Person killed in Ocala house fire
SUNRISE. GOOD MORNING ON THIS FRIDAY. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I’M MEREDITH MCDONOUGH AND I’M JASON GUY. NOW AT NINE. THE MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 13 YEAR OLD MADELINE SOTO WAS A NO SHOW IN COURT YESTERDAY. STEPHAN STEARNS WAS SUPPOSED TO FACE A JUDGE AFTER FINALLY BEING CHARGED WITH MURDER. WESH NEWS BOB HAZEN REPORTS. PROSECUTORS ARE NOW CONSIDERING WHETHER TO GO AFTER THE DEATH PENALTY FOR STEARNS. SURE. SEEMS LIKE THIS CASE MEETS ALL OF THE CRITERIA FOR A DEATH PENALTY CASE, AND AN EXPERT THAT WE TALKED TO, SAYS STEARNS. LAWYERS WILL LIKELY TRY TO SEEK A PLEA DEAL IN ORDER TO AVOID A DEATH PENALTY. NOW, STEPHAN STEARNS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO IN FRONT OF A JUDGE YESTERDAY, BUT THE STAND AT THE JAIL WAS EMPTY. STEARNS AGAIN REFUSING TO COME OUT. HIS ATTORNEY WAIVED THAT FIRST APPEARANCE. EVEN SO, THE CASE AND THE INVESTIGATION DO GO ON. POLICE SAY STEARNS KILLED 13 YEAR OLD MADELINE SOTO EARLY IN THE MORNING ON FEBRUARY 26TH, BEFORE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE HER TO SCHOOL AT HUNTERS CREEK MIDDLE. THAT MURDER CAME AFTER WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY WAS YEARS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY STEARNS, WHO WAS THE BOYFRIEND OF MADDIE’S MOM. STEARNS IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER, MEANING THAT PROSECUTORS BELIEVE HE PLANNED THE KILLING AND COULD FACE THE DEATH PENALTY. WE TALKED WITH A FORENSIC EXPERT ABOUT WHERE THIS COULD GO FROM HERE, HE SAYS. STEARNS LAWYERS WILL PROBABLY TRY TO WORK OUT A PLEA DEAL. I CAN’T SEE THE STATE ACCEPTING A PLEA FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN FIRST DEGREE MURDER. WHAT THAT WOULD DO IS TAKE THE DEATH PENALTY OFF THE TABLE. THE DEAL WOULD ALSO MEAN STEARNS WOULD AVOID A TRIAL. STEARNS IS FACING 60 COUNTS RELATED TO THE SEXUAL ABUSE ON TOP OF THAT MURDER CHARGE. HE’S SCHEDULED TO BE ARRAIGNED ON THE NEW MURDER CHARGE ON MONDAY. AFTER THAT, THE STATE WILL HAVE 45 DAYS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO GO AFTER THE DEATH PENALTY. REPORTING AT THE OSCEOLA COUNTY JAIL, BOB HAZEN, WESH TWO NEWS. WE STILL DO NOT KNOW MADDIE MADELINE SOTO’S EXACT CAUSE OF DEATH. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE TOLD US EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT AUTOPSY RESULTS CANNOT BE RELEASED BECAUSE SHE’S A MINOR WHOSE DEATH INVOLVED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. WESH TWO NEWS HAS BEEN COVERING THIS CASE SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING. YOU CAN READ MORE RIGHT NOW ON WESH.COM, OR BY DOWNLOADING THE FREE WESH TWO NEWS MOBILE APP. ONE OF THE SUSPECTS IN THE DEADLY SEMINOLE COUNTY CARJACKING APPEARED IN FEDERAL COURT. OFFICIALS SAY PHONE RECORDS PUT JORDAN TORRES GARCIA WITH THE GREEN ACURA WHEN CATHERINE AGUILAR WAS ABDUCTED AND KILLED TWO WEEKS AGO AFTER BEING PICKED UP IN ORANGE COUNTY FOR VIOLATION OF PROBATION IN PUERTO RICO. TORRES GARCIA WAS INTERVIEWED. INVESTIGATORS SAY HE TOLD THEM HE WAS THE ONE GETTING OUT OF THE GREEN ACURA. HE CLAIMED SOMEONE GAVE HIM THE UNLOADED GUN AND THAT HE HAD BEEN PAID TO DELIVER THE WOMAN TO SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT NAMED. HIS ATTORNEY BRIEFLY ADDRESSED THOSE STATEMENTS. THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE