Arrests made in shooting of motorcyclist, body of 2-year-old found, home education

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Here are the stories with the most viewed videos this week.

Port St. Lucie police announce three arrests in the fatal shooting of a motorcyclist

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) – Three people who belong to a motorcycle club are accused of killing a 53-year-old motorcyclist in Port St. Lucie.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) held a press conference Monday morning with Police Chief Richard Del Toro and Assistant Police Chief Leo Niemczyk to announce the arrest of three people in connection with the fatal shooting of Daniel Sanders.

According to preliminary findings, officers responded to Southwest California Boulevard and Southwest Greenan Lane shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday for reports of a single-vehicle motorcycle accident. At the scene, officers found more than just a motorcycle accident, they found Sanders with multiple gunshot wounds. He was airlifted and pronounced dead an hour later at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce.

Two men and a woman were booked into the St. Lucie County Jail in connection with Sanders’ death:

• Victor Omar Alvarez, 23, first-degree premeditated murder
• Kyle James Driscoll, 25, first-degree premeditated murder
• Driscoll’s girlfriend Nevaeh Rae Gonsalves, 21, accomplice after facial injury (life crime)

Read the full story here.

Body of missing 2-year-old found in pond behind Vero Beach apartment

VERO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) – The Indian River County Sheriff announced Wednesday morning that he found the body of a missing 2-year-old boy in a pond behind the family’s home.

The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO) said Tuesday that it was called to the scene around 2:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a missing toddler named Shamar Windhom. He was last seen near his home in the Walker Woods Apartments area of ​​71st Circle at 26th Street.

Sheriff Eric Flowers said the 911 call came from the toddler’s father, who said he was at his home feeding another small child when he realized his 2-year-old son was missing. Flowers said the father went upstairs to find his son but discovered that the second-story window appeared to be pushed out. Flowers noted that the distance from the second floor to the ground is about 20 feet.

Flowers claimed that everything points to the parents telling the truth about what happened to their child. He confirmed that the mother went to work as usual while the father stayed at home because both children were sick and left the windows open to ventilate the apartment.

Investigators believe that as the father was feeding his other child, the toddler with autism pushed out the screen on the window and fell from the second floor onto the leaves, which the sheriff said were soft from all the rain, causing his fall slowed down.

Investigators believe the boy wandered to the pond behind the apartment, about 30 meters away, and drowned.

Read the full story here.

WATCH: Deputy injured after woman crashes car into him in sheriff’s office parking lot

FORT MYERS, Fla. (CBS12) — A police officer was injured when a disturbance spiraled out of control, causing a woman to back up and hit him in the sheriff’s office parking lot before fleeing the scene.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) said a person entered the sheriff’s office on Monday to file a report of a problem with a woman in the parking lot.

The deputy working behind the desk reportedly went outside to speak with the other person, later identified as Aran Baker, to calm the situation.

LCSO stated that while speaking with Baker, the deputy asked for backup because she was unpredictable.

Baker then reversed at a high rate of speed and intentionally hit the officer.

Read the full story here.

Homeschooling is on the rise in Florida, experts share challenges and considerations

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) – More parents in Florida are choosing to homeschool.

In the annual report for the 2022-2023 school year, the Florida Department of Education reported that homeschooling increased 58 percent over the past five years. This school year, 154,289 students nationwide participated in homeschooling programs.

That is more than 2,000 more students than in the previous school year.

Last school year, nearly 15,000 students in the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast school districts participated in homeschooling programs. With about 8,600 students, Palm Beach County ranked fifth in the state in enrollment.

CBS12 News spoke with a child psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who finds the growing popularity of homeschooling surprising.

Dr. Kate Eshleman tells CBS12 News many families she works with didn’t take well to virtual homeschooling when it was forced on families during the pandemic. She says there are many reasons why parents consider homeschooling instead of traditional schooling.

Read the full story here.

WATCH: Suspect’s attempt to flee officers ends in smoke and flames

OCALA, Fla. (CBS12) — A suspect’s attempt to flee officers failed after his plans literally went up in flames.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said on September 20, officers responded to a domestic dispute at the Murphy gas station on SW Highway 200. Officers were told to be on the lookout for a gold Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was later found behind the gas station.

According to the news release, the driver — identified as Derick Rouse — sped away, running through stop signs. Even after initiating a traffic stop, Rouse refused to comply, the deputy at the scene said.

The video captures the moment the deputy turns on his siren and then chases Rouse as he speeds away. At around 1:45 a.m. things got hot.

Rouse’s Chevrolet began to smoke, the black clouds blocking the camera’s view.

When the car was engulfed in flames, Rouse got out and handed himself over to officers, according to MCSO. He was booked into the Marion County Jail on charges of driving without a valid license and fleeing/eluding.

Read the full story here.

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