Fair, 54°
Weather sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Police Briefs 5/26/16

Clay County Sheriff's Office
Posted 5/25/16

MIDDLEBURG – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that one person was injured and one person was killed in a May 24 car accident.

The crash occurred at Nolan Road and Brangus Road in Middleburg.

The crash involved the Toyota Tundra and a 2007 …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for subscribing.

Single day pass

You also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass.

Police Briefs 5/26/16


Posted

Middleburg crash ends in fatality

MIDDLEBURG – The Florida Highway Patrol reports that one person was injured and one person was killed in a May 24 car accident.

The crash occurred at Nolan Road and Brangus Road in Middleburg.

The crash involved the Toyota Tundra and a 2007 Honda Civic. It occurred at 6:35 p.m.

FHP said the driver of the Tundra began to pass the Honda Civic in a no passing zone as they approached Brangus Road. The Tundra hit the right driver’s door of the Civic and sent the car into a ditch.

Clay County Fire Rescue pronounced the driver dead on the scene. While the driver of the Tundra was taken to St. Vincent’s Health Care with minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

Clay firefighter resigns after posting sexually-explicit photo

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Clay County Fire Rescue firefighter and paramedic recently resigned after officials launched an investigation into allegations he posted a self-portrait that exposed his genitals on social media.

Action News Jacksonville reported May 24 that someone sent the TV station the photo that was allegedly taken by Lt. Anthony Myrick who was based at Fire Station No. 20 in Green Cove Springs.

Clay County Fire Chief Lorin Mock told Action News that Myrick had been on administrative leave while the county’s department of public safety investigated the allegations.

“Mock confirmed the picture was taken in the bathroom inside Station 20 in Green Cove Springs,” the TV station reported.

Myrick worked for the Fire Department for 11 years.

Action News Jax uncovered a history of misconduct in Myrick’s disciplinary record. Myrick was given a written reprimand in 2010 after “inappropriate and unprofessional behavior” while he gave H1N1 vaccines at various local schools.

Calls made to Clay County’s human resources director were not returned prior to deadline at Clay Today.

Man facing attempted murder charge, more

ORANGE PARK – A Clay County Man is facing charges of attempted first degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and armed burglary after an investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Police said the charges stem from a fight and shooting that occurred on April 11. According to the arrest warrant, Larry Todd Prevatt, 47, walked into the victim’s residence on College Drive in Orange Park carrying a baseball bat and a can of gasoline. He violently assaulted the victim and attempted to set the residence on fire. Prevatt assaulted both Brian Darnell and Prevatt’s estranged wife who had been dating Darnell since January when she filed for divorce in January.

Police said Prevatt bit his estranged wife on the arms during the melee that eventually ended up with Darnell going into a closet and retrieving a shotgun that he used to subdue Prevatt.

“When deputies arrive, both Larry Prevatt and Brian Darnell are lying in the yard, approximately 12 feet away from one another in complete exhaustion and both severely injured,” states the warrant.

He was arrested on May 23. The arrest took place in Duval County under “Cops Without Boarders.” Prevatt was transferred to the Clay County Jail that same evening.

These crimes were just one in a series of crimes Prevatt is accused of. Handwritten letters recounting various times Prevatt made the victim fearful for his safety date back to 1999.

This is the first instance of violence against the victim by Prevatt.

At press time, Prevatt remained in jail where his bond is set at $230,016.

Woman dies in dump truck crash

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Clay County woman is dead following a fatal car accident on Russell Road, May 23.

Debra Williams, 59, was traveling southbound in a 2003 GMC Sierra, with a four-year-old passenger.

After crossing over into the northbound lane, the Florida Highway Patrol found that the Sierra collided with a dump truck.

Williams, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle. Her passenger had minor injuries, while Williams was pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver of the dump truck had minor injuries as well. Authorities do not believe alcohol played a role in the accident.

According to the report charges are pending.

Man charged with stealing scooter, fleeing

ORANGE PARK – A Clay County man is facing charges of battery on an officer, resisting an officer with violence, and grand theft auto.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ronnie Eugene Smith, 33, who is accused of stealing a vehicle on the 300th block of Blanding Boulevard. According to the CCSO report, the victim stated that she was close to Kingsley Avenue and Blanding when her brakes started to malfunction. The victim stopped and got off of a scooter to determine what was wrong. At that point, Smith took control of the scooter and drove away before the victim could catch him.

