Three-vehicle accident almost kills Jax man
FLEMING ISLAND – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that a Jacksonville man is in critical condition at Orange Park Medical Center after being pinned between two vehicles alongside U.S. Highway 17 South on Fleming Island after a bizarre crash.
Police said Jude Aristhene, 31, was helping push a disabled 2000 Toyota Tacoma to safety from the roadway at around 11:37 p.m. on Jan. 3 when the crash occurred near Harbor Island Drive.
The driver of the Tacoma was inside steering while Aristhene was pushing the truck out of the highway. FHP said 19-year-old Savannah Hicks of Orange Park was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox when she failed to stop behind Aristhene’s 2015 Mazda 3, which she struck with the front of the Equinox.
“The impact pushed the Mazda into the ditch,” states an FHP press release.
The Equinox continued heading south on U.S. 17 and struck Aristhene pinning him between the Equinox and the Tacoma.
A passenger in the Equinox, Emily Kay, 20, of Orange Park, was seriously injured and also transported to Orange Park Medical Center. Meanwhile, Sonel Desir, 31, of Fleming Island, the driver of the Tacoma, escaped without injury.
FHP charged Hicks with one count of careless driving.

Keystone Heights accident claims one
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that a 40-year-old man died in a one-vehicle crash on Jan. 1.
Police said Patrick James McGee of Keystone Heights was driving a 1999 Ford Econoline van on County Road 214 at Twin Lakes Road when the crash occurred at 6:15 a.m.
Police said McGee failed to negotiate a curve properly, which forced his van off the roadway onto the grassy shoulder. FHP said McGee’s van then struck a large pine tree and caught on fire.
“Several good Samaritans passing by the scene observed the fire and pulled the driver from the driver compartment,” states the FHP press release.
Clay County Fire Rescue pronounced McGee dead at the scene of the crash.

Driver, passenger killed in New Year’s Eve crash
JACKSONVILLE – A two-vehicle accident on Interstate 295 near Blanding Boulevard claimed two people and left a third with critical injuries on New Year’s Eve.
The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the driver, Justin R. Conn, 28, of Green Cove Springs and a passenger, Christina A. Ross, 29, of St. Augustine, were killed in the crash that took place at 2:21 a.m. Victor Williams, 29, of Green Cove Springs, a second passenger in Conn’s 2002 Ford Mustang, was critically injured and transported to Orange Park Medical Center.
FHP said Conn was traveling behind a tractor-trailer and attempted to overtake and pass the tractor-trailer when he lost control of the Mustang. The front left of the Mustang crashed into the front right of the tractor-trailer causing both vehicles onto the shoulder. FHP said Conn’s Mustang became trapped underneath the tractor-trailer. Both Conn and Ross were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
FHP said Conn was wearing a seat belt, while Ross was not. FHP also said tests to determine if alcohol was involved are pending as are charges as well.

Mid-December burglaries ends in arrest
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Keystone Heights man who is believed to be responsible for multiple burglaries in Clay and Bradford counties.
Officers arrested John Luther Bennett Sr., 49, on Jan. 1 at 9:30 a.m. and charged him with armed burglary to an auto, burglary to an auto, grand theft of a firearm and two counts of grand theft.
The investigation began on Dec. 19 when one victim called CCSO and reported that his 2004 Ford F150 pickup has been broken into. During the break-in, the victim reported that someone had stolen a shotgun, his wallet and a camouflage jacket.
When CCSO deputies canvassed the neighborhood, they found three additional vehicles that had been broken into on the same stretch of County Road 214 in Melrose. In one of the other burglaries, the victim reported the theft of a Polaris UTV, a purse and $300 cash.
Bennett was booked into the Clay County Jail, where at press time, he remained held with bond set at $130,075.

Pushing incident ends in child abuse charge
MIDDLEBURG – What began as a pushing and shoving incident recently ended in an arrest for a Middleburg man.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harry Carl J. Sapp, 33, on Dec. 31 at 12:11 p.m. after conducting an investigation at his home in the 5000 block of County Road 218A. He is charged with one count of domestic battery for allegedly striking his live-in girlfriend of five years and one count of child abuse without great harm for allegedly striking his girlfriend’s 15-year-old son in the face.
According to the police report, CCSO deputies arrived at Sapp’s home where they witnessed him “standing over the victim with his fist raised as if he was about to strike [the victim.]
Police said Sapp also pushed the teen into a wall and injured one of the teen’s hands.
Sapp was booked into the Clay County Jail, where at press time, he remained held with bond set at $35,005.

Homeless man charged with assault, burglary
ORANGE PARK – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested a homeless man and charged him with assault and battery during burglary and one count of burglary after an investigation on Dec. 31.
Police arrested Brian Kevin Barrow, 28, at 1:17 a.m. after responding to the Intown Suites long stay motel at 442 Blanding Blvd.
According to the police report, Barrow pushed the motel security guard in order to gain access to a room. Prior to Barrow getting into the room, a resident of the motel called the motel front office to report that they saw Barrow trying to remove the cover off of one of the motel rooms’ air conditioning unit.
Police said once Barrow got into the room – after pushing the security guard – he closed the door and locked it to prevent the guard from getting into the room.
When police responded to the motel, they found Barrow hiding under the bed covers in Room 315. He was booked into the Clay County Jail, where at press time, he remained held on $200,005 bond.

Hit and run ends in striking cop in head
FLEMING ISLAND – What began as a police response to investigate a hit and run crash on Fleming Island last Friday ended in an arrest for violence on a law enforcement officer.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kristine Marie Adair, 30, on Dec. 30 at 12:29 a.m. after conducting an investigation.
Police said when they arrived her home in the 500 block of Hagans Court, they found Adair crouched down on the sidewalk under the porch of the home with three others standing around her concerned as she was allegedly making statements about harming herself.
According to the police report, when the responding CCSO officer got out of the patrol car and walked toward her, Adair “quickly came within a foot of the victim and punched the victim on the left side of his head.”
The officer then “defended himself from any further attack by delivering one strike with a closed fist to [Adair’s] left eye.”
Police said Adair did not appear to have been drinking but “appeared to be under the influence of a controlled narcotic.”
Adair was booked into the Clay County Jail, where at press time, she remained held, with bond set at $15,006.

Daniels extradited back to Clay for second time
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – For the second time in nine months, a Clay County judge will get to determine whether its prison or probation for Jerry Fred Daniels, 21, of Conway, South Carolina.
Daniels was 16 when he was arrested in 2012 in connection with the shooting death of Clay County Sheriff’s Office detective David White. Daniels was in a home at 4874 Alligator Blvd. in Middleburg the night of February 6, 2012 when Ted Arthur Tilley and detective David White were killed during an exchange of gunfire.
He was brought back to Clay County on Dec. 29 for a probation violation after running into trouble with law enforcement in South Carolina, the second such arrest of 2016.
South Carolina Probation Officer Stacy Francisco filed papers on November 14, 2016, weeks after Daniels was stopped on October 26, 2016 for speeding after leading a Conway Police Department officer on a high-speed chase while driving street-type motorcycle.
A drug test after the arrest showed Daniels had amounts of THC in his blood, breaking a condition of probation laid out in his June 3, 2015 plea agreement in Clay County. Under terms of the 2015 plea agreement signed by Fourth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Don H. Lester, Daniels pled guilty to one count each of manslaughter, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of codeine. In the document, he also agreed to not engage in criminal activity or associate with others engaged in criminal activity.
On February 20, 2016, Horry County, South Carolina deputies searched a car in which Daniels was a passenger and seized 3.1 grams of cannabis, a marijuana pipe and a second plastic bag containing five whole Xanax pills along with multiple broken pieces of the anti-anxiety drug located on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat. Police said all four people – including Daniels – denied knowledge of the marijuana and pills.
After Daniels’ 2015 plea agreement hearing in Clay County, he went to live in Conway, S.C. with one of his grandparents while his five-year probation was transferred to authorities in South Carolina. According to court documents, Daniels’ case goes before a judge on Jan. 25.


Clay teacher faces DUI
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A teacher at RideOut Elementary faces DUI charges after she ran over a curb and nearly smashed into the side of the McDonalds Restaurant at 1165 N. Orange Ave.
The Green Cove Springs Police Department arrested Dena Boley, 49, on Dec. 28 just before midnight. The McDonalds manager on duty called the sheriff’s office after a driver who had ran over curbs and almost crashed into the side of the building. Allegedly, Boley hit the building with her vehicle’s side mirror.
The report said Boley “smelled of extreme odor of alcohol.” Officers asked for her license and she searched her purse for about five minutes before finally realizing it was in her wallet in her lap, the report said.
While deputies questioned her, Boley allegedly appeared to sway and have trouble holding her balance. When officers asked if she had recently consumed alcohol, she allegedly said, “yes, I drank vodka at my house.” Deputies later found Boley had urinated on herself.
Deputies arrested Boley and transported her to the Clay County Jail, where she was later released on an undetermined bond.

Teenager arrested on lascivious battery charges
FLEMING ISLAND – A Fleming Island teen faces lascivious battery charges on a 14-year-old victim following an investigation.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Steven Howard Richardson II, 18, on Dec. 29 following a June investigation of lude battery on a minor.
The report said Richardson, who was 17 at the time, allegedly had consensual sexual intercourse with a minor between June 25 and June 29 in an unknown neighborhood behind Ridgeview High School.
The victim positively identified Richardson from his driver’s license.
Deputies arrested Richardson and transported him to the Clay County Jail, where he later bonded out.

Jacksonville man charged with domestic battery on elderly
ORANGE PARK – A Jacksonville man faces elderly battery charges after an altercation with his mother resulted in minor injuries.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Anthony Shawn Singletary, 49, on Dec. 28 after an argument allegedly turned to a brief fight, resulting in Singletary’s mother receiving injuries.
The report said Singletary had been loud and disrespectful because he wanted to go to Houston. Singletary hit the bathroom wall and cursed. Family members ushered Singletary outside after it appeared as if Singletary and his stepfather might get into a fight.
Family members tried to get Singletary in a car to take him to the bus station so he could go to Houston. The report said he then allegedly snatched the car door open and pushed the victim on the chest against the car, causing a dent to the front fender.
Singletary’s stepfather and a pedestrian held Singletary down while the police came.
Deputies arrested Singletary and transported him to the Clay County Jail, where he remained on a $5,003 bond.