Student Faces Weapons Charge

A Naples High School student was arrested Friday after deputies say they found a stun gun in his backpack.

Charles Nguyen, 16, 944 22nd Ave. N., was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, a felony.

Reports say a deputy assigned to Naples High saw Nguyen leaving school property on foot after the morning bell had rung. The deputy stopped Nguyen and asked what he was doing, according to reports. The deputy asked Nguyen for permission to search his backpack. Nguyen consented, reports said. Inside the backpack, the deputy found a King Cobra stun gun and some pellet gun bullets, reports said.

Deputies went to Nguyen’s home, where his mother gave them permission to search for additional weapons. Hidden in various locations in the house deputies found two more stun guns, a Taser and a pellet gun, according to reports.

Nguyen told deputies he had the weapons for security, reports said.

CCSO Says Happy Halloween!

Brief Road Closing Expected Sunday

Motorists can expect a brief disruption in traffic along Livingston Road in North Naples on Sunday as deputies escort participants in the annual March of Dimes Bikers for Babies event into Lee County.

Beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing for roughly 45 minutes deputies will shut down northbound Livingston Road traffic from Vanderbilt Beach Road to the county line as motorcyclists depart from North Collier Regional Park and make their way into Lee County. Deputies also suggest that motorists steer clear of Immokalee Road in the Livingston Road area.

Traffic Stop Results In Drug Charges

Deputies arrested a Tampa man and recovered 8 to 10 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 on Thursday.

Collin Parkes, 36, was charged with possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver.

Reports say deputies stopped Parkes at the 98 mile marker shortly after 3 p.m. because his car windows were tinted darker than Florida law allows. Parkes appeared nervous, according to reports.

A CCSO dog trained to detect narcotics was escorted around the outside of Parkes’ car and alerted, indicating that there were drugs inside. Reports said deputies found a box in the trunk containing marijuana with a street value of about $10,000.

Teen Charged In Immokalee Burglary

An Immokalee teenager faces felony charges after deputies say he broke into a home and made off with a gun, some watches and jewelry Thursday.

Joaquin Martinez, 16, 2411 Sanders Pine Circle, is charged with burglary, grand theft and grand theft of a firearm.

Reports say Mary Ramos was returning to her home at 713 Second Ave. No. 4, Immokalee, at around 9 a.m. when she saw someone wearing a yellow, white and black striped shirt and a gray hooded jacket coming out the door. Ramos told deputies the suspect ran when he saw her. She followed him on foot but was unable to catch him.

Deputies began searching the area and found someone matching the description of the suspect at 111 S. Seventh St. Ramos identified him as the person she had seen leaving her house.

Reports say Martinez had the items from Ramos’ house in his possession at the time of his arrest.

CCSO Web Site Wins National Awards

CCSO’s Web site has earned two awards in a national competition.

Sponsored by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association, or 3CMA, the awards recognize outstanding government achievement in marketing and communication.

Colliersheriff.org earned the Silver Circle Award. The redesigned site launched in September 2007 with a focus on providing the community with an interactive site that provides up-to-the-minute crime news and thorough agency information.

CCSO was also presented with the Award of Excellence for its innovative Web site tools, which include two blogs, an arrest log, traffic alerts and a library of agency videos.

CCSO's Tips For Safe Trick-Or-Treating

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is offering the following advice to help children stay safe while they’re out trick-or-treating:

• Wear light-colored clothing or costumes and use make-up instead of a mask so you can see.
• Make sure your parents know your trick-or-treat route.
• Carry a flashlight or light stick.
• Stay in your own neighborhood.
• Always keep a safe distance from moving cars.
• Be respectful of other people and their property.
• Stop only at well-lit houses.
• Have a parent check the treats before you eat them.
• Start early. End early.
• Use sidewalks or walk facing traffic.
• Stop, look and listen at corners.
• Walk, don’t run.
• Don’t walk between parked cars or crisscross back and forth across streets.
• Don’t go inside a stranger’s house for any reason.
• Don’t go near a stranger’s car even if they offer you candy or money.

Check Out The New Issue!

CCSO Offers Halloween Tips For Parents

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wants to help parents make sure their children have a safe Halloween. Here are some tips:

Make sure children are dressed safely

Allow them to wear only flame-retardant costumes.
Keep costumes short to prevent falls.
Use make-up instead of masks when possible. Masks can obstruct vision.
Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape on their costumes.


Make trick-or-treating trouble free

Children should travel in groups when trick-or-treating. Adults should accompany young children.
Map out a safe route for children and make sure they stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on.
Try to have them trick-or-treat while it’s still light outside. If it’s dark, make sure someone has a flashlight.
Make sure kids know not to enter strange houses or cars.

Treats

Tell children not to eat their treats until they come home.
Check out all treats before your children eat them.
Let kids eat only unopened candies and treats that are in their original wrappers.

Deputies: It Was A Picture Perfect Arrest

A North Naples man was arrested Wednesday minutes after deputies say he stole four cameras from Wal-Mart.

Louis Civille, 29, 835 104th Ave. N., was charged with grand theft. Civille also was wanted on warrants out of Lee County.

According to reports, a deputy saw Civille riding his bicycle near cars parked along the south side of the Wal-Mart at the corner of 111th Avenue and U.S. 41 North at 2:48 p.m. The deputy became suspicious due to a recent increase in car break-ins in North Naples. He followed Civille and stopped him after Civille rode across 111th Avenue while the pedestrian crossing signal was red, according to reports.

The deputy conducted a warrants check and discovered that Civille was wanted in Lee County for felony violation of probation. In Civille’s pockets the deputy found three cameras, a camcorder, four owner’s manuals and five computer cables, according to reports.

Wal-Mart employees later identified the items as store merchandise that had been cut from locked display pegs. Store surveillance footage showed a person matching Civille’s description cutting the cameras from the pegs at 2:33 p.m.

Stay Focused While Driving

In most cases, the ability to multi-task is a talent to be admired.

Helping your son with his homework while you’re whipping up dinner? Good for you. Balancing your checkbook while watching the evening news? Way to go.

But make no mistake: Behind the wheel, multi-tasking can be deadly.

AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that driver distraction causes or contributes to 25 to 50 percent of all auto accidents.

Putting on makeup, glancing over a magazine article, eating, talking on the phone and other activities that take a driver’s attention off the road should be avoided. Looking away from the road for even a second or two can be disastrous.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has advice to help you stay focused when you’re behind the wheel.

*If you’re hungry or thirsty, park your car and take a break to eat or drink. You can eat in your parked car, in a restaurant or at a roadside park.

*Adjust the vehicle’s radio, temperature, rear-view mirrors and seats before you put the key in the ignition.

*Eliminate temptation by putting newspapers, magazines and day planners in the trunk until you arrive at your destination.

*Avoid complex or emotional conversations with passengers until you arrive at your destination.
If you must use talk on the cell phone or send a text message, pull over to the side of the road to do it.
* Attend to personal grooming like combing your hair or applying makeup before you start driving.

*If children in the vehicle need to be disciplined or calmed, pull over and stop the car before doing it.

*If you drive past an accident stay focused on your driving and don’t give in to the temptation to try to see what’s going on.

Sidewalk Safety

Walking saves gas and improves your health, but pedestrians need to be vigilant in order to avoid becoming a traffic statistic.

We have advice that can keep you safe when you go out for a walk.

Click here to see a video about pedestrian safety.

Deputies Help Make Halloween Safe

Collier County sheriff’s deputies are working hard this week to make sure area children have a safe and enjoyable Halloween.

Throughout the week deputies assigned to schools will be talking to students about safe trick-or-treating practices. Students will learn that they should travel in groups, wear reflective costumes and only stop at well-lit houses, among other things.

On Halloween night, deputies will be out in force in Collier County neighborhoods to help ensure that trick-or-treaters are safe. They’ll be patrolling in cars and walking residential streets. Along with interacting with parents and children they’ll be on the lookout for possible problems including gangs and sexual offenders.

In addition, the agency will post Halloween safety tips throughout the week on colliersheriff.org.

2 Face Drug Charges After Traffic Stop

Two men are facing felony drug charges after deputies say they found $11,000 worth of cocaine in their vehicle during an Interstate 75 traffic stop Tuesday.

Misael De La Cruz, 37, of Hialeah, and Felipe Gonzalez, 25, of Port Richey, were charged with cocaine trafficking over 400 grams following the traffic stop near the 99 mile marker. Gonzalez was additionally charged with carrying a concealed firearm.

Reports say deputies pulled over the Ford Sport Trac that Gonzalez was driving at 2:45 p.m. after noticing that the validation sticker on the license plate was improperly displayed.

Deputies noticed several air fresheners in the vehicle. They also noticed that De La Cruz and Gonzalez appeared extremely nervous. A CCSO dog trained to sniff out narcotics arrived and alerted as it made its way around the truck, indicating that there were drugs in the vehicle.

Inside deputies found two plastic bags containing a total of nearly 15 ounces of cocaine. They also found a scale. Under the seat where Gonzalez had been sitting they found a loaded handgun.

A third passenger in the vehicle was not charged.

