Walton Deputy Arrested For Child Abuse
A Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy was arrested Wednesday morning and is facing charges of aggravated battery on a child and child neglect.
Sunday, July 25 Deputy Jerid Day’s three month old baby was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured skull and femur. The infant was initially treated at an Okaloosa County Hospital and later transferred to an Escambia County Hospital. The infant has been released from the hospital and is now in the custody of the Grandparents.
According to the arrest, on Saturday, Day picked up his three-month-old daughter by the foot and threw her into her crib, causing the baby to hit her head. The arrest report says this is substantiated by witnesses and medical records. The report also says, besides the fractures and scratches on her nose, there is an older fracture that may have not been accidental. The report also says Day did not report the injuries to his wife or the doctor and said he had dropped her.
The infant and other siblings will remain in the custody of the Grandparent’s until a court hearing. The Department of Children and Family and the Children’s Advocacy Center assisted in the investigation.
In October of 2004 Day was hired by the Sheriff’s Office as a dispatcher in the communications center, he was transferred to the patrol division as a deputy in July of 2007. Day’s employment with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office has been terminated.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office hopes the public would not judge all deputies on the action of one.
Okaloosa Deputy Accidentally Shoots Himself
An Okaloosa County deputy needed a hospital stay for observation after accidentally shooting himself during training.
Deputy Miguel Rojas of Fort Walton Beach was injured Tuesday afternoon while undergoing firearms training at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Firing Range in Crestview. A preliminary investigation revealed that Deputy Rojas was taking part in what’s called “weak hand sidearms training”. It involves allowing deputies to practice conditions where their strong arm is disabled. They must then reload and fire with their weak hand. While attempting to reholster, Deputy Rojas’ finger accidentally caught in the trigger guard, causing the pistol to discharge. He was struck in the right lower leg and is listed in good condition.
Two firearms instructors were on the range with the six deputies training on the line.
Deputy Rojas is an eight-year veteran of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. He is a member of the agency’s Special Response Team and has undergone hundreds of hours of firearms training.
Okaloosa Shooting
In another incident, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting Tuesday night, in a car parked in the Sylvania Heights area. The victim, 24-year old Danny Lamar Livingston of Livingston Street in Crestview, attempted to drive himself to the hospital but stopped at the KFC on Mary Esther Boulevard. He was flown by medical helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. His injuries are serious but initial reports indicated they did not appear to be life-threatening.
SW Fire
The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) responded to report of a small outdoor fire in Santa Rosa Beach at approximately 12:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Upon arrival, crews discovered two separate non-permitted burn piles (approx. 30ft. x 30ft. in diameter) that had spread to a nearby travel trailer. No injuries were reported, but the travel trailer sustained fire damage. The tenant appeared to have been burning yard debris along with illegal debris when the fire grew out of control. The Division of Forestry was notified and a citation was issued.
OCSO Thefts
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a home invasion robbery that took place Wednesday. The victim, on Chesterfield Road, says two black males kicked in her front door around 11:49. She was held at gunpoint while they ransacked the home. Deputies are not certain at this point what, if anything, was taken from the residence. The victim was not injured.
In another case, more than five-thousand dollars worth of animal vaccination doses were either stolen or ruined after someone broke into Friendship Veterinary Clinic. Okaloosa Deputies say the burglar or burglars broke a window and entered the building at 623 Beal Parkway sometime between nine p.m. July 22nd and six a.m. on July 23rd. When the veterinarian entered on the morning of the 23rd, he found the refrigerator with animal vaccinations inside open. Assorted packages were on the floor. Others were found on the ground in the drive through at a business at 575 Beal Parkway. The veterinarian says some vaccinations were missing while thousands of dollars more were ruined due to not being refrigerated.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating a series of church burglaries reported Tuesday in North Okaloosa County. Burglars entered the Bethel Assembly of God Church on County Road 393 in Laurel Hill and took the church’s sound system, as well as a collection of coins donated by Vacation Bible School participants, and other items. The First Baptist Church of Holt at 532 West U.S. Highway 90 was also targeted and thieves took an office safe, cell phone, and computer. In addition, deputies were called to New Travelers Church at 3500 New Ebenezer Road in Laurel Hill after a church worker found the rear door open. Burglars had taken a lawn mower, fuel can, and fire extinguisher.
All three churches suffered some damage due to the forced entries.
Homeless Students In Walton County
When you see students at the local schoolyard, some of the youth might not have a home to go to when the final bell rings. At a recent Walton School Board meeting, staff presented funds to assist homeless students. The report is 41 students have been identified in the Walton School District. Most of the Walton School District homeless students are in Freeport. There are five identified in South Walton and some in DeFuniak.
The Walton County School District has a social worker who serves as a Homeless Liaison. The district reported 40 homeless children in the 2009/10 year. The additional student, to make 41, was identified with two other in school. Therefore, this student was not reported but is indeed considered to be homeless. It is not uncommon for an older sibling to be in need of assistance, but in fear of being labeled, they do not ask for help such as free lunches. The younger siblings might be on a program and the whole house qualifies, but the older is not.
The liaison says a homeless
person is more than just someone living out of a car or in a box. Families and youth who are not living in a
fixed, regular or adequate residence, including substandard housing, can be
considered homeless.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education
Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 (from this point forward referred to as the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act), Public Law (PL) 107-110, Title X, Part
C, Subtitle B, Sections 721-726, defines homeless children and youth as
individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence [Section
725(2)].
This includes:
· Children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as “doubled-up”); living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; living in emergency or transitional shelters; abandoned in hospitals; or awaiting foster care placement.
· Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
· Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings.
· Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.
· Preschool-aged children who are eligible under the McKinney-Vento Act.
· Homeless unaccompanied youth, which includes youth who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian [Section 725(6)]. This includes youth living in runaway shelters, abandoned buildings, cars, on the streets, or in other inadequate housing; youth denied housing by their families (sometimes referred to as “throwaway” youth); and school-aged unwed mothers living in homes for unwