To report a crime or any suspicious activity in your neighborhood, call the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at (239) 774-4434 or you can remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at (239) 332-5555 or 1-800-780-TIPS.
Two men caught red-handed gillnetting
Two Chokoloskee men face charges of felony gillnetting in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday.
Armed with night vision goggles, officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were patrolling the Coon Key Light area in the pre-dawn hours when they observed a vessel that was not displaying navigation lights. FWC officers observed Shaun K. Humphreys, 36, and Robert D. Daffin, 20, onboard retrieving monofilament gill nets from the water, according to reports.
Officers boarded the vessel and observed approximately 70 live and dead fish, including pompano and ladyfish, entangled in the net. In addition, officers observed fish on the floor of the boat, near the fuel tank. Additionally, an endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was found alive in the net, reports said.
The operators of the vessel, Humphreys and Daffin, were arrested and booked into the Collier County jail on felony gillnetting charges and numerous other violations.
“These nets don’t discriminate; they can entangle any species, and are very damaging to our resources,” FWC Maj. Alfredo Escanio said in a prepared statement. “We hope this sends a message to the fishing community that we are out there, protecting the state’s marine life.”
Officials seized the fish, approximately 400 yards of gill net and the fishermen’s boat.
Additional charges may follow, according to a FWC prepared statement.
Burglary arrests
Two 18-year-old men were arrested Friday by Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies and charged with kicking a door to enter and exit an apartment in Golden Gate.
Vilokchys Dorsainvil, of the 500 block of 18th Street Southeast, and Armando Horta, who is listed as homeless, were charged with unarmed burglary of an unoccupied dwelling at the 4500 block of Coral Palms Lane and criminal mischief.
Horta was also charged with an active warrant violating a battery probation.
Dorsainvil and Horta knew the victim, reports said.
They are accused of causing about $350 worth of damage, reports said.
DUI arrests
•Michael Christian Adcox, 33, of the 200 block of Grape Wood, Marco Island, was arrested by Marco Island police Thursday at 1100 Collier Blvd. N. He was charged with two counts of DUI, one with property damage. He was also charged with possessing narcotic equipment paraphernalia.
• Darby S. Holbrook, 49, of the 500 block of 15th Street Southwest, Golden Gate Estates, was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol Friday at County Road 876 and Ninth Street Southwest.
• Steven J. Kasper, 53, of the 2000 block of Airport-Pulling Road South, East Naples, was arrested by Collier deputies Thursday at Radio and Livingston roads.
• Michael R. Simons, 55, of the 3000 block of Driftwood Way, North Naples, was arrested by Collier deputies Thursday at Orange Blossom Drive and Airport-Pulling Road.
• Jeffrey Small, 39, of the 200 block of Burnt Pine Drive, Golden Gate Estates, was arrested by Collier deputies Friday at Immokalee and Livingston roads.
Drug arrests
• Shawn Eugene Thorp, 32, of Chiefland, was arrested by Collier deputies Friday at the Naples Jail Center. He was charged with smuggling a contraband into a county detention facility and possessing no more than 20 grams of marijuana.
Battery arrests
• Douglas Frederick Abrams, 46, of the 3700 block of 20th Avenue Northeast, Golden Gate Estates, was arrested by Collier deputies Friday at home. He was charged with striking the mouth of his live-in girlfriend.
• Michael W. Meriweather, 41, of the 3500 block of Plantation Way, East Naples, was arrested by Collier deputies Friday at an unavailable address. He was charged with pulling his girlfriend’s hair.
• Jeffrey George Saad, 67, of the 6800 block of Sterling Greens Drive, East Naples, was arrested by Collier deputies Friday at home. He was charged with pushing and spitting in the face of his wife.
Police Beat is compiled and written by the Naples Daily News staff from oral and written reports by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies. Arrests indicate suspicion of crime, not guilt.