Misael De La Cruz

Felipe Gonzalez

CCSO In The Sky

CCSO’s Aviation Unit, which is made up of full-time and volunteer members, gives the agency eyes and ears from a vantage point unlike any on the ground. Search and rescue is just one of the unit’s many tasks. Aviation is called upon to assist in many kinds of investigations and provide support to other agencies.

Click here to find out more about the role the Aviation Unit plays at CCSO.

Click here to watch a recent aviation rescue.

Pedal Power

Biking is a lot of fun if you follow the rules.

Statistics show that more than 10,000 children and adolescents are hospitalized in the U.S. each year as a result of a bike injury. That's why CCSO works hard to promote bicycle safety.

Here are some tips:

* Check your tires, brakes and chain before you go for a ride.

* Wear a helmet and make sure it's fastened.

* Obey the rules of the road. Bikers must stop at stop signs and traffic signals and indicate when they're turning, just like drivers.

* Ride on the right side of the road in the same direction as traffic.

* Look both ways. Many accidents happen at intersections or driveways, so always watch out for people who don't see you.

* Ride with friends. It's more fun and they can help you if you need it.

* Remember to lock your bike and keep it in a safe place when you're not riding it.

Click here to see a CCSO bicycle safety video.

Traffic Confrontation Ends In Arrest

An East Naples man was arrested on a felony charge Monday after deputies say he pointed a handgun at the occupants of a vehicle during a traffic confrontation.

David Martinez Ortega, 19, 5342 Jennings St., was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

An occupant of the car, Jorge Calderin Moreno, 20, 2371 55th St. S.W., Golden Gate, was charged with possession of marijuana.

Reports give the following account of what happened:

Kristina Ramirez was parked in an alley behind some Collier Boulevard businesses in Golden Gate on Monday afternoon when a silver BMW pulled up behind her. When the driver of the BMW honked at Ramirez she got out of her truck and told him to drive around her.

At that point Ortega reached behind the seat and pulled out a handgun. Calderin Moreno grabbed Ortega’s arm and told him, “No.”

Ramirez got back in her car. She and her passengers, David Miguel and Jonathan Gragert, followed the car and got its license plate number. She reported the incident to deputies, who found the BMW in the parking lot of Discount Auto on Collier Boulevard. Ortega and Calderin Moreno were located inside the store.

When they searched the vehicle deputies found a BB pistol, a pellet rifle and scope and a shotgun. They also discovered a plastic bag containing marijuana near where Calderin Moreno had been sitting.

Ortega's photograph is not available.














Jorge Calderin Moreno

Get Fingerprinted

CCSO fingerprints the public for job applications, security clearances or personnel records.

Fingerprinting is free and is done on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m. at the main Sheriff’s Office.

Bring your own card, CCSO does not provide them.Questions? Call 239.793.9300.

Click here for more information.

Sexual Predator Alert

Name: Jeffery Allen Parker

Date of birth: Oct. 29, 1961

Description: White male, 5 feet 11 inches, 235 pounds, brown hair, hazel eyes

Current address: 1425 Limpkin Road, Immokalee

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has notified the Collier County Sheriff’s Office that registered sexual predator Jeffery Allen Parker is living at 1425 Limpkin Road, Immokalee.

Parker is designated as a sexual predator pursuant to Section FS 775.21. His qualifying offense is sexual battery by an adult /victim under 12 years FS 794.011(2) (Principal in attempt).

Positive identification cannot be established unless a fingerprint comparison is made. If further information is needed, contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s sex offender/predator unit at 238.530.5699 or on the Web at sexoffenderunit@colliersheriff.net. Or contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s sex offender/predator unit at 1-888-FL-Predator (1-888-357-7332) between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. You may also go to the FDLE sexual predator/offender Web site at http://www.fdle.state.fl.usc/.

Click here to view the sexual predator alert.

Bank On Safety

ATMs are a great convenience but they can also compromise your safety. Criminals know that people using automated teller machines can be easy targets.

Don't be a target. Be aware and be prepared.

Click here to watch our video on staying safe at the ATM.

Protect Your Identity

Identity theft is a crime involving the use of another person’s personal information to take on their identity.

Thieves make fraudulent purchases, open charge accounts and wreak havoc with the financial lives of their victims. It can take a victim months or even years to undo the damage an identity thief does to his credit.

The best way to avoid falling prey to an identity thief is to protect your Social Security numbers, driver's license, credit card numbers, ATM cards and other pieces of personal information.

The CCSO has compiled a list of tips to help you protect your identity. Click here to see them.

3 Arrested, 1 Sought In North Naples Home Invasion

WHAT: Home invasion robbery

ARRESTED: Christopher Clark, 20, 1804 S.W. 3rd Place, Cape CoralRichard Dejesus, 16, 4623 S.W. Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral Henry Defeo, 16, 1423 15th St., Cape Coral

CHARGES: Home invasion robbery while armed, burglary of an occupied dwelling with a firearm and two counts of aggravated assault

WHEN: 11:15 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008

CRIME LOCATION: 91 Willoughby Drive, North Naples

SUMMARY: Deputies have arrested three men in connection with a home invasion robbery at a North Naples home Saturday evening.Deputies say Richard Dejesus, 16, entered the home of Sterling and Erika Misener through a back window. Once inside, Dejesus unlocked a side door to let Christopher Clark, 20, and Henry Defeo, 16, into the home. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun, according to reports.


Sterling Misener was awakened by the home alarm system. He began searching the home and was met by the suspects, reports said.

Investigators said Clark and Defeo went with Misener to shut off the alarm while Dejesus stayed with Erika Misener, asking about the location of safes in the house. The suspects ripped the house phone out of the wall and smashed the victim’s cell phone, according to reports.
The Miseners’ 15 and 16-year-old sons were in their bedrooms. The 16-year-old heard the commotion and called 911 from his cell phone to report the robbery in progress.


The suspects tried to access a safe in the house but were not successful, according to reports. They then took the couple into the garage to try to access a second safe, reports said.At this point deputies entered the home and apprehended Clark and Defeo, according to reports. Dejesus ran from the home and got into a car driven by a fourth suspect.

Dejesus was later apprehended by Cape Coral police at his home around 3 a.m. Sunday after suspects gave deputies his address.

None of the victims were harmed. Investigators are still looking for the driver of the getaway car, a green two-door Pontiac Grand Prix.


Anyone with information should call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 239-793-9300 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).


Cualquier persona con informaciòn debe llamar a La Oficina del Aguacil del Condado de Collier al 239-793-9300 o si desea seguir siendo anònimo llame a Crime Stoppers al 1800-780-Tips (8477).














Christopher Clark















Henry Defeo
















Richard Dejesus

Bank On Safety

ATMs are a great convenience but they can also compromise your safety. Criminals know that people using automated teller machines can be easy targets.

Don't be a target. Be aware and be prepared.

Click here to watch our video on staying safe at the ATM.

Searchin' For Clues

CCSO Crime Scene investigators are called to crimes where evidence needs to be processed.

They dust for prints and process the crime scene to uncover clues about how the crime occurred, and they use science and technology to help solve the case.

If you have been the victim of a crime, do not move or touch anything. Notify CCSO immediately.

Click here to watch a video of CSIs in action.

Mother Charged In Infant's Death

WHAT: Child death arrest

WHO: Noraida Huertas, 20, of Philadelphia, Penn.

ARREST DATE: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008

CHARGE: Aggravated manslaughter

CRIME DATE: Oct. 17, 2007

CRIME LOCATION: 1317 Peach St., Immokalee

VICTIM: Alan Fernando Morales, 8 months.

SUMMARY: Deputies arrested Huertas and charged her in connection with the death of her infant son while they were living in Immokalee last year.

Arrest reports give this account:

Huertas told deputies that she awoke shortly after noon on Oct. 17, 2007, and discovered her 8-month-old son Alan was not breathing.

The child was flown to NCH North Naples Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 12:45 p.m.

An autopsy by the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the child died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen. The autopsy found that the child had sustained injuries to his abdomen and face that appeared to be bruises and were in various stages of healing.

The autopsy also revealed scar tissue in the lower abdomen from a previous injury unrelated to the cause of death. That injury was also believed to have been caused by blunt force trauma.

Huertas told deputies that her son was prone to bruising and had a blood disorder, though she could not provide any medical proof. She also showed deputies pictures she had taken with her cell phone of bruises about her son’s body which she never sought treatment for.

Physicians who examined the boy and reviewed the cell phone photos told deputies that the boy’s injuries did not appear to be accidental and that they believed he had been abused.

Huertas was arrested at the Collier County jail, where she has been held since her April 23 arrest on a child abuse charge in connection with this incident.


Huertas, Noraida

Red Ribbon Visit To Lely Elementary

Move Over, It's The Law

Florida Statute 316.126 requires drivers to move over and away from stopped emergency vehicles. The purpose of the law is to protect law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS workers while they are on the scene of an accident or other roadside emergency.

Under the law, drivers must:

* Approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped along the highway with its lights flashing.

* Move away from emergency vehicles when traveling on a multi-lane highway.

* Slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit or to 5 mph when the speed limit is 20 mph or less or if changing lanes safely is not an option.

Pedal Power

Biking is a lot of fun if you follow the rules.

Statistics show that more than 10,000 children and adolescents are hospitalized in the U.S. each year as a result of a bike injury. That's why CCSO works hard to promote bicycle safety.

