Police Unity Tour 2009

Man Charged With Stealing Boat

Deputies arrested a 24-year-old man Wednesday night and charged him with stealing a boat in April.

Patrick Eugene Hall, 781 Palm Drive, was charged with grand theft.

On April 8, marine patrol deputies gave Hall and another man a ride to Marco Island from Keewaydin Island after Hall told deputies they had been left behind by friends during a camping outing on the island, according to sheriff’s reports.

Also on April 8, deputies discovered an abandoned boat in a patch of mangroves off Keewaydin Island. The 2001 Godfrey Hurricane deck boat had been reported stolen earlier in the day from its dock at Holiday Manor Boat Dock.

Further investigation by deputies led them to Hall, whose fingerprints matched latent prints recovered from the stolen boat, reports said.

Deputies located Hall around 9:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of Airport-Pulling Road in East Naples on Wednesday and arrested him, reports said.

21st Annual Candlelight Vigil

The 21st annual Police Unity Tour candlelight vigil was a moving experience for all of us from CCSO.

The morning of the vigil we finally got a few free hours to relax. All Florida Chapter members rallied in the hotel lobby at 3:15 p.m., looking sharp in their class A uniforms. We left as a group to walk the three blocks to the Metro station that would take us to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Upon our arrival at the memorial we were briefed on the procedures of escorting surviving family members into the ceremony. The survivors arrive by bus and the process takes almost three hours. Bus after bus pulled up to the memorial, the sheer number of "first year" survivors was sobering. Each survivor was handed a rose and escorted by a member of the Police Unity Tour to their seat.


U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder delivered the keynote address at the vigil. Then, along with Jennifer Thacker, national president of Concerns of Police Survivors, he led the lighting of thousands of candles in honor of America's fallen law enforcement officers. The names of 387 officers killed in the line of duty were read aloud and formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Memorial during the ceremony. There were 133 officers killed in 2008, and 254 officers who died in previous years but whose stories had not been previously known or recognized.

Service To Honor Fallen Deputies Friday

WHAT: Law Enforcement Memorial Service

WHEN: Friday, May 15, 2009

TIME: 8:30 a.m.

LOCATION: Law Enforcement Memorial in front of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, 3301 U.S. 41 E., Bldg. J

SUMMARY: As a part of National Law Enforcement Week from May 11-17, 2009, CCSO will take the time to honor and pay respect to fellow comrades who died while in the line of duty.

The memorial service will include an address from Sheriff Kevin J. Rambosk, the presentation of colors, Pledge of Allegiance and playing of taps. The guest speaker will be Wayne O. Smith, a retired United States Air Force captain who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.

While members of the Harp and Thistle Pipe Band perform Amazing Grace following Sheriff Rambosk’s address, family members of fallen loved ones will be able to light a candle and place flowers on the memoriam table.

CCSO would like to give special thanks to everyone who will contribute and participate in this memorial. The following members will never be forgotten.

In Memoriam:


Deputy W.B. Richardson
Deputy William Irwin
Deputy William E. Hutto
Deputy Maurice Eugene Anglin
Investigator Arthur Allen Amos
Cpl. Amedicus “Med’ Quincy Howell III
Cpl. Mark Caperton
Sgt. Roy Arthur Williams
Sgt. Joe Nathan Jones
Deputy Raul “Rudy” Dimas Sr.

Click here to learn more.

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 for a walk.

Watch our video about pedestrian safety.

Immokalee Shooting Accidental

UPDATE: Investigators have determined that this shooting was accidental. The investigation revealed that the gunshot was the result of Simone and another juvenile playing with a revolver.

No charges are being filed at this time.

The investigation is continuing.

UPDATE: Investigators have identified the boy as Simone Rios, 10, of 1302 Apple St., Immokalee.The boy’s age was incorrect in initial reports based on information given to investigators. His birth date is 9/6/1998.

The boy is in stable but serious condition at Lee Memorial Hospital.An investigation is continuing.

Original news release, posted May 12, 2009:

Boy, 7, Shot In Immokalee

Deputies are investigating the shooting of a 7-year-old boy in Immokalee.

Reports say the child was playing in the yard in front of 1302 Apple St. when the shooting happened at 5:56 p.m. He was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Additional details will be released as they become available.

Deputies: EN Man Had Child Porn On Computer

A CCSO investigation into child pornography trafficking on the Internet led to the arrest of a 68-year-old East Naples man on multiple felony child pornography charges Wednesday.

Gerald DaGata, 4497 Beechwood Lake Drive, was charged with 10 counts possession of obscene material depicting sexual performance of a child.

DaGata’s arrest stems from an undercover investigation that began in March into the use of peer-to-peer software on the Internet to traffic in child pornography, according to sheriff’s reports.

During the investigation a detective in the Special Crimes Bureau was able to identify DaGata’s Internet protocol, or IP, address and that there were child pornography files on his computer, reports said.

The files were videos showing male children ages 6 to 14 engaged in various sex acts with each other, reports said.

Detectives executed a search warrant at DaGata’s residence on Wednesday morning and arrested him.

More charges are expected pending further forensic analysis of DaGata’s computer, investigators said.