Fair, 54°
Weather sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Police Briefs 4/19/18

Clay County Sheriff's Office
Posted 4/18/18

10 child porn charges for Middleburg man

MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg man was arrested on April 13 at 2 p.m. for allegedly possessing and viewing child pornography.On April 6, the Clay County …

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 4/19/18


Posted

10 child porn charges for Middleburg man
MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg man was arrested on April 13 at 2 p.m. for allegedly possessing and viewing child pornography.
On April 6, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested John Michael Strickland, 42, after searching his home in the 3000 block of Joe Johns Road. When police arrived, they spoke with Strickland who agreed to talk. After speaking with Strickland and searching his home, police found that Strickland was in possession of 10 or more images of child pornography, including one photograph involving a child under the age of five.
According to the arrest warrant, the photographs demonstrated child abuse including sexual battery and sexual bestiality involving a child and a video.
Strickland was arrested, charged with possessing and viewing child pornography and transported to the Clay County Jail where he remained at press time with bond set at $450,036. He is also being charged with possession and trafficking of methamphetamine, a drug that was found in his home alongside the child pornography.

Jax man killed in Clay crash
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Green Cove Springs driver is believed to have caused a car accident that ended with a Jacksonville man losing his life.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, on April 13 at 6:08 a.m., Robert Zane Patterson, 55, of Jacksonville, was traveling eastbound from Corporate Square Road where he crossed all southbound lanes on U.S. Highway 17 attempting to make a left turn to proceed north.
At the same time, Toby Alan Adair, 73, was traveling southbound in a 2006 Dodge Ram truck in the left travel lane on U.S. Highway 17 when Patterson failed to see him on the road. Patterson drove into the path of Adair and upon doing so, caused the front of Adair’s vehicle to collide with the left side of Patterson’s tractor-trailer.
Adair was killed as a result of the crash although it is not known whether he was killed upon impact, at the site or later. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts and an investigation is pending to determine if either driver was intoxicated. The Florida Highway Patrol said charges are pending.

Middleburg High teacher killed in St. Johns crash
ST. AUGUSTINE – A St. Augustine man’s vehicle and an Orange Park man’s vehicle collided April 14 at 9:08 p.m. ending with a fatality.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Eric Pouncey, 18, was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado traveling east on State Road 16 attempting to take a left turn onto International Golf Parkway. Meanwhile, Melanie Blodgett, 38, of Orange Park, was a passenger in a 1998 Toyota Corolla traveling west on State Road 16 when Pouncey entered the Corolla’s path of travel. The front of Padgett’s vehicle collided with the passenger side of Pouncey’s vehicle causing a crash that ended with the loss Blodgett’s life.
It is not known whether Blodgett was killed upon impact, at the site or later. Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts and an investigation is pending to determine if either driver was intoxicated. The Florida Highway Patrol did not indicate whether or not Pouncey was arrested.
Blodgett worked in the Middleburg High Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program, while her husband Les Blodgett was taken to Baptist South where he is recovering. He was on the Middleburg High School custodial staff.
The school had counselors on campus to help students and staff. A GoFundMe account has also been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.


Man charged with attacking police dog
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – A Raiford man wanted on various outstanding warrants in Clay County was arrested April 17 after getting into a fight with law officers.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office received a call that Justin Jennings Ervin, 30, was at a home in the 5000 block of Pinon Road in Keystone Heights. Backed with the knowledge about the outstanding warrants, police went to the home to try and arrest Ervin so he could be booked on the charges. The call ended with new charges of three counts of violence on an officer firefighter or EMT, resisting an officer with violence, touch strike or cause harm to police or fire service animal, torturing an animal with intent to inflict intense pain, Ervin faces two counts of selling methamphetamine.
On April 17, a Clay County narcotics unit and drug-sniffing dog responded to the address and surrounded the area. A woman exited the house before Ervin came to the door with a small, unidentified object in his hand, screaming at the officers present. Upon police request, Ervin approached the officers and their vehicles walking backwards.
When police attempted to take Ervin into custody, Ervin pulled away resisting the arrest. Ervin struck the officers multiple times with his fists and elbows. Ervin then reached for an officer’s gun belt and as a result, fearing Ervin might grab the officer’s gun, another officer began punching the left and right side of Ervin’s face.
Ervin continued trying to escape and officers deployed a police dog to apprehend him. Ervin slammed the dog on the ground and as a result, an officer tased Ervin but a total circuit connection could not be made. Soon after, Ervin lost his balance and fell at which point, officers tried to apprehend him once more. Ervin bit one of the officer’s hands causing a laceration. As a result, an officer delivered a knee strike to Ervin’s rib cage. It was at this point that officers handcuffed Ervin and took him into custody. Ervin was transported to the Orange Park Medical Center to be treated for his dog bite and multiple abrasions before he was medically cleared.
This arrest marks the end of a long case with an active warrant issued in October of last year. The warrant was issued for the sale and delivery of methamphetamine after Ervin allegedly sold $100 worth of the drug to a confidential informant working with the sheriff’s office.
He is in the Clay County Jail with bond set at $280,023.