Here are some tips:

* Check your tires, brakes and chain before you go for a ride.

* Wear a helmet and make sure it's fastened.

* Obey the rules of the road. Bikers must stop at stop signs and traffic signals and indicate when they're turning, just like drivers.

* Ride on the right side of the road in the same direction as traffic.

* Look both ways. Many accidents happen at intersections or driveways, so always watch out for people who don't see you.

* Ride with friends. It's more fun and they can help you if you need it.

* Remember to lock your bike and keep it in a safe place when you're not riding it.

Click here to see a CCSO bicycle safety video.

Coast Guard Rear Admiral Visits JMOC

CCSO Chief of Operations James Bloom, left, meets with U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Robert Branham, right, on Thursday. Branham, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, toured the Joint Marine Operations Center on Marco Island. CCSO is partnering with six local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Southwest Florida. The new special operations center handles marine issues ranging from boating safety to human smuggling to fuel spills.

Keeping Track Of Crime

Every two weeks Sheriff Don Hunter and his deputies meet to discuss crime trends.

The sheriff demands that all deputies in districts be held accountable for crime in their areas.

This meeting, which uses the COMSTAT method of crime-fighting, allows the leaders in each district to tell the sheriff about their plans to tackle car burglaries, home break-ins and business robberies. Their efforts have resulted in a steady decrease in reported crimes.

Go to colliersheriff.org, click on “News” and then go to your area of the county.

Check Out The New Issue!

Woman Ditched During Shopping Spree, Arrested

A shopping spree at Waterside Shops on Wednesday ended in a Texas woman’s arrest on credit card fraud charges after deputies say the man she was shopping with left her behind.

Charisse LaJean Hurst, 27, of Houston was arrested and charged with possession of counterfeit credit cards and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Arrest reports say Hurst and an unidentified man attempted to make purchases using fraudulent credit cards at several stores in the North Naples mall around 3:45 p.m.

The man attempted to make a $2,700 purchase at the Louis Vuitton store, but his credit card was declined after it was determined to be fraudulent, report said. The man hurried out of the store and drove away in a white Ford sport utility vehicle, leaving Hurst behind, reports said.

Hurst left the mall on foot, heading east across U.S. 41 North into a drug store parking lot.

Deputies located her a short time later at a restaurant near the intersection of U.S. 41 North and Pine Ridge Road, where she was arrested, reports said.

ZOOM Traffic Hotline

We want to hear about it when you encounter problems on Collier County roads.

Call 530-ZOOM and let us know when you see red-light running, aggressive driving or other infractions.

Interested in finding out what other drivers are telling us when they call the ZOOM hotline? Click here to see this week’s ZOOM spots.

Dock It And Lock It

CCSO wants you to keep your boat from getting stolen and we want to show you how.

There has been a recent rash of boat thefts in Collier County. There are some simple precautions you can take.

Click here to watch our video and learn how you can keep from becoming a victim of a crime.

Get Fingerprinted

CCSO fingerprints the public for job applications, security clearances or personnel records.

Fingerprinting is free and is done on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m. at the main Sheriff’s Office.

Bring your own card, CCSO does not provide them.Questions? Call 239.793.9300.

Click here for more information.

Get A Speaker

Do you need a CCSO member to speak at your next event?

Need an expert in crime prevention? How about one of CCSO’s Specialists on immigration?

Want to learn about our traffic unit’s efforts, or our CCSO economic crime unit’s hard work to keep you safe from scam artists?

This is the place.

Click here to get the form.

Teen Charged In 2 NN Car Break-Ins

An 18-year-old man is facing felony charges after deputies say he broke into cars in the North Naples apartment complex where he lives early Wednesday and stole electronics and other items.

Daniel Cortes, 1215 Reserve Way, Apt. 101, was charged with burglary and petty theft.

Arrest reports said a neighbor who lives at The Reserve told deputies that he was on his porch overlooking the parking lot around 2 a.m. when he saw Cortes pulling on the door handle of a vehicle. Cortes walked over to the trunk and then walked away, carrying items in his hands, reports said.

The neighbor followed Cortes to Cortes’ apartment building. Cortes went inside the building and came back out emptyhanded and sat on the stairs, reports said.

When deputies arrived, Cortes was leaving his apartment and there was a pile of electronics and other items on the ground outside his door. In the pile was a GPS navigation system, a cup holder containing coins and a radar detector, all of which had been reported stolen from two vehicles in the apartment complex.

Operation Safe Driver Under Way

Deputies are paying special attention to commercial truck drivers in Collier County this week.