ISSUES AROUND THOSE MATTERS. OKAY, I HAVE TO DO A DEEP DIVE, LOOK AT THOSE ISSUES AND SEE WHETHER THE VALIDITY OF THOSE STATEMENTS IS. SUSPECT IN THIS CASE, 27 YEAR OLD GIOVANNI HERNANDEZ, WHO IS BELIEVED TO BE THE LAST PERSON ACQUAVIVA’S SPOKE TO BEFORE THE CARJACKING. AUTHORITIES TELL US THEY TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY ON DRUG CHARGES. AND JUST EARLIER THIS WEEK, KEVIN OCASIO, WHO WAS ALSO ARRESTED IN PUERTO RICO ON CHARGES NOT RELATED TO THIS CASE. NOW, SEMINOLE COUNTY DEPUTIES BELIEVE HE WAS DRIVING THE GREEN ACURA AND SAY HE COULD FACE FEDERAL CHARGES IN CONNECTION TO THE CARJACKING. THE SEMINOLE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS TELLING US THIS CASE IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF FEDERAL OFFICIALS, AND UPDATES WILL COME FROM THEM MOVING FORWARD. A MAJOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECT NEAR UCF IS UNDERWAY NOW, AND THE GOAL HERE REALLY IS SIMPLE SAVE LIVES AND REDUCE INJURIES. WESH TWO NEWS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER GREG FOX HAS BEEN BRINGING US THE HEARTBREAKING STORIES OF FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONES TO CRASHES, AND NOW HE’S SHOWING US THE FAST MOVING PROGRESS TO PROTECT STUDENTS AND OTHERS. THE NOISE FROM THE POWER TOOLS IS JUST BARELY LOUDER THAN THE TRAFFIC THAT ZOOMS PAST THE ENTRANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, BUT THE END RESULT SHOULD BE SEVERAL MILES OF SAFER PATHS FOR PEDESTRIANS, STUDENTS SAY IF IT’S GOING TO PROTECT THEM, THEY’LL PUT UP WITH THE CONSTRUCTION MESS. FOR NOW. I USED TO LIVE RIGHT OVER THERE AND PEOPLE JUST SPEED THROUGH HERE ALL THE TIME. AT NIGHT. IT’S KIND OF DANGEROUS. I THINK ANYTHING THEY COULD DO TO MAKE IT SAFER IS A GOOD IDEA. I WALK EVERYWHERE, I DON’T EVEN HAVE A PERMIT TO DRIVE MY CAR ON CAMPUS. UM, SO I THINK THAT’S AWESOME THAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO THINGS TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE AND GET STUDENTS WALKING. YOU KNOW, EXERCISE IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING, TOO. SO I THINK IT’S GOOD. ONE OF THE MOST VISIBLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS $13 MILLION PROJECT, LED BY ORANGE COUNTY, IS PEDESTRIAN FENCING ALONG ALAFAYA TRAIL AND UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD. IT’S SUPPOSED TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM TRYING TO CROSS THE BUSY AND DANGEROUS ROADS IN BETWEEN INTERSECTIONS. THIS KIND OF FENCING IS AROUND OTHER UNIVERSITY CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY AS WELL, BUT WE’VE SEEN IT AS LOW AS JUST A COUPLE OF FEET. YOU CAN SEE THIS IS CHEST HIGH, SO IT REALLY DISCOURAGES A STUDENTS AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS FROM TRYING TO CLIMB OVER. AND THEN CROSS THE STREET. PEDESTRIANS ARE ALSO GETTING WIDER SIDEWALKS AND LOWER LEVEL LIGHTING, WHICH OUGHT TO MAKE PEOPLE WALKING AND BIKING MORE VISIBLE TO DRIVERS IS ALSO BEING ADDED. SIGNALIZED PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS, MEDIAN LANDSCAPING AND WARNING SIGNS TO KEEP DRIVERS AND WALKERS SEPARATED. BUT I DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT FAMILIES THAT I HAVE TALKED TO, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE SAFETY ISSUES AND THE TRAFFIC CONCERNS AROUND CAMPUS, THAT