

A Florida MISSING CHILD alert was issued for 6-year-old Ivy Mitchell and 10-year-old Devin Mitchell on Monday after, officials say, they were last seen in the area of the 12800 block of Southwest 242nd Street.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Bureau Missing Persons detective located the missing children at Miami International Airport on Tuesday, alongside their mother, 36-year-old Shandrell Willis, who was promptly taken into custody and arrested.

She faces several charges, including interference with custody by a parent, removal of a child from the state, and violation of a domestic violence injunction.

According to officials, the children’s father has full custody of the children and did not authorize anyone to remove them from his home. Deputies made contact with the father after he returned home from work to find his residence ransacked and his children missing.

Detectives said Willis doesn’t have custody of the children and was trying to fly out of the state with them.

According to jail records, Willis had an arrest warrant out in connection to a domestic violence incident.

Willis appeared in bond court on Wednesday and was given a $15,000 bond.

Officials are on the hunt for an aggressive otter who attacked a man before running off, nowhere to be found.

Although rare, attacks from these animals do happen.

“I don’t want to let folks have the idea that, you know, otters are super dangerous,” said Megan Stolen, a senior scientist at the Blue World Research Institute.

When Stolen learned a person was bitten by an otter at Wekiva Island, just north of Orlando, she said two possibilities came to mind.

“The otter perceives that the person is too close,” she said. “Or because of rabies.”

Rabies is a viral, deadly disease in animals that makes them behave more aggressively than usual.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the scene, looking for the otter for testing. However, they were unable to find it.

“I didn’t think that they were around this area at all,” said area resident Jose Vasquez.

Stolen advises them to keep their distance from these animals, a lesson residents in the area plan to heed

“Avoiding them, just like avoiding other carnivores and coyotes and dogs and bobcats and everything else is just really good advice,” said Stolen.

“I feel like you have to respect nature no matter what. You understand that this isn’t where you’re from, and you know to tread lightly; you know to test the waters, of course,” said Vasquez. “Definitely have respect for nature.”

Otters are described as water-loving animals and can be found throughout Florida. FWC suggests adding structures around your home, such as sunken trees and cinder blocks, to avoid such attacks.

An end-of-school siesta for Kay Williams and his family was interrupted by screams in Jacksonville Beach.

“I really came to the beach to have some margaritas and some tacos,” said Kay. “But, you know, things happen.”

Brandon Williams, Kay’s son, said he was in the water when he first heard a man and woman screaming after a passing wave revealed someone in trouble.

“She was like, ‘help him, help him,'” said Brandon. “He was also saying help, but he was, like, whispering it.”

Kay’s other son, Zayden, went to get his dad.

“We just got to help them; we got to help the person,” said Zayden. “Because he’s drowning, I don’t want to see anyone die.”

Kay said his sons pulled the man to shore, then he helped him into the sand. His wife captured the moments after helping the man sit up.

“So I grab him, I pull him up, right here, and then he starts just, like, just all kinds of stuff.”

“We’ve got to get him checked out. The ambulance is gonna have to check him out,” Kay’s wife could be heard saying in the cellphone video while Kay helped the man sit up in the sand.

“Is he breathing?” a paramedic could be heard asking as they arrived to check on the man.

“Yeah, he’s been in and out,” Kay’s wife told the paramedic.

Kay said he never went to the beach hoping to be a hero, so he’s giving credit to his sons, whom he’s most proud of.

“It took, like, a whole community effort to save Jeremiah that day,” he said. “Words can’t explain it, man. It’s just God was here, and he worked through us.”

The mother of the man they helped, whose name is Jeremiah, expressed her gratitude towards Kay and his family, telling them they hope to meet them after Jeremiah makes a full recovery.

Crews in Oviedo were using a robot to ensure the pipe is ready for the rainy season when they spotted the gator just hanging out in the pipe.

The workers couldn’t believe the outlandish sight, and neither could the residents of Oviedo

“Weird indeed,” said a woman

“It looks like a baby,” said a man.

The city posted a video to social media on Thursday, saying, “You loved him the first time around, and now he’s back.”

The first time officials are referring to was back in 2023.

It happened in the same area, during the same routine check of a pipe. However, it’s highly unlikely this is the same gator from before.

“It’s Florida. You know, if there’s water, there’s going to be a gator,” said a man.

Though just like before, people are loving the sharp-toothed dweller, even naming it the so-called “pipe pup.”

“That sounds like an appropriate name for it, the ‘pipe pup,'” said a man

Area residents hope the gator can stay safe and cozy down under, away from people on the surface.

“No gator around me, not cool at all,” said a woman.

The gator was allowed to stay in the pipe since it wasn’t bothering anything or anyone.

The children got trapped in the water following a strong rip current at a beach located off Huguenot Memorial Park in Jacksonville, Saturday.

Thankfully, former U.S. Navy SEAL Steven Insco was there to pull off a remarkable save.

“Rip currents can be very unpredictable,” he said.

Insco was at the beach fishing when he heard people screaming. He ran over to see the three children struggling to swim to shore.

“He was hovering around his sister, who was the one that was laying face down,” said Insco.

Seeing that they needed help, he dove into the water.

“I calmly yelled at him and said, ‘I need you to swim towards me.’ As soon as he got to me, he grasped his arms around my neck. I was able to turn his sister over and put her in a cross-chest carry, and we side-stroked back to the shore,” said Insco.

Insco was joined by beach patrol on shore, who joined in the rescue operation to save the third child.

All three children are expected to be OK.

Volusia County Beach Safety Chief Tammy Malphurs said this type of rescue is very common. Over 80% of their water rescues are from rip currents.

“A lot of people come to the beach, and they really underestimate the power of the rip current,” said Malphurs.

One of the deputies who assisted in the children’s rescue was recently honored by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for his work solving a hit-and-run involving a 6-year-old

In another case, a high school student who was days away from graduating drowned after a failed rescue in Indian River County.

Curated by the students, along with the assistance of Activities Director Ms. Latravia Ferguson, the school’s Met Gala themed senior prom graced the Hilton Hotel in Aventura this past Saturday, where a total of 311 attendees stepped out in full style showcasing the latest trends in fashion and student’s personal style.

In addition to the grand entrances and amazing looks, students of Miami Norland’s 2025 graduating senior class are well on their way to success, with an average class grade point average of 3.3 and top student Dejaya Hardy who holds a 5.3 GPA. 

A total of 14 Seniors also hold the honor of being nominated for the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards, recognizing outstanding students who have not only maintained good grades but have also unselfishly applied their special knowledge and talents to contribute significant service to their schools and communities.  

Miami Norland High School is set to hold its commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center, at 3 p.m. with a graduating class of 310 students. 

Lakewood Ranch residents Doug Hay and his wife said they were sitting in their living room when they heard a crash in the lake near their backyard.

“It was a huge splash. Huge splash,” said Doug. “I was in the living room and heard a crash in the lake. I looked over, and it was an eagle.”

The couple went to inspect the source and encountered an injured bald eagle in an alligator-infested lake.

Without hesitation, Doug said, he launched himself into the waters, swimming about 100 yards to come to the bird’s rescue.

“I ran out because I know they can’t swim, and threw my shirt off and my flip-flops, and I jumped in because I wanted to save it,” said Doug. “When I got there, I didn’t see her because she went under. I was looking around. She finally bobbed up, and I grabbed her by the legs with my right hand and started doing the dog paddle to shore.”

Doug’s wife, Diana Hay, wasn’t too happy about his decision.

“She was screaming at me,” said Doug. “Profanities.”

“I was screaming at him not to go in there,” said Diana. “He just kept going in.”

Once on land, a trapper was able to wrangle the bird and get her the help she needs. Doug said he’d do it all over again.

“That would be in my head the rest of my life if I couldn’t save this bird. I had to do it,” he said. “Just wanted to get to the eagle and save it. It’s our national symbol. It’s freedom. It’s America.”

According to Doug, there was another bald eagle circling above the lake. He suspects the two birds were fighting.

The eagle was transferred to the wildlife center of Southwest Florida in Venice, where it is expected to make a full recovery.

Most alligator attacks are caused by people engaging in risky behavior, as opposed to the animals acting overly aggressive.

A groundbreaking study takes a bite out of the dangers of gators, showing that their bites aren’t random, but that some form of human risk-taking took place before approximately 96 percent of recorded incidents between gators and people.

The team searched through nearly three centuries of records on human-alligator interactions, then augmented the information with internet searches and literature reviews, as well as speaking with wildlife agencies.

They found most bites occurred following “moderate-risk” behaviors, such as swimming or going into areas known to have gators.

“The overall main cause is people entering alligator habitat, which is happening more and more, as there are both more alligators and more people, and as we’re building and encroaching into alligator habitat, encounters have just become more frequent,” said University of Florida Wildlife Ecology Professor and Author Frank Mazzotti. “Bites that are completely unprovoked are very rare.”

While some happen without clear warning, often, people unknowingly trigger the gator’s natural response to defend or hunt.

Professor Frank Mazzotti said the results aren’t surprising.

“I don’t think they were surprising to any alligator biologist or manager; alligators are not voracious eating machines, and they are not aggressive towards humans,” he said.

Published in the journal “Human-Wildlife Interactions,” the research is the first to develop a ranking system that categorizes human actions immediately before an alligator encounter.

The insights are coming at a time when alligator activity is increasing.

Mating season, which typically takes place from April to June, brings more frequent movement and territorial behavior among the animals.

Researchers stress that humans entering the environment of a large, wild predator should assume some level of responsibility and attentiveness.

Professor Mazzotti says curiosity plays a role in those enticed to get closer to the reptiles than they probably should.

“Appreciate the alligator from a distance; you know, don’t approach it too closely. If you notice the alligator starting to pay attention to you in any way, move a little further away,” he said. “Alligators are only interested in things within a certain distance from them.”

Researchers recommend wildlife managers adopt diverse, targeted communication strategies to promote safe behaviors around the animals, stating increased awareness not only could reduce the number of bites, but also the need to euthanize the reptiles after the attacks.

Detectives say last Thursday, a woman opened her door to people who, she said, asked to pray with her.

One woman, during prayer, began rummaging through the home, going through drawers with socks on her hands before leaving through a side door.

According to Lee County deputies, two of the three suspects distracted the homeowner with prayers while the woman went inside her home.

The thieves got away with $3500 worth of jewelry and cash. Southwest Florida CrimeStoppers says they are still looking for the suspects.

“Right now we just have one victim that we know of. We hope that there aren’t others out there, but we believe that this group may have tried this loop with other folks as well,” said Trish Routte of Southwest Crime Stoppers.

Many residents said they were surprised this would happen in their neighborhood.

“I’m not surprised that someone would do that, but I’m also surprised because this neighborhood is really safe,” said Mary Jo Strodder, a resident.

“It’s quite unfortunate that we have to be this careful, but it’s the world we live in,” said James, another resident.

They say religious groups and salesmen come knocking on their doors often.

Detectives said when a crime of this nature occurs in Southwest Florida, it is often the case that the criminals are from out of town.