It’s part of a weeklong safety campaign, called Operation Safe Driver, to raise driver awareness about the hazards of operating around commercial vehicles such as semi-trucks.

The goal of Operation Safe Driver is to prevent injuries and deaths in crashes involving large trucks and passenger vehicles through education, law enforcement and awareness. The national campaign runs through Friday.

Deputies will be cracking down on truck drivers who are speeding and driving aggressively.

“Although commercial traffic has slowed somewhat we are about to enter our busy tourist season in Southwest Florida,’’ said Cpl. Doug Leffin of CCSO’s Safety and Traffic Enforcement Bureau. “Through Operation Safe Driver we will take enforcement action against unsafe and fatigued commercial and noncommercial drivers.”

2 Charged In EN Condo Break-In

Deputies arrested two men on felony charges Tuesday in connection with a break-in at an East Naples condominium earlier this month.

Benson Andrew Cineas, 19, 1130 Central Ave., East Naples, and Shawn Elmhdati, 28, of Lehigh Acres, were each charged with burglary and grand theft.

Arrest reports say Cineas and Elmhdati broke into a condo at 103 Glades Blvd. by smashing a window and climbing inside around 2 a.m. on Oct. 2. A witness told deputies she saw Cineas and Elmhdati leaving the condo carrying jewelry and beer, reports said.

Cineas returned to the condo around 10 a.m. and stole a computer, printer and speakers, reports said.

Deputies located Cineas and Elmhdati on Tuesday and arrested them, reports said.

Searchin' For Clues

CCSO Crime Scene investigators are called to crimes where evidence needs to be processed.

They dust for prints and process the crime scene to uncover clues about how the crime occurred, and they use science and technology to help solve the case.

If you have been the victim of a crime, do not move or touch anything. Notify CCSO immediately.

Click here to watch a video of CSIs in action.

Bank On Safety

ATMs are a great convenience but they can also compromise your safety. Criminals know that people using automated teller machines can be easy targets.

Don't be a target. Be aware and be prepared.

Click here to watch our video on staying safe at the ATM.

Great Place To Work

Did you know the Economic Development Council has named CCSO one of the county’s best places to work?

CCSO was evaluated in the category for employers with more than 176 employees.

The program annually obtains information from local employers about how they attract and retain workers. Nominees answered a 40-question survey designed to measure achievements in hiring and retention.

North Naples Substation To Host Open House

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s North Naples substation is hosting an open house Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. Members of the community are invited to stop by to take a tour of the substation and meet the deputies who patrol their neighborhoods.

The substation is located at 776 Vanderbilt Beach Road.

Bike Ride Ends In Felony Arrest

A nighttime bike ride ended in a 55-year-old man’s arrest on a felony charge in Golden Gate on Monday.

Michael Earl Boykin, who arrest reports say is homeless, was riding in the alley near the 2600 block of Tropicana Boulevard around 7:45 p.m. when a deputy stopped him for not having a light on his bicycle, arrest reports said.

Further investigation by the deputy revealed there was a warrant out for Boykin’s arrest on a violation of county probation charge for a previous battery arrest, reports said.

A search of Boykin turned up a small plastic bag with cocaine inside, a paper towel containing marijuana and a pipe commonly used to smoke crack cocaine inside his pockets, reports said.

Boykin was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, a felony, and possession of marijuana under 20 grams, possession of narcotic equipment and on the violation of probation charge, all misdemeanors.

Move Over, It's The Law

Florida Statute 316.126 requires drivers to move over and away from stopped emergency vehicles. The purpose of the law is to protect law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS workers while they are on the scene of an accident or other roadside emergency.

Under the law, drivers must:

* Approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped along the highway with its lights flashing.

* Move away from emergency vehicles when traveling on a multi-lane highway.

* Slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit or to 5 mph when the speed limit is 20 mph or less or if changing lanes safely is not an option.

Safety Net

It’s not just outdoors where parents need to worry about their child’s safety.

Kids can face dangers without ever leaving their home if they spend any time online, where predators and bullies can lurk.

Staying safe online is easy if kids and their parents know what to do and what not to do.

CCSO offers these online safety tips:

· Never give out your real name, where you live, where you go to school or other personal information over the Internet.

· Don’t agree to meet anyone you’ve talked to online.

· Protect passwords.· Communicate responsibly.

· Never allow your child to have a computer in his room. Place the computer in a common area such as the living room

· Do not give your child a Web cam, camera phone, digital camera or video camera without close parental supervision.

· Closely monitor chat rooms your child visits.

· Look for new clothing or other belongings your child has that you did not purchase for them and question where they were obtained.

· Regularly search your child’s Internet history and “cookies.”