When an officer saw a scooter and suspect matching the victim’s description, he attempted to make a traffic stop.

Smith did not stop, and tried to flee on foot. He became aggressive and failed to cooperate with the police, according to the CCSO report. Officers also reported that Smith had a strong smell alcohol, because Smith was so combative they were unable to conduct a field sobriety test. They transported him to Orange Park Medical Center to receive a blood test in lieu of the field test.

He was medically cleared from the hospital, placed in restraints and transported to the Clay County Jail for booking.

Fraud, theft charges for Oakleaf man

OAKLEAF – A Clay County man is facing multiple grand theft and organized fraud charges following a lengthy investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

CCSO arrested Ryan Timothy South, 34, a longtime employee of Orange Park attorney John F. Tolson Jr., on May 16. South is believed to have stolen from three separate trust accounts associated with the law firm.

According to the arrest warrant, a review of South’s financial records, obtained via subpoena, reveal that he deposited 42 checks totaling $314,853.12 into three of his personal banking accounts from August 2010 to January 2015.

One of the victims was deceased and involved a trust account that Tolson managed for the victim’s estate. According the report, South asked a representative of the deceased’s estate to sign blank checks that were to be used to pay for expenses related to the administration of the estate. From December 2010 to April 2014, 32 checks were either signed or forged by South, according to police. The total amount that he stole from the estate was $245,535.

According to the warrant, South signed checks with a stamp of the accounts signatory’s signature without his permission. He obtained $57,000 dollars from that account, the investigation found.

As the office manager at the law firm, South had access to real estate files and he prepared checks to be signed by the account’s signatory from September to November 2014. It was revealed that the accounts he referred to were closed. The total amount he is accused of stealing from the real estate trust account was $11,418.12.

South was arrested on one count of Organized Fraud and three separate counts of Grand Theft. At press time, he remained held in the Clay County Jail where his bond is set at $250,012.

Orange Park man shot by JSO dies

JACKSONVILLE – Officials report that an Orange Park man shot May 14 in Downtown Jacksonville by two Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers has died.

Cody N. Marsh, 19, of Orange Park died Sunday, May 22 at UF Health hospital after being shot around 4 a.m. on May 14 near Union and State Streets.

JSO Chief Chris Butler said the incident began around 2:30 a.m. when Marsh was dropped at a downtown shelter by a family member who said they did not know how to handle him because Marsh was using drugs.

At 3:31 a.m., Marsh placed a 911 call alleging he was mugged, however, during the call, he changed his story repeatedly about the fabricated incident “and was very vague as far as the mugging itself,” Butler said.

Marsh told dispatchers he was at the McDonald’s near Market and State Streets in Downtown Jacksonville and then became “verbally abusive with the dispatcher,” yelling and making racist comments and using obscenities.

While on the phone with dispatchers, diapatchers received a call from the McDoanld’s manager while officers were en route. The manager said Marsh was banging on the windows holding at least two bladed knives demanding he be allowed inside. However, when officers arrived, he had fled the restaurant and went across the street where he was then heard yelling at JSO, “Here I am, come get me.”

Police found Marsh in a parking lot between the Vet Center at 300 State Street and a dental office located at 300 Union Street, an L-shaped parking lot between the two businesses.

Marsh said he was going to cut off the officers’ heads and slash them and throw the knives at them, according to Butler.

After setting up a perimeter around Marsh, Butler said he raised a knife and charged at officer White. That led officer Cochran to shoot once and White shot three times striking Marsh in the arm and head. An investigation was launched into the shooting and the officers were placed on administrative leave.

Sheriff’s Office asks for help

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to help identify a man suspected of stealing a car in Middleburg recently.

The man shown here covered in tattoos was captured on video on May 4 around 2 a.m. getting into a 1987 Toyota. The car was stolen from the 1600 block of Nolan Road.

CCSO officials said any help in locating the listed vehicle or identifying the suspect responsible would be greatly appreciated. Call CCSO Communications at (904) 264-6512 and ask to speak to Detective Frank Sexton or message the agency on Facebook.