Investigators have alerted neighboring counties to attempt to track where the thieves are headed to prevent them from potentially striking again.

“If they are here in town right now, we are obviously concerned that they’re going to hit other neighborhoods,” said Trish.

Officials advise homeowners who do choose to talk to someone at their door to ensure it is closed and to make sure the other person cannot get inside.

Satellite High School saw dozens of students voicing their concerns Thursday over the district’s decision to not renew a teacher’s contract for the next school year.

Brianna Knight, a sophomore at the school, shared her reasoning as to why she is speaking out.

“We’re here to really show support for Ms. Calhoun and to show that we are not OK with what is going on, and that we truly are upset that we are losing such a positive teacher,” she said. “She just has done so much within the community, so it’s just really upsetting to know that we are losing that.”

In a statement, Brevard County Public Schools said a parent reached out to report a teacher was referring to their child by a name other than their legal name without their written permission.

According to the district, addressing a student by a name other than their legal one is a violation of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

“To me, it really stems back to a First Amendment right of both the student and the teacher,” said parent Robert Jones. “Sure, the parents have their rights to do what they wish in their homes and with their child, but the student in the classroom, I believe, and the teacher should also be protected by our Constitution.”

The district says the state will be reviewing Calhoun’s teaching certificate. Until the review is done, they will not be renewing her contract.

The police chief says the girl’s older sister recorded the video, and the aide in question is now facing the consequences of his actions.

“I think it would make any parent feel angry,” said Chief Leo Niemczyk of the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

The video, taken on a Northport K-8 school bus last week, shows Avieser Pinillos, a bus aide, shoving down a nine-year-old girl with special needs down in a bus seat.

He was then seen appearing to shake and scream at her.

The bus’s surveillance camera also captured the disturbing moments.

“I can’t explain why people do the things that they do. You know, I don’t know what was going on in his mind. I suppose that it’s probably a challenging day for him. And he reacted poorly,” Chief Niemczyk said. “I describe it as aggressive. I think you could describe it as violent. He clearly lost his temper, and it’s completely unacceptable.”

According to court documents, police spoke to one of the children who witnessed the altercation, saying Pinillos gave the girl one verbal command to sit down before the situation turned physical.

That witness also said it wasn’t the first incident between Pinillos and the victim; however, it was worse compared to previous times.

According to the police chief, the girl suffered some red marks around her neck and shoulders; however, there were no serious injuries.

“Probably any reasonable adult would feel angry seeing one of our most vulnerable members of a society victimized in that way,” said Chief Niemczyk.

Pinillos has since been charged with one count of child abuse and, according to the St. Lucie County School District, has been removed from his role.

The county is also considering termination.

Claude Gose Jr. was pulled over by Cape Coral police after he was seen swerving recklessly on the road at around 1 a.m. Saturday.

“You’re a cop right now, but just wait; take your [expletive] uniform off. I’ve got big-time connections,” he said. Just know it. I know everybody says that, but I’m not a [expletive] joker!”

Gose Jr. became irate once confronted by authorities, diving into a tirade against the officers who pulled him over.

“You’re [expletive] with the wrong person. I’m not drunk,” he said to an officer. “I’m not from the US, bro. I got four nationalities. Play your little game with me. I swear to God, we play the game. I know everything in 15 minutes. Where you live. Everything.”

The verbal assault kept coming, eventually escalating into threats.

“Just wait until I find where you [expletive] live!” said Gose Jr.

“Whoa. Were you communicating a threat to law enforcement?” said the officer.

“Yes, I was!” he said.

“Is that a camera in this car?” asked Gose Jr.

“Yes, sir.”

“Is it recording?”

“Yes, it is.”

Officers say Gose Jr. did not cooperate from the start.

“One of our officers initiated their lights, and the driver initially didn’t pull over and kept driving,” said Lisa Greenburg of the Cape Coral Police Department. “The officer initiated their sirens. Same thing. The suspect kept driving for a bit and finally ended up pulling over in a parking lot.”

Bodycam video of the man’s arrest showcases the moments the officer confronted Gose.

“Turn the truck off. How are you doing?” said an office. “Did you not see my lights and sirens behind you?”

“Yea… so?” said Gose Jr.

“Let’s go.”

“Hurry up.”

“Follow that with your eyes on.”

“Yeah. Hurry up, bro.”

“Do not want to participate?”

“I am participating.”

“You’re not really cooperating right now.”

“It’s just ridiculous.”

Officers said when they stopped him, they found an open beer container inside his truck alongside spilled alcohol.

Campus police reports state several fraternity members reported two separate hazing incidents this past month.

The first was in the backyard of the Sigma Chi house, while the second was on campus streets.

The report says campus police were investigating whether members of Sigma Chi forced new members to stand in front of cars while other members drove into and hit them.

One witness claims a gray car hit one of the pledges at roughly 10 to 15 miles per hour.

According to clinical psychologist Dr. Susan Lipkin, hazing is about power.

“Hazing has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It is planned. It is not an impulsive activity,” said clinical psychologist and hazing expert Dr. Susan Lipkins. “They know exactly what they’re doing, and they believe that they’re in control. And they believe that nobody will get hurt. The problem is when you do risky things, people do get hurt.”

Campus police say they interviewed three Sigma Chi members, who all denied the allegations. They claimed they were playing basketball, and no one was injured.

However, the report states one of the members was evasive.

The fraternity has a history of suspensions, with the university confirming eight between 2015 and 2020.

One of the suspensions came from Sigma Chi members allegedly forcing a blindfolded pledge to ingest cocaine.

“As a group, it’s possible that they could stop it. But as an individual, when the individuals try to stop the hazing, they are typically hazed worse,” Dr. Susan Lipkin said.