CCSO Celebrates Red Ribbon Week

WHAT: Red Ribbon Week

WHEN: Oct. 21-31

WHERE: Collier County

SUMMARY: CCSO is teaming up with Drug Free Collier to promote healthy and drug-free lifestyles during Red Ribbon Week 2008.

"Red Ribbon Week provides our community the opportunity to unite against teen drug use and abuse, and to show that our community will stand united against drugs," said CCSO Cmdr. Beth Jones.

All CCSO cars will display a Red Ribbon magnet and elementary school students will be encouraged to pledge a drug-free lifestyle by signing their name on the CCSO Pledge Car.

Red Ribbon Week in Collier County will include several events and activities:

For the seventh year in a row, CCSO deputies will participate in the "Reality Journey," a dramatic re-enactment of an underage drinking party that leads to a fatal drunken driving crash. There will be a public showing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Unity Church, 2000 Unity Way, East Naples. Kids will also have the chance to see what drinking can do to their bodies by wearing "drunk goggles" and performing field sobriety tests. The Pledge Car will also be on display at 6:30 p.m.

The Pledge Car, along with McGruff and CCSO deputies, will join Lely Elementary School during its Red Ribbon Walk on Friday, Oct. 24, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

CCSO will participate in the Swamp Buggy Parade on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. Deputies, along with Students Working Against Tobacco, will walk alongside the Pledge Car and distribute Red Ribbon-themed Halloween bags filled with candy to parade-goers.

Fifth-graders who participate in the D.A.R.E. program are encouraged to participate in an anti-drug art and poster contest. The posters will be judged by Neighborhood Watch members and prizes ranging from gift cards to bicycles will be awarded to the top winners.

Click here to watch a CCSO video on Red Ribbon Week.

Tee Off For Police Unity Tour

WHAT: Police Unity Tour Golf Tournament

WHEN: 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25

WHERE: Cypress Woods Golf and Country Club, 3525 Northbrooke Drive

SYNOPSIS: Registrations and sponsorships are being accepted for the third annual Police Unity Tour Golf Tournament.

Registration, including lunch, is $100 per person. The tournament is a four-player scramble format.

Hole sponsorships with the name of the business or individual on the hole sign are $100. Cart sponsorships with the business logo on each golf cart are $500.

Proceeds from the tournament support the Police Unity Tour, a 250-mile bicycle trip that carries the slogan “We ride for those who died.”

The Police Unity Tour takes participants on a three-day journey each Spring that ends with a candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. Five CCSO members took part in the 2008 Police Unity Tour.

The purpose of the Police Unity Tour is twofold: to honor and remember officers who have died in the line of duty and raise money for both the memorial and the National Law Enforcement Museum.

Since 1997 the Police Unity Tour has raised more than $5 million for the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Fund.

To register for the golf tournament or become a sponsor call 239.961.3124 or e-mail Krista@unitypolicetourgolf.com To make an online donation to support local Police Unity Tour riders go to www.firstgiving.com/KWilliamson.

Dock It And Lock It

CCSO wants you to keep your boat from getting stolen and we want to show you how.

There has been a recent rash of boat thefts in Collier County. There are some simple precautions you can take.

Click here to watch our video and learn how you can keep from becoming a victim of a crime.

Attempted Robbery EN Convenience Store

Deputies are investigating a report of an attempted robbery at an East Naples convenience store late Sunday.

A store employee told deputies that he was inside K-Square Food Mart, 11466 U.S. 41 E., shortly before midnight when he heard a noise outside the business near the front door, according to sheriff’s reports.

He went to check on the noise and saw two men wearing hooded sweatshirts with their their faces covered, reports said. One of the men pointed a handgun at the employee, reports said.

The men chased the employee, who ran back inside the store and locked the doors. The two men ran away, reports said.

Deputies searched the area on the ground and in the air, but were unsuccessful.
An investigation continues.

Anyone with information should call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 239-793-9300 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).

Cualquier persona con informaciòn debe llamar a La Oficina del Aguacil del Condado de Collier al 239-793-9300 o si desea seguir siendo anònimo llame a Crime Stoppers al 1800-780-Tips (8477).

Man Charged With Robbery

A 44-year-old man was arrested Sunday on charges that he robbed another man who was walking to work in East Naples.

Martin Suarez, 4825 Palmetto Court, East Naples, was charged with robbery.

Arrest reports say Rodrigo Godines, 26, told deputies that he was walking to work near the corner of Airport-Pulling Road and Davis Boulevard around 6 a.m. on Oct. 10 when Suarez approached him and asked for money.

Godines refused and Suarez pushed him to the ground, reports said. Suarez removed Godines’ cell phone, charger and wallet from his pants pockets, reports said.

