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Police Briefs 1/12/17

Clay County Sheriff's Office
Posted 1/11/17

2-vehicle crash ends in serious injuryBRADFORD COUNTY – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that a two-vehicle accident in Bradford County ended in serious injury for a Keystone Heights …

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Police Briefs 1/12/17


Posted

2-vehicle crash ends in serious injury
BRADFORD COUNTY – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that a two-vehicle accident in Bradford County ended in serious injury for a Keystone Heights man.
Police said John Jordan, 48, was driving a 2012 Hyundai Elantra northbound on U.S. Highway 301 in the left center lane near Centennial Fireworks at a high rate of speed passing other vehicles in a 45 mile per hour construction zone.
Police said when Jordan failed to maintain a safe and legal distance from a 2010 Buick Enclave, Jordan rear ended the Buick, which was driven by Maegan Prince, 27, of Starke.
FHP said Prince was also headed northbound when the crash took place. Upon impact, Jordan’s vehicle ended up facing in a westerly direction, while Prince’s vehicle ended up in the median facing north.
Jordan was airlifted to UF Health hospital in Gainesville and was treated for serious injuries. He was also charged with careless driving. Prince was not injured, but a passenger in her car, Chad Rath, 27, of Starke, received minor injuries.

Investigation continues in inmate impersonating another inmate
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels continues to look into how an inmate impersonated another inmate and was released from the jail on Monday. Jessica Arnott, 28, of Green Cove Springs, left the jail for an hour and half on Jan. 9. She now faces additional charges of escape and grand theft.
There is currently a strong policy for the release of inmates. But, Sheriff Daniels is calling for a more intense look at policies and procedures.
“I am incensed that this occurred and necessary discipline will be administered. There appears to have been a procedural breakdown based on human factor,” said Daniels, in a press release. “Instead of creating an environment of establishing blame, I will set up an environment where this does not occur again.”
Inmate Jessica Davis was set to be released on bond Monday. Instead, Arnott went through the releasing process, posing as Davis, and left the Clay County Jail.
Davis’ mother saw Arnott in her daughter’s clothing at the intersection of Gratio Place and Walnut Street in Green Cove Springs and then reported Arnott to police who then returned her to the jail.
Daniels said an internal investigation is underway to determine how the switch happened.
Arnott was originally arrested on Nov. 14 on one charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after she allegedly struck a victim with a machete. She had remained in jail since her arrest where her bond was set at $25,003.

Assault and battery charge for Green Cove man
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Green Cove Springs man faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and armed burglary after an alleged incident with his neighbor.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Leland Peck, 39, on Jan. 9 at 10:39 p.m. after a report of an aggravated battery that had taken place led officers to a house located in Green Cove Springs.
The report said Peck knocked on the victim’s door, and when the victim answered, Peck pointed a revolver in the victim’s face and asked him where his girlfriend was. When Peck pointed the gun at the victim’s face, the victim took a step back, only to be shoved to the ground by Peck, police said. Peck began searching the house for his girlfriend. The victim said he didn’t know why Peck was looking for his girlfriend at his house.
When officers arrived at the scene, they cuffed Peck’s hands and put him in the back of a patrol car while the investigation took place. After seeing the victim moving around aggressively while in the patrol car, the officer opened the back door to check on Peck. Upon doing so, Peck allegedly pushed the officer back and attempted to jump out of the car. The officer apprehended Peck and placed him back in the car.
During the struggle, the officer noticed a piece of trim from the car that had broken off during his attempted escape. This struggle added the potential charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and destruction of Clay County property being added to the arrest.
Peck was arrested and booked into the Clay County Jail where, at press time, he remained held without bond.

Keystone man charged with forgery
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Keystone Heights man faces a charge of forgery after turning himself in five days after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
James Lay, 18, turned himself in on Jan. 9 at 3:02 p.m. at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office headquarters on Orange Avenue in Green Cove Springs.
On Dec. 5 of last year, at 6 p.m., Lay attempted to purchase $5 worth of gas using a counterfeit $20 bill at a Keystone Heights Kangaroo gas station, according to the police report. A Kangaroo employee found the bill suspicious based on how the bill looked and felt.
After comparing the counterfeit bill to photos of previously used counterfeit bills, police said, she noticed that the serial number on this bill matched the serial number of a bill used two days prior. The Kangaroo employee notified Lay, “who promptly left the premises,” states the police report.
On Dec. 28, Lay was pulled over during a traffic stop in which deputies notified detectives working on the case.
On Jan. 3, 2017, police spoke with Lay by phone and asked him if he would meet to discuss the allegation. Six days later, Lay turned himself in.
Lay was charged with “uttering a forged bill or note” and has a bond set at $5003.