The University of Central Florida has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy of hazing on campus. The Sigma Chi National Office has not yet made a comment.

Those who found him said the pig seemed lost, believing he was someone’s pet. Now, they are pleading for the help of locals to get him to his rightful owner.

Lee County deputies were seen on video taking the brown spotted pig away.

“I went to get my children from school and was backing up the golf cart, and I stopped to talk to Courtney for a minute, and when I went to go take off, I looked up, and there was a pig wandering in the middle of the street,” said Valentine Antal, a neighbor.

She and Courtney Siegel say the pig was so domesticated he made friends with the neighborhood in the town of Estero, near Fort Myers.

“As soon as I had the water full, the pig ran up. So it obviously was like, Okay, it’s familiar with this,” Courtney said. “And then it sniffed my hands, and then let me, like, pet him a little bit with the food.”

The pig drew the attention of the kids as well, getting many belly rubs and head scratches along the way.

When it came time for him to leave, eight-year-old Christian Antal wasn’t too happy, having already become best friends with the pig.

“We found it. I was really excited, and I had a great time with it,” he said. “I played with it and loved it, and at the end of the day, we named him Oink.”

Deputies will keep the pig, nicknamed Oink, for 12 to 15 days, waiting for his owner to claim him before he is auctioned off.

Seven-year-old Oscar Stuebe shook hands with the heroes in West Palm Beach who helped save his life almost one year ago.

His mother, Sarah Stuebe, says she will never forget March 2024, when Oscar was playing for his youth baseball league.

“He yelled my name and the tone, the way he yelled it, I knew immediately something was wrong,” she said.

Oscar was hit by a baseball in the chest and went into cardiac arrest.

Sarah immediately went into action, checking her son’s pulse and dialing 911.

“I went into nurse mode,” she said. “He didn’t have a pulse, he wasn’t breathing, and I did CPR.”

Firefighters soon arrived and worked on him on the way to St. Mary’s until he gained consciousness.

“They should be thanked every day for what they do,” Sarah said. “They gave us that seat at the table for our child, and without them, we wouldn’t be here celebrating Oscar.”

Soon after recovering, Oscar met his heroes.

“His family brought him by the station after he had recovered at the hospital to say hi to all of us so that we could see him as a happy, smiling child again,” said Captain Jeffrey Stefaniak.

The family shared Oscar’s story in hopes of bringing automated external defibrillators to local parks.

“Having this here just gives me an extra peace of mind that my kids are going to be safe no matter what,” said Sarah.

As Oscar moves forward, he continues to play baseball.

“Oscar was kind of the luckiest out of this whole situation because he doesn’t remember anything from happening,” said Sarah. “I’ll never look at my son the same way. I’ll never look at any of my kids the same way.”

The Stuebe family plans to hold a ribbon-cutting Saturday to unveil a new AED machine.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department received a 911 call around 7:30 p.m., Monday that a man fell off his sailboat and was calling for help.

Officer Ryan Lodwick was the first to arrive at the scene at the Club Med Boat Ramps.

“I started scouring the boat ramps and going down the boat ramps, calling for anybody that may be in distress,” he said.

He said when he got the last ramp, he found the victim, 55-year-old Charles Dunn, hanging from one of the ropes on the dock.

“When I got to him, I could see he was struggling, and I was able to deploy this disc that we use for rescues to him in the water,” he said.

According to Lodwick, first responders from Port St. Lucie County Fire District also arrived to assist.

Once Dunn was out of the water, he told officers he was working on his sailboat when he fell off into the water and couldn’t get himself out.

He was able to cling to one of the ropes attached from the sailboat to the dock and dialed 911.

“The victim was in a lot of distress,” said Lodwick. “He had stated at one point in the hospital that he was ready to give up. He was struggling for maybe 20 or 30 minutes, and luckily, we got there in the time that we did.”

Lodwick is glad he was able to help; he says they all intentionally came out to an address on Pine Valley, but knowing his districts, he responded to this location, where the boats are located.

“I’m glad I was able to find him and I’m glad I made the right decision to come to this location,” said Lodwick. “Again, just knowing my district and knowing where these boats are, it was a calculated risk, and it worked out.”

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for hypothermia.

The road rage incident began after the driver of another car stepped out to confront Adam Falek in his black Mercedes for honking. That’s when one of them pulled a gun.

Investigators said Falek was honking, trying to pass the victim’s Jeep after he went around another vehicle waiting to park.

“Kind of did like a ‘Hey dude, you know what? What’s up?'” said Port St. Lucie Master Sergeant Dominick Mesiti. “It’s uncalled for, and we’re going to take this very seriously.”

Police said seconds after the victim got out to speak to Falek, he pulled out a gun.

Fortunately, no one was injured. Police said a passenger in the Jeep called 911. Falek, however, took off, with witnesses giving police his tag number.

Drivers in the same parking lot were surprised something like that happened.

“Some people are impatient,” said Wiley Titus, a Port Saint Lucie resident. “When they’re impatient, you never know what could happen, and also, you never know what another person is going through that day.”

“I’ve been here for four years and never seen it personally myself, never experienced it anywhere,” said another resident.

Officers quickly tracked him down and arrested him.

Police say the safest thing to do in any road rage incident is to remain in your vehicle and deescalate the situation.

“Remove yourself from the situation,” said Mesiti. “Let the guy behind you honk his horn as much as he wants.”

Falek faces one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill. He is out on bond.

Back in her South Florida condo, Marilyn Johansen has time to reflect.