Suarez also stole a pair of shoes Godines was carrying, reports said.

Godines spotted Suarez in the area of Airport-Pulling and Glades Boulevard on Sunday and alerted deputies, who arrested Suarez.

A Growing Problem In Your Neighborhood?

Collier County sheriff’s deputies have shut down many suspected marijuana grow houses in 2008.

Public awareness about grow houses and tips from citizens have helped deputies make arrests.

There are plenty of easy-to-spot indicators that a marijuana grow house may be operating in your neighborhood.

Click here to find out how to spot a grow house or report a suspected grow house.

Click here to watch a video tour of a grow house.

Let Neighborhood Watch Work For You

The philosophy of Neighborhood Watch is simple: neighbors watching out for each other.

There are easy steps residents can take to make a neighborhood safer, from asking a neighbor to pick up the mail while they’re away on vacation to installing outdoor security lights.

There are more than 100 active Neighborhood Watch programs in Collier County.

E-mail us at prevention@colliersheriff.net to find out how you can start a Neighborhood Watch.

Click here to see our Neighborhood Watch video.

Pull Up To "The Traffic Stop''

Tired of getting stuck in Airport-Pulling Road traffic?

Sick of sitting still on Immokalee Road?

Want to learn where the tie-ups are in real time, not stale information you hear on the radio?

CCSO’s newest blog, “The Traffic Stop,” aims to get Collier commuters through the traffic and home safely all day. It’s the latest multimedia, information-sharing effort to give the community information they can use daily.

Here’s how: Sign up for real-time text messages to be sent to your phone as soon as the calls come in to CCSO. We’ll send the information and even offer up detours so you can cut down on that long ride home. Check with your cell phone carrier because text message rates apply.

Also, check the blog for daily traffic reminders about everything from driving in fog to tips about the Move Over law.

We’ll even show you some bad driving habits captured by the in-patrol car cameras. Some of them will shock you. Some of them will make you laugh. But they’re all happening on the roads you drive every day.

Let us know what you think by e-mailing us at collierstar@colliersheriff.net and tell what traffic features we should add to the blog.

Click here to get to "The Traffic Stop."

Protect Your Identity

Identity theft is a crime involving the use of another person’s personal information to take on their identity.
Thieves make fraudulent purchases, open charge accounts and wreak havoc with the financial lives of their victims. It can take a victim months or even years to undo the damage an identity thief does to his credit.

The best way to avoid falling prey to an identity thief is to protect your Social Security numbers, driver's license, credit card numbers, ATM cards and other pieces of personal information.

The CCSO has compiled a list of tips to help you protect your identity. Click here to see them.

Don't Toss Butts

Did you know that it’s a crime to toss a lit cigarette from a car?

It is.

Offenders could be arrested and charged with a first-degree misdemeanor.

Deputies are on the lookout for motorists who toss cigarettes or any other lit substances onto Collier County roadways.

It is a violation of Florida law to throw, drop, or dispose of a lighted match, cigarette, cigar, ashes, or other flaming or glowing substance onto a roadway, or any substance that could cause a wildfire.

The discarding of lit substances can cause major environmental, social and economic damages. The loss of habitat, homes and even lives can result from discarding a lit substance onto a roadway.

Man Charged With Aggravated Assault

A Golden Gate man was arrested Thursday night and charged with a felony after he threatened his estranged wife with a large knife when she returned home from church, sheriff’s reports said.

Zeferino Grimaldo-Rivera, 56, 4765 31st St. S.W., was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery-domestic violence.

Arrest reports say Juana Badillo, 41, told deputies that she returned home from church around 11 p.m. Grimaldo-Rivera, whom she has been separated from for eight months, was waiting for her inside her apartment at 4510 Coral Palms Circle, # 8, Golden Gate.

Grimaldo-Rivera became upset because he thought another man had dropped her off, reports said. Badillo told deputies that a female friend from church actually dropped her off.

Grimaldo-Rivera became irate and punched Badillo several times in the head and chest. He went into the kitchen, where he grabbed a large butcher-type knife. He raised the knife over his head and charged toward Badillo, threatening to kill her, reports said.

Another person in the house stepped in between Grimaldo-Rivera and Badillo and intervened. Badillo ran out of the house, reports said.

Tip Us Off

Have you seen something suspicious while walking your dog or driving to work?

If the crime is not in progress, you can tell us about it online.

Click here to send CCSO a crime tip from your computer.

Great Place To Work

Did you know the Economic Development Council has named CCSO one of the county’s best places to work?

CCSO was evaluated in the category for employers with more than 176 employees.

The program annually obtains information from local employers about how they attract and retain workers. Nominees answered a 40-question survey designed to measure achievements in hiring and retention.