ALATKA, Fla. – A Putnam County Sheriff’s Office bailiff has been arrested and fired after deputies learned he was wanted in Georgia on two felony forgery warrants related to an alleged check fraud scheme. According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, 34-year-old Warren Zapata was taken into custody Tuesday whileContinue Reading
INTERLACHEN, Fla. – An 18-year-old charged with murder in the March death of a Putnam County man has been transferred from Volusia County to the Putnam County Jail, where he remains held without bond. Charles Bean III is charged with the murder of 57-year-old Timothy Wietzel, whose death was initiallyContinue Reading
PALATKA, Fla. — A former Putnam County Clerk of Courts employee is facing 19 criminal charges after investigators alleged she improperly accessed confidential information and warned criminal suspects about pending law enforcement operations. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office announced that 33-year-old Jabaria Cartos was initially arrested on June 10 onContinue Reading
HOLLISTER, FL — A 68-year-old Putnam County man has been jailed without bond after a 16-year-old girl revealed he forced her to sign a written “consent contract” to continue a sexual relationship he initiated through a mobile dating application. Ralph Heagy was taken into custody on Wednesday, June 24, 2026,Continue Reading
PALATKA, FL — A Palatka man who was the target of a private vigilante sting operation has been arrested on multiple felony child exploitation charges following a multi-week, independent forensic investigation by local police. Caleb Steven Roberts was located and arrested on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Hillsborough County onContinue Reading
PALATKA, FL — A 32-year-old Palatka man remains behind bars on a strict no-bond status after an integrated multi-county cyber investigation revealed he utilized alcohol, video games, and social media networks to groom and sexually assault an underage teenager. David Donnelly was served with an array of new felony warrantsContinue Reading
PALATKA, FL — A multi-month child abuse investigation spanning three northeast Florida counties has culminated in the arrest of a 23-year-old mother who investigators say fabricated stories and framed innocent bystanders to conceal a horrific pattern of physical abuse against her infant child. Hunter Deeann Miller, of San Mateo, wasContinue Reading
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Elijah Ashford, a defendant associated with the Young Guns group, was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison following a hearing in Putnam County. Ashford entered a no contest plea in January 2026 to charges of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Attempted Second-Degree MurderContinue Reading
PALATKA, Fla. — A city-approved block party ended in chaos Saturday night after a vehicle drove through a crowd and gunfire broke out, according to the Palatka Police Department. The incident began around 8 p.m. near 20th Street and Eagle Street, where a large crowd had gathered. Authorities said anContinue Reading
PALATKA, Fla. — A Palatka woman is facing multiple charges after deputies found her and three young children asleep in a vehicle outside a church with drugs inside, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred late Sunday, May 3, when Deputy Lowe noticed a vehicle parked outsideContinue Reading