IT WILL SAVE LIVES, AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LONG RUN. PAULA COBB’S DAUGHTER, LONDON HARRELL, WAS A HOSPITALITY STUDENT AT UCF WHEN SHE WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY AN IMPAIRED DRIVER IN 2019. BESIDES THE CURRENT SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, COBB IS URGING THE UNIVERSITY, STATE AND COUNTY TO FORM A TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, INCLUDING STUDENTS AND PARENTS, TO GUIDE FUTURE PROJECTS TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THEY WANT THAT EXPERIENCE TO BE AND HOW THEY CAN PUT SAFETY AS A TOP PRIORITY SO FAR, LOWERING THE TRAFFIC SPEEDS NEAR CAMPUS IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED. IN ORANGE COUNTY, GREG FOX WESH TWO NEWS. THE UCF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETE BY SPRING OF NEXT YEAR. A $10 MILLION MOTOCROSS FACILITY COULD BE COMING TO VOLUSIA COUNTY IF A PROPOSAL BEING CONSIDERED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS PASSED. NOW, THIS PROPOSED SITE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS AERIAL FOOTAGE HERE, IS IN THE PORT ORANGE AREA RIGHT OFF TOMOKA FARMS ROAD. SOME NEIGHBORS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY DON’T WANT IT RIGHT IN THEIR BACKYARDS. THE AMOUNT OF PRACTICES, THE RACES, THE OPEN TO PUBLIC, NOT JUST THE ATTENDANCE RECORD THAT WOULD REALLY AFFECT US, BUT THE SOUND OF THE ENGINES IS ALL THE TIME TERM, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW DAYS A WEEK EVEN WOULD BE A LOT. NOW, THE COUNTY HASN’T VOTED JUST YET TO BUILD THE FACILITY, BUT THEY COULD SOON DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. ALL RIGHT. IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE’VE BEEN SAYING ALL MORNING. PLAY THE SONG ORLANDO MAGIC. YEAH, THAT’S THAT’S WHAT IT’S CALLED THERE AS THE MAGIC GOT A BIG WIN AT HOME YESTERDAY IN GAME THREE OF THEIR PLAYOFF SERIES AGAINST THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS. IT IS VERY CATCHY. THAT SONG AND WESH TO TONY ATKINS REPORTS THAT WHILE THIS WAS NOT AN ELIMINATION GAME, THE MAGIC REALLY NEEDED THIS WIN. THE MAGIC BEFORE YESTERDAY’S GAME, THEY WERE DOWN ZERO AND TWO IN THIS SERIES, AND AS WE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN, YOU NEVER WANT TO BE DOWN 0 TO 3 IN A PLAYOFF SERIES HERE IN THE NBA. BUT FORTUNATELY, FANS PACKED THE KIA CENTER AND GAVE THIS TEAM ALL THE ENERGY. THE MAGIC WON BIG TWO 121 TO 83, A 38 POINT VICTORY. IT WAS POWERED BY A HUGE NIGHT FROM PAOLO BANCHERO, WHO HAD 31 POINTS AND 14 BOARDS, FIVE MAGIC PLAYERS SCORED IN DOUBLE DIGITS AND THEY DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF CONTAINING CLEVELAND STAR DONOVAN MITCHELL SOMEHOW HOLDING HIM TO JUST 13 POINTS. COACH JAMAHL MOSLEY, SPEAKING ON HOW THAT FAN SUPPORT THE WATCH PARTIES AND THE ALL IN MOVEMENT REALLY GOT THEM OVER A SLOW START LAST NIGHT AFTER MISSING THEIR FIRST NINE SHOTS, SAID IT DURING THE YEAR. I’LL SAY IT AGAIN DURING THE PLAYOFFS. OUR FAN BASE IS INCREDIBLE. UH, THE ENERGY IN THIS BUILDING WAS ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR. THE WAY IN WHICH THEY CAME OUT SUPPORTED US FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME. I THINK THAT’S WHAT ENERGIZED OUR GROUP TO GET GET BACK ON TRACK. YEAH, BIG WIN FOR THIS YOUNG GROUP. AND THE TEAM’S FIRST HOME PLAYOFF WIN IN 13 