Alabama man nabbed in carjacking
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – An Alabama man was arrested on April 17 for an alleged armed carjacking that took place on April 2.
On April 1, Danny Spegal allowed his girlfriend’s nephew, Terrance Tyrone Packer, 23, to stay at his residence in the 6000 block of Marine Lane. Packer, who used to live in Keystone Heights, was visiting from Alabama.
On April 2, Spegal and Packer went to the store to get cigarettes. Once the men arrived back at Spegal’s home, Packer said he left his cell phone in the car. The two men walked outside to retrieve the cell phone when Packet attacked Spegal. Prior to attacking Spegal, Packer armed himself with a pistol from inside the house. Police said Packet struck Spegal’s head with the pistol over 10 times, knocking Spegal down. At this point, Packer retrieved the keys to the car and attempted to drive off. Spegal came to and retrieved another gun from within his house. He shot three times at the car but failed to hit the vehicle but the shots did cause Packer to drive into a ditch where he suffered injuries that caused bleeding.

Later that day, Gainesville police saw Packer on the side of the road and noticed that he was covered in blood. Gainesville police notified the Clay County Sheriff’s Office that they had located Packer and took him into custody.
A warrant was issued for Packer’s arrest and that warrant was executed on April 17. Packer was arrested and charged with armed carjacking. He is in the Clay County Jail with bond set at $250,000.

High-speed chase ends in arrest
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – A Keystone Heights man was arrested after leading officers on a high-speed chase through dirt and gravel roads.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Cirocco David Fox, 26, on April 14 after an attempt to serve Fox with a warrant. Police said he led deputies on a high-speed chase while endangering passengers in his own vehicle.
According to the report, deputies were notified of a person in Keystone Heights who had several outstanding felony warrants in Bradford County and an ongoing felony case in Clay County. Once they located his truck, deputies approached the residence when the truck rapidly backed up and left at a high speed. Deputies engaged in a car chase and, at one point, Fox attempted to ram his truck into one of the deputies’ patrol vehicles.
When deputies finally stopped Fox, they pulled him from the truck, at which point, he punched one of the deputies in the face and continued resisting after being restrained. Deputies then sent a police dog to restrain Fox while they placed him in custody.
After his arrest, officers interviewed a woman and two small children who said Fox had forced them into the vehicle even though they were scared of him and did not want to go with him. Fox was treated for dog bite injuries at Orange Park Medical Center and transported to the Clay County Jail where he remained at press time.
Fox faces 10 felonies and two misdemeanors following the incident, including resisting an officer with violence, two counts of aggravated assault on an officer, abusing a child without great bodily harm, adult false imprisonment, false imprisonment of a child under the age of 13, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammo by a convicted felon, possession of cocaine, and fleeing an officer, and misdemeanors for drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended or revoked license. Fox does not have the option to post bail and will appear in court Wednesday, April 18.

Drug sweep nets 23 arrests
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Authorities from three law enforcement agencies arrested more than 23 people on April 11-12 in a countywide sweep involving outstanding warrants for drug charges.
Detectives from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Green Cove Springs Police Department and Orange Park Police Department arrested 19 people in Middleburg, 10 from Green Cove Springs, one from Orange Park and five from Keystone Heights.
Officers seized around 33 grams of marijuana, about 21 grams of methamphetamine and three pieces of drug paraphernalia during the sweep that were not part of the original batch of warrants. Charges in the original set of warrants included 8 counts of sale and delivery of cocaine, 11 counts of sale and delivery of methamphetamine, three counts of sale and delivery of fentanyl, three counts of sale and delivery of heroin, one count of sale and delivery of a controlled substance, three counts of possession of cocaine, two counts for the sale and delivery of marijuana, one count of possession of methamphetamine, one count of trafficking heroin, one count of possession of a controlled substance without prescription and one count of possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis.

Man arrested for striking pregnant girlfriend
MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg man was arrested after allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend in their home.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Justin Carl Rounds, 29, on April 10, after receiving a domestic disturbance call.
According to the report, Rounds and his girlfriend were arguing while she was sitting in the living room when he tried to drag her out of the chair by her hair. The girl fell onto the floor and, after standing up, Rounds continued arguing with her as they moved into the bedroom where he was allegedly pushing her. Since she was almost nine months pregnant and fearing for the safety of her and the child, the victim called her grandparents for help..
Following his arrest Rounds, was transported to the Clay County Jail where he faces a felony charge of aggravated battery on a pregnant female. Rounds is being held on $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on May 16.

Woman charged with beating daughter in face
ORANGE PARK – Authorities arrested a woman after she allegedly punched and slapped her daughter for not going to school.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mi Young Johnson, 47, on April 10 after she allegedly slapped and punched a young girl during an argument.
According to the police report, Johnson sent the girl to her room after she had refused to go to school. Johnson then went into the girl’s room and tried to take her cell phone. Police said the girl would not give up the phone so Johnson began punching her with both fists. Eventually Johnson got the phone and tried to smash it with a large glass cross, but instead hit her own hand. After this, Johnson gave back the phone and slapped the girl who then slapped her back.
Johnson faces a felony charge for child abuse without great bodily harm.