Marilyn Johansen, daughter of World War II prisoner of war: “There were many of us that had an emotional experience. We felt our fathers with us in those moments.”

Moments Marilyn and her son experienced last month, about 5,000 miles away in Poland, and moments that connected generations.

Marilyn Johansen: “My father, Eugene Francis Phillips, was an Air Force officer. He was a major. My father served through World War II, Korea, Cold War and Vietnam. Something in him wanted to fly.”

In 1943, 2nd Lt. Phillips was fighting the Nazis in Italy when his plane was shot down.

Marilyn Johansen: “He was knocked unconscious. The plane was on fire. He was burned.”

Then he was captured.

A telegram sent to his mother in Ohio read: “Your son” is “a prisoner of war.”

Marilyn Johansen: “The Germans fed them rotten potatoes and cabbage and occasionally a piece of meat.”

For 15 months, 2nd Lt. Phillips was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III, an infamous Nazi POW camp. Near the end of World War II, Hitler ordered the camp be evacuated. The airmen were forced to walk day after day in sub-zero temperatures in what would be called “The Long March.”

Marilyn Johansen: “Hitler was thinking he would use these POWs as a bargaining chip. My father’s camp had 10,500 men in it. On the march, some men died.”

That was January of 1945.

Howard De Lester, event organizer: “Long March, 80th anniversary and a very special event.”

This was January of 2025.

Howard De Lester: “To begin the arduous, 60-plus miles through the countryside.”

Relatives of the late POWs joined members of the U.S., Polish and British armed forces to follow their exact route.

Howard De Lester: “The length of the column would represent the prisoners of war in 1945. Conditions were perilous.”

Marilyn Johansen: “This is where he almost starved to death. It was brutal. We all knew that when we marched: That if they hadn’t survived, none of us would have been here.”

Marilyn’s dad did survive and after being liberated, the telegram home read: “Your son … is being returned to the United States.”

Marilyn Johansen: “He was emaciated, and then he had frostbite and he had, you know, burns from his face.”

80th anniversary march video: “The war marks a dark chapter in our history.”

At the end of an event marking the past was a warning about the future.

80th-anniversary march video: “With this march, you also want to warn our world to not repeat our history. As soldiers of different nations, you stand for the protection of freedom and peace.”

Marilyn Johansen: “My father would say to me, ‘If you don’t study history, you’re destined to repeat it.’ He taught me that we learn through adversity, that life is full of lessons. He gave me the silver lining of a horrible, horrible thing that happened.”

Marilyn recently released a memoir about growing up in a military family, called “My Father’s Secrets.” Her father, who was awarded the Prisoner of War medal and a Purple Heart, passed away back in 1990, but his legacy lives on.

Tavares Jones, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Zander was with family enjoying a Christmas drone show when things took a painful turn.

A drone came crashing down right on top of him, causing him to undergo open-heart surgery due to his injuries.

After spending more than a week in the hospital, his mother, Adriana Edgerton, is speaking out about her son’s recovery and hope for the future.

“Honestly, it was very emotional,” she said. “It was – it was very hard, not only to be in that situation and trying to keep his spirits alive, but just being divided as a family. That’s not something we’re used to.”

Zander left the hospital on Monday, and his family made sure he went home in style.

“They did have the wheelchair, but even when he got in it, it seemed kind of morbid. It wasn’t making him feel better,” said Edgerton. “Just want to say thanks to the community; we were able to get him the power wheel.”

For now, the 7-year-old will still have to stay home, see the doctor at least twice a week, and he will still have to take pain medicine.

“I do know there was a few, arteries that had to be replaced, as well as the front part of the heart that had to be repaired, one of the valves as well, so there was a lot of extensive work done,” said Edgerton.

Zander’s mother said the time they spent in the hospital was challenging, but the community support she and her family received made it all possible.

“I know a lot of the time, the world seems like a bad place, and there’s not a lot of hope, but it’s nice to know that even in unfortunate times like this, that humanity can come together and be one for a greater cause,” she said.

The community is supporting Zander with donations, which will help pay for his medical expenses. They have donated nore than $34,000 so far.

Deep in the Florida Everglades in the dead of night, exploring islands on the East Coast is Mike Kimmel, the self-proclaimed “Python Cowboy.”

“All right, heading out. I got old Spazzy McGee here and Stevie Wonder up front,” said Kimmel.

Hunting pythons is not for the weak.

“Pythons is probably the hardest thing I hunt. Success rates are usually pretty low. Any tool we can use to give us kind of a leg up and an advantage, I knew we needed to use,” said Kimmel.

The Martin County trapper eradicates these invasive snakes for a living. And unlike most hunters, he brings backup, including a blind dog, appropriately named Helen Killer.

“On the boat and in the truck, Helen doesn’t know what to do. But once her feet hit that island, she goes right to work,” said Kimmel.

Helen Killer is not seeing impaired but has no eyeballs.

“I’m taking out my dog Helen Killer to find some pythons. All she’s got is that nose; she got no eyes, she barely got any ears,” said Kimmel.

The “Python Cowboy” said that for his trusty steed, it’s a blessing in disguise. An amplified sense of smell helps the pup track down the elusive apex predators that are notoriously hard to spot in the wild.

“It’s always extra rewarding to be able to take a dog in a bad situation — a rescue, a dog that’s blind, whatever it may be — and to be able to give it a purpose, almost use its disability for its advantage, in a way,” said Kimmel.

During a hunt across the alley last week, Helen Killer lived up to her name after a few hours of sniffing.

“Yo! Python!” said Kimmel. “Travis, come here! Good girl! Good dog, come here, baby.”

Helen has no natural fear of snakes, coming dangerously close to the double-digit footer reptiles.

