Teen arrested after social media post leads to gunfire

FLEMING ISLAND – A 17-year-old boy was charged with three counts of second-degree attempted murder after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office accused him of shooting a man at the Lakeshore Boat Ramp following a dispute that started on social media.

Xavier Torres was booked into the Clay County Jail after a resident called 911 at 11:09 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31, after hearing gunshots at the boat ramp. The caller described two cars fleeing the area after the shots, and deputies stopped one of the cars near County Road 220 and Lakeshore Drive. Xavier exited the passenger side of the car, and deputies detained the driver, according to the agency.

The sheriff’s office deployed its K-9 unit, and Torres was caught hiding in some bushes by a nearby business. Deputies also found a firearm in the immediate area.

Shortly after the shots-fired call was received, a 19-year-old male subject arrived at the HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital in a second vehicle. The subject was shot one time and is currently in critical, but stable condition. CCSO didn’t identify the victim.

The investigation revealed that both parties had agreed to meet at the Lakeshore Boat Ramp to resolve a dispute that had arisen on social media. While the victim and two other occupants of the vehicle were in the parking lot, Torres fired several rounds into the car, striking the victim. The other two occupants were not injured during the shooting.

Torres was interviewed and subsequently arrested for three counts of attempted second-degree murder, unlawfully possessing a firearm as a minor, resisting law enforcement without violence and committing a second-degree felony or greater while wearing a mask or hood.

Nobody injured in shootout between man, CCSO at Clay Electric

ORANGE PARK – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office used a stun gun to stop a man who walked into an Orange Park business brandishing a handgun, and who later was shooting at the Clay Electric Cooperative building on Blanding Boulevard Saturday afternoon.

Mark Allen Gulden was booked into the Clay County Jail, facing multiple charges after deputies shot and missed hitting him in a brief exchange at the back of the electric company parking lot, before they used less-lethal force to end the encounter.

“After several loud verbal commands to put the gun down, the suspect pointed the gun in the direction of our deputies. One deputy then shot towards the suspect, who was not struck by the gunfire,” CCSO Assistant Chief of Patrol, South Division, Chad Ricks said. “The suspect threw his weapon towards them on the ground, and [he] was then tased and taken into custody without injuries.”

Nobody was injured, Ricks said.

The ordeal started shortly after 1 p.m. when Gulden is accused of parking his white pickup truck in the middle of the Safelite AutoGlass parking lot on Kingsley Avenue in the town limits of Orange Park. He briefly walked inside the business with a handgun and quickly left while muttering profanity and several unintelligible comments.

A sheriff deputy spotted his truck 3.4 miles away.

“We were actively monitoring radio traffic across the county, and [we] overheard a disturbance call regarding an armed individual who just left the scene in the Orange Park town limits,” Ricks said. “Shortly after, our deputy saw a vehicle that matched the description of the suspect's vehicle at the Clay Electric building on Blanding Boulevard. Deputies started to approach the suspect, who then got out of the vehicle and began shooting at the Clay Electric building and around the gates.”

Gulden was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with the intent to commit a felony, two counts of resisting law enforcement with violence, vandalism, shooting a missile into a dwelling/vehicle/building/aircraft, criminal mischief and firing a weapon in public or a residential property.

His bond was set at $450,018. His next court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 6.

Two men arrested arguing politics during Labor Day rally

ORANGE PARK – Two men were arrested during a Labor Day rally at the corner of Blanding Boulevard and Kingsley Avenue in an apparent dispute over President Donald Trump's policies.

Allan Garrett Dill, 40, of Jacksonville, was charged with breach of peace after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said he attempted to throw a punch after deputies separated a group that was arguing. At the same time, Eric Stephen Besco, 53, of Orange Park, was charged with battery and resisting law enforcement without violence after deputies said he was involved in an altercation with someone who disagreed with his political position. According to the arrest report, he resisted when deputies attempted to put him in handcuffs.

Besco’s bond was set at $3,004, while Dill’s is $502.

School employee arrested for kicking student

ORANGE PARK - A school employee at W.E. Cherry Elementary was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 27, for abusing a student, the Clay County Sheriff's Office said. 

Pearl Oforiwaa Gyamera, 47, was charged with child abuse without significant harm after police said they began an investigation into allegations reported by the school principal.

According to CCSO, on Aug. 26, at around 9:45 a.m., the victim was working with his speech therapist when he began kicking his legs. Gyamera was the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Behavioral Assistant for the victim and tasked with calming him down during physical or emotional outbursts. Gyamera intervened to manage the victim’s behavior, at which the victim kicked her.

Gyamera kicked the victim back three times, asking how it felt and if it hurt him. The victim suffered no injuries in this incident.

All parties, including adult witnesses, were interviewed by CCSO investigators. Gyamera, who has been employed as an ESE Behavioral Assistant with the Clay County District Schools since August 2016, was placed on administrative leave following her arrest.

She has no prior disciplinary record with the school district and no criminal history. She was released on her own recognizance by Clay County Judge Raymond Forbess Jr. on Thursday morning. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 29.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call CCSO at (904) 264-6512 or submit information via the SaferWatch App at getsaferwatch.com.