YEARS. THAT WAS BACK DURING THE OLD DWIGHT HOWARD DAYS. BUT THIS MAGIC TEAM THEY ARE LOOKING FORWARD HOPING TO TIE THIS SERIES UP TO TWO WITH A WIN HERE AT THE KIA CENTER ON SATURDAY. REPORTING DOWNTOWN TONY ATKINS WESH 2 NEWS MAGIC FANS, WE’RE ALL DECKED OUT FOR THE BIG GAME. THEY POURED INTO THE KIA CENTER WITH NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR THE MAGIC. THEIR EXPECTATIONS WERE HIGH FOR THIS GAME, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT’S THE FIRST HOME PLAYOFF GAME OF THE SERIES, AND WE CAME BACK HOME AND WE HANDLED OUR BUSINESS WON BY NEARLY 40 POINTS. MAN, THIS IS AWESOME. THE CAVS GOT IT WHEN THEY CAME DOWN TO ORLANDO I SAY MAGIC AND SIX. I SURE HOPE SO. WELL FANS WILL BE HEADED BACK DOWNTOWN TOMORROW FOR GAME FOUR AT 910. NOW IT APPEARS THE FIRST CREWED MISSION TEST OF BOEING’S STARLINER SPACECRAFT IS GOOD TO GO. THAT’S AFTER IT UNDERWENT A FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW WITH THE ENTIRE TEAM, MISSION MANAGERS ARE ALL SAYING GO FOR LAUNCH SET TO HAPPEN MAY 6TH OUT AT CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION COMMANDER BUTCH WILMORE AND PILOT SUNI WILLIAMS ARRIVED IN A T-38 AIRCRAFT YESTERDAY FOR THIS REVIEW. THEIR MISSION IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR BOEING. FINALLY GETTING A CREW TEST IN THAT DELAYED STARLINER PROGRAM. IT’S FLOWN TWICE, BUT WITHOUT ASTRONAUT S, WE WOULDN’T BE HERE IF WE WEREN’T READY. WE ARE READY. THE SPACECRAFT IS READY, AND THE TEAMS ARE READY. THE LAUNCH IS SCHEDULED FOR. 10:34 P.M. ON MAY 6TH. WESH TWO WILL HAVE FULL COVERAGE OF THIS HISTORIC MISSION ON AIR AND ONLINE AT WESH.COM. AND LOOKING AHEAD AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, A SPACEX FALCON HEAVY ROCKET WILL LAUNCH A MISSION TO JUPITER’S ICY MOON LATER ON THIS YEAR. OFFICIALS ARE TARGETING OCTOBER 10TH FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION, AN EXACT TIME FOR THE LAUNCH, THOUGH, HAS NOT YET BEEN ANNOUNCED. IN JUST A FEW WEEKS, SECOND HARVEST WILL HOLD ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST FUNDRAISERS OF THE YEAR. WHAT AWAITS YOU AT THIS YEAR’S ULTIMATE GARDEN PARTY? PLUS, A WESH TWO COMMUNITY CHAMPION IS WORKING TO HELP PEOPLE ALL OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA GET LEGAL IDS. HOW DISNEY IS LENDING A HELPING HAND TO TH
Person killed in Ocala house fire
Updated: 10:15 AM EDT Apr 26, 2024
One person is dead after a house fire in Ocala.Crews responded to a fire at a home in the 2600 block of Northeast First Avenue Thursday night around 11:30 p.m. “Despite efforts to make an interior attack, deteriorating fire conditions forced a withdrawal after a powerline affected by the fire fell, preventing access to the water supply,” Ocala fire officials said. A search of the home discovered one person deceased. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshall’s Office.
One person is dead after a house fire in Ocala.
Crews responded to a fire at a home in the 2600 block of Northeast First Avenue Thursday night around 11:30 p.m.
“Despite efforts to make an interior attack, deteriorating fire conditions forced a withdrawal after a powerline affected by the fire fell, preventing access to the water supply,” Ocala fire officials said.
A search of the home discovered one person deceased.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshall’s Office.