Burmese pythons aren’t venomous, but they definitely don’t want to go home with people, and their bite packs a punch.

“She was definitely smelling it, and she went right up to it. What a good girl. What a good girl! Who says a blind dog can’t hunt, son?” said Kimmel.

He said the dog’s blindness is a benefit.

“About as easy as it gets right there. Hell, yeah Helen; that’s what were talking about. Another notch on her belt, son,” said Kimmel.

He said Helen Killer is a one-in-a-million companion.

“It’s hard to find that dog that has that drive, has that in them, to want to find a snake for you,” said Kimmel. “I’ve been very lucky with Auto and a few other of my dogs. But I’ve gone through a pile of dogs that just didn’t make the cut.”

He thinks Florida should utilize canines to help control the population of pythons in the Everglades.

“I’d like to see the state get more behind some kind of dedicated dog program with real dog handlers, get a team of people out here hunting it, and I feel like they’re not utilizing the dogs like they need to be,” he said.

Members of the Beta Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, held its 5th Annual Community Sleigh Ride event Wednesday, while paying a visit to pre-school students at the Lillie M. Williams Head Start Center in Miami.

Members distributed over 100 gifts to children and their families.

The fraternity was also presented with an award of appreciation for its continued commitment and generosity to the school.

The smiles on the children’s faces captured the true meaning of the holiday season, while highlighting the fraternity’s mission to serve and uplift those around them.

The Beta Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has been an active part of the Greater Miami community since its inception in November 19, 1937. Like many chapter across the country, the chapter was established by men with a common interest in improving the community through education and public service.

The City of Miami Gardens is hosting a Hurricane Milton Relief Drop-off event which kicks off on Friday, Oct. 11 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Norwood Park, located at 19401 NW 14th Ave. in Miami Gardens.

The charge is being led by Miami Gardens Councilman Reggie Leon and Florida State Rep. Ashley Gant of House District 109.

Leon said he wants to make sure underserved communities, especially in the Tampa Bay area, are not overlooked.

“During Hurricane Ian, we saw that a lot of the underserved communities had a delay in receiving relief, so ahead of the storm, we touched bases with the leaders of those underserved communities, and we want to make sure that they know we will be there for them as soon as the storm passes,” he said.

Members of the community who plan to donate to the relief drive are asked to bring non-perishable items, sanitary items, baby diapers and hygiene kits. The items would be immediately delivered to communities in need following the three-day drive.

“So we are asking for these donations so that we can take relief to those communities on this Monday coming up,” said Leon.

Saturday afternoon, 7News cameras captured people dropping off items at Norwood Park. Among them was Loretta.

“They really need help, so any little – I’m encouraging everybody, whatever you have that you can donate, please bring it,” she said. “It really means a lot, and you never know what your gift can do for somebody else.”

Several other community partners are also supporting the drive, including the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Sigma Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the Miami Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and Cox Media Group.

Food for the Poor is also accepting donations at their warehouse on Lyons Road in Coconut Creek. They are open Monday to Saturday.

The child’s father, Alex Calvillo, said his son Aziel, who is nonverbal, likes to wander around his home in Fort Wayne, but on this day, he was nowhere in sight.

“My friend goes, like, ‘Where’s your son? So I was like, ‘He should have been on the couch watching his tablet,'” said Calvillo “I look out the kitchen doorway and see that the garage door was open, so I immediately ran out and started looking for him and couldn’t find him.”

When police arrived, they told the officer that the 3-year-old likes water and enjoys swimming.

“After I0 you know, reminded him that he’s autistic, he likes water, like two minutes after, they ended up finding him,” said Calvillo.

Fort Wayne Officer Evan Myers was searching for Aziel when he heard a cry from a nearby backyard. He ran through the open fence and found the toddler floating.

Myers’ bodycam video captured him rushing to the boy’s aid, pulling the victim from the water.

Aziel’s parents said their son got to the pool through an opening in the fence.

The child’s family said they are extremely grateful for Myers’ quick actions.

“I want to personally thank him deeply for being able to find my son,” said Savannah Ybarra, Aziel’s mother.

“I definitely want to give him a huge thanks, I can’t describe how grateful I am for him,” said Calvillo. “It definitely means a lot to us and our family.”

Aziel’s family said they plan to put up a fence of their own.

Makayla Nash, the founder of the nonprofit organization “The Drip Drive,” is empowering children through fashion by giving back to students in need.

“It’s Drip Drive Day!” Nash enthusiastically announced to her students, who responded with cheers of excitement.

The annual event has become a celebration for students in Nashville, where they can pick out new clothes and shoes, all at no cost.

Nash launched The Drip Drive in December 2022, and this year marks her third drive. The initiative is aimed at serving low-income schools and students, providing them with the opportunity to assemble entire outfits in a setting that resembles a shopping mall.

Nash’s latest drive has gone viral, thanks to her efforts in giving out over 100 pairs of white Nike Air Force Ones for the new school year.

“Everybody come up one by one and get your shoes to take home with you,” she told the students as she handed out the brand-new sneakers.

The success of this year’s Drip Drive was made possible through partnerships with stores like Finish Line and JD Sports. What began as a simple call to place a bulk order of shoes turned into a major blessing when an area manager for Finish Line donated 100 pairs of sneakers.

Nash even handpicked the sizes to ensure each student received the perfect fit. She chose the classic white sneakers because the neutral color doesn’t give off a social status, making everyone equally stylish.

“You ate, very much ate,” Nash praised the students as they proudly wore their new shoes.

Nash relies on donations and sponsorships to keep “The Drip Drive” going. If you would like to get involved and support her mission, she has set up a GoFundMe for anyone who would like to contribute.