Running red light results in four car crash
MIDDLEBURG – Seven people were hospitalized Tuesday when a Ford Expedition driven by a teenager allegedly ran a red light and struck a Hyundai Accent at the intersection of County Road 220 and Knight Boxx Road.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol report, John H. Tiederman III, 16, travelled westbound on CR 220 in the right hand lane with two other teenagers in his vehicle. A white Hyundai Accent travelled eastbound and attempted to make a left turn onto Knight Boxx Road at 6 p.m. on Jan. 10.
A witness saw Tiederman allegedly run the red light and strike the passenger side of the Hyundai Accent, where a 14-year-old Orange Park girl sat.
Tiederman’s vehicle then rolled over onto its driver’s side and continued to travel into a silver Ford Aerostar and a Toyota MR2 on Knight Boxx Road in the right turn lane to CR 220.
All drivers and passengers with the exception of the driver of the Toyota were transported to local hospitals with injuries ranging from serious to minor.

Two teenagers face grand theft charges
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Two teenagers face grand theft auto charges after a response to a suspicious vehicle yielded a reported stolen vehicle.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jacob Eron Brown, 18, of Green Cove Springs and Daniel Antwan Clark, 19, of Jacksonville on Jan. 10 after complaints of a suspicious vehicle led deputies to the two teenagers allegedly hiding a closet.
Deputies made contact with a resident on the 600 block of SW Jasmine Avenue, who said a suspicious vehicle had parked on the side of her residence. Upon arrival, deputies discovered the license plate matched a vehicle reported stolen. The vehicle ID number corroborated the deputies’ suspicions.
Deputies made contact with two subjects who hid in a closet and asked Brown to empty his pockets. There, deputies allegedly found a stack of gift cards stolen from inside the vehicle.
Deputies arrested the two teenagers and transported them to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, where Brown remained on a $55,005 bond for petit theft and Grand Theft Auto while Clark remained on a $25,003 bond.


Jacksonville woman arrested for insurance fraud at Orange Park Medical Center
ORANGE PARK – A Jacksonville woman has been arrested over alleged insurance fraud involving false Orange Park Medical Center claims that resulted in $9,425 in benefits.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Vallarie Lunn Thompson-Wells, 31, on Jan. 9 over allegations that she made fraudulent insurance claims using names of doctors from Orange Park Medical Center.
According to the arrest warrant, Thompson-Wells received insurance through AFLAC. A claims specialist became suspicious of her activity in early October after a claim she submitted for her son Tobias closely mirrored a claim for her other son Tristan.
The case was transferred to an AFLAC special investigator who discovered Orange Park Medical Center had no record of either incident in its billing department. The case was transferred to the Florida Department of Financial Services Bureau of Insurance who then launched an investigation.
Interviews with doctors listed on insurance documents yielded similar results – meritless insurance claims, the report said.
Deputies arrested Thompson-Wells and transported her and transported her to the Clay County Jail, where she was later released on an undisclosed bond.

Jacksonville man arrested for drunken disorderly conduct in CVS
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Jacksonville man was arrested for disorderly conduct last Wednesday after officers responded to reports of a male “unconscious but breathing” in the men’s restroom of the CVS Pharmacy located at 800 North Orange Ave.
Officers with the Green Cove Springs Police Department arrested Cedric Anthony Crimley, 23, on Jan.4. Allegedly, Crimley habrd passed out in a CVS bathroom while under the influence of alcohol.
While Clay County Fire Rescue checked Crimley’s health, Crimley allegedly began to raise his voice and use foul language while in the pharmacy. The report said Crimley allegedly ignored those orders and continued, prompting officers to grab Crimley by his left and right arms. The report said Crimley tensed up as if he was going to resist, but didn’t.
Officers then put Crimley in a rear locking arm bar and put him on the ground to handcuff him for tensing his muscles. Medical personnel finished with Crimley and he was lead to a patrol car. Crimley pushed off the car and tried to pull away.
Officers arrested Crimley and charged with disorderly intoxication, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest without violence and threatening a public official. Officers transported Crimley to the Clay County Jail where he remained on a $12,009 bond.