Chairman Oliver G. Gilbert III of the Miami-Dade County Commission is hosting the event in partnership with the Sunshine State Games to kickoff the Orange Blossom Classic, an annual HBCU college football game held in Miami Gardens.

“This is one of the qualifying events, so if you come and you register and you perform well and you win here, it actually qualifies you to move onto state tournaments.
So, that’s a very exciting function,” said Chairman Gilbert.

The paddle sport is giving community remembers a new and improved way to break a sweat.

“Pickleball is the fastest growing and easiest sport to participate in, in America right now. It’s just so exciting, I realize how much I love it and I also realize that sometimes we don’t have these things introduced to our community,” said Chairman Gilbert.

“The Orange Blossom Classic features two Historically Black Colleges and Universities coming to Miami Gardens from all across the country, North Carolina, Alabama, people are coming here to play. Let’s introduce pickleball to this audience,”  he said.

The tournament will feature men’s and women’s doubles competition and welcomes participants of all skill levels between the ages of 19-to-60 years-old.

“Listen, between the Sunshine State games, the Orange Blossom Classic, the city of Miami Gardens, the county, all of the food trucks that are coming,the DJ’s. This isn’t just pickleball, this is an experience we’re providing,” said Chairman Gilbert.

There will be food trucks and vendors on site for community members to enjoy.

The tournament is scheduled for Sunday, August 25., starting at 8 a.m., at the Hard Rock Stadium Tennis Plaza in Miami Gardens.

Community members interested in participating must register beforehand.

For more information and to register, click here.

Miami Gardens Councilman Reggie Leon launched the city’s Dusk to Dawn Night Camp with the goal to utilize the summer time as an opportunity to give the youth a head start in life, foster their personal development and build their entrepreneurial spirit.

“During the summertime, there’s an uptick in violence, right? So I wanted to be creative and take our kids off the street,” said Leon. “I got with Blaze Carter, we sat down and came up with a program called Night Camp.”

The magic happens at the Cloverleaf Park in Miami Gardens, and for the past seven weeks, from 6 to 9 p.m., the students in attendance have been learning how to turn their ideas into viable and profitable business ventures.

These students have been taking part in hands-on workshops, learning the ins and outs of creating their own brand, business plans and merchandise.

Take Connor Bonhomme, for example. A student at the Night Camp, he is a young entrepreneur with his own homemade ice cream brand known as King Cone.

“They taught me marketing skills. They helped me push myself out there on social media,” he said. “I wasn’t really out there on social media, but they were like, ‘Hey, put yourself on social media to help you grow,’ and ever since, it’s been doing great.”

It’s through community partners, including small business owners Santonio and Monica Carter of the King Carter Youth Foundation, that the Night Camp is helping set these children up for success.

“It’s paramount because everybody’s not gonna go to college. Some kids are obligated to pay a bill right now. So why not teach them a trade that’s fun, where they can learn something?” said Santonio.

“I love every bit of it. Being a mom to kids that are not mine and they gravitate to me, I love it,” said Monica. “Just to see the smile on their face, it does something to me, and I feel good about it.”

For some of these night campers, being here is life-changing.

“If you could put yourself in an environment where you can change your life, man, or change the people around you, you could really become a different person and not be in the streets, but be somewhere where you could make a real impact,” said camp attendee Dyrique Mendoza.

Local officers from the community are also present at Night Camp, using it as an opportunity to connect with the children well beyond the streets.

The program is also made possible by Rolling Loud, the hip-hop festival known for attracting thousands to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. But beyond the music and crowds, it’s also pouring back into the community.

“So what we’re doing is, we’re teaching the kids skills. Everybody knows about merch, so the kids are coming in, making their merch, and they also have the opportunity to sell this merch at Rolling Loud this year,” said Leon.

To support the program, Rolling Loud is also contributing at least $5,000 to collaborate on limited edition clothing which will be available to concertgoers at pop-ups come December.

“Rolling Loud, one of the biggest concerts, man, I mean, most of my favorite rappers are gonna be there. I gotta be there, bro,” said Mendoza.

For parents like Miya Morris, a mom of two, the Night Camp has inspired her kids to dream big.

“They actually have something that they’re able to do in order to assist them in the future. Not just always working for someone, but actually being able to build and grow, not only in Miami Gardens but abroad,” said Morris.

Happening Friday night, these children will host a fashion show featuring all of their designs. It’s being held at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center in Miami Gardens beginning at 6 p.m.

The incident happened on July 19 after Claudia Rapkoch dropped off her 7-year-old English Bulldog, named Jello, at Hawaiian Airlines to be flown to Seattle, Washington.

Her husband was waiting in Seattle, planning to pick Jello up from the airport and drive him to their home in Montana.

“Their breed is such they’re not supposed to fly, and most airlines don’t fly them, so we’re kind of grateful that a few do,” said Claudia. “But he can really only fly over the water.”

Claudia’s son and pet cat were also on the same flight with Jello, but while they made it to Seattle, Jello didn’t.

“And yet there was no Jello. And so, at some point, we’re like, ‘They lost our dog,'” said Claudia. “Everybody else arrived except for Jello, and even the paperwork had Jello on the plane. And you see it on his crate, ‘Seattle.'”

After waiting for about an hour for a call back from Hawaiian Airlines, officials confirmed Jello had been flown to San Diego, California.

“They said, ‘We’ve got him. He’s fine. We’re taking care of him,'” said Claudia. “And that was all that really mattered, because after that, I was like, ‘OK.'”

Jello was put in a boarding facility for a couple of days as Hawaiian Airlines reached out to Island Pet Movers, who could pick up Jello from San Diego and drive him to Montana.

“We scooped up a rental car, drove him up to Montana, and he was delivered this morning at about 5:30 in the morning,” said Kari Mendoza with Island Pet Movers.

Mendoza her company has moved over 50,000 pets in 15 years, and situations where airlines need assistance transporting an animal sent to the wrong destination have occurred three other times.

“It’s definitely not as common as your bags going to the wrong place,” said Mendoza.

Hawaiian Airlines released a statement reading in part, “…Our teams take great care to transport all animals safely and comfortably, and we apologize to Jello’s family for this event, which we are investigating.”

Claudia is happy Jello is safe and back home with his family.

“Jello is now home. He’s with everybody else. He’s with the family, and everything is fine,” she said. “You know, it’s a story with a very happy ending, and we’re very grateful for that.”

Claudia said she is happy and grateful for the response and resolution of Hawaiian Airlines, including a full $800 refund, which is the initial cost to fly Jello to Seattle.

Behind the sound of a Junkanoo band marching along Southwest 216th Street in South Miami-Dade, Saturday afternoon, are members of Mothers Fighting for Justice, a nonprofit that helps families who have lost loved ones to gun violence in Miami-Dade County.

The organization hosted its 10th Annual Memorial Walk in honor of victims whose lives were cut short, as they continue their call for change.

Mothers Fighting for Justice was founded by Romania Dukes.

“We’re dealing with gun violence on a daily basis,” she said. “I’m out here for mothers who don’t have the strength to come, so I’m out here walking for them, I’m walking for myself.”

Dukes lost her son De’Michael back in 2014. It’s through her work that she supports other grieving parents and honors the family members they’ve also lost.

“It’s been 10 years for me; I still don’t have any justice. I should have stopped a long time ago, but this is what keeps me fighting, this right here,” she said.

Marchers braved the Florida summer temperatures as they walked from Cutler Manor to Goulds Park, one step at a time.

Dukes continues to turn her pain into purpose. She was joined on Saturday by local and state officials, including Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

“It’s important for everybody to remember what’s going on and not to just act like it’s normal. It is not normal,” said Levine Cava. “It is not normal for young men and women to lose their lives out here on the streets.”

“It’s a true partnership for us, to show our commitment to reducing gun violence and victimization in our community, and to honor all of our victims’ [loved ones] who have truly turned pain into purpose,” said Miami-Dade County Public Safety Chief James Reyes.

As Dukes continues to carry the burden of grief and such a painful loss of her own, she said the Memorial Walk is just one of the things that helps her not lose hope.

“It’s how I cope. It’s, like, my cope mechanism to do stuff like this, to walk for so many people,” she said.

Her work is being recognized by local leaders. It is a fight for justice and a call for peace that’s far from over, because these mothers, well, they must move on, and together, they will.

“People say, ‘How do you give back to the same community that took away our kids?’ It’s easy. I don’t want nobody else to go through what we go through,” she said. “It’s no expiration date on our pain when you’re dealing with death.”

Dukes plans to host a back-to-school event in the coming weeks for siblings and family members of victims. For more information on Mothers Fighting for Justice, click here.

While everyone made it out OK, they’re still wondering why the smoke detectors at the rental house did not go off.

The incident happened Tuesday morning after Lacey and Rodney Schoenfeld were woken up by exploding glass.

Seconds later, their Destin Airbnb was up in flames and their only option was to find a way out for them and their daughters.

“The only thing we could do was shove them out on the balcony,” Lacey said. “Try to figure out the safest way to get them down. He climbed over the ledge. There was like a little over-hang thing. I was handing the kids to him over the ledge and getting them to hold onto the railing, and drop them down to our nephew.”

The family was hoping for a relaxing vacation in the sun and were not expecting the rental home to catch on fire.

“Bruises, he obviously has broken glass in his feet, lacerations with heat blisters inside the lacerations,” she said. “My youngest daughter has scrapes from her should all the way to below her bottom.”

The family said that not a single fire alarm went of inside and it was a neighbor who called the fire department.

“If you are going on vacation, I would check the smoke detectors,” Amanda Morgan said. “Don’t just think they are gonna work because that is what we thought too.”

The family lost their phones, Id’s and three cars but that isn’t what they cared about the most

“We lost our son back in October,” Lacey said. “He was 20 years old, in an accident. I had a Build-A-Bear with his heartbeat in it, my youngest daughter had his favorite hoodie, it had paint stains on it. It was his favorite hoodie she takes that everywhere. My other daughter had a print out of his heartbeat in a glass jar. Those are things you can’t replace.”

The family said they’re grateful everyone was safe.

The attack occurred while Barr was asleep in her home. She awoke to find her car significantly damaged and she initially suspected vandalism.

“I thought somebody had maybe taken a BB gun and shot my car,” Barr recounted.

The true culprits were revealed only after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reviewed security footage from Barr’s property. The video showed a neighbor’s cat jumping behind the engine of Barr’s car, shortly before two dogs began their attack on the vehicle to reach the feline. She believes the cat would not have survived had the dogs managed to reach her.

“There’s no doubt in my mind had they gotten that cat, she wouldn’t be here today,” Barr said.

The incident has left the neighborhood in shock, with many residents unable to believe dogs caused the damage until they saw the footage for themselves.

“If they can do that to metal on a car, they could tear a human being up,” said Barr.

The ownership of the dogs remains unknown, and despite Barr’s request for intervention, Animal Care and Protective Services have yet to respond.

Barr has a message for the pet owners: “You need to take care of them. Don’t let them be out running the streets during the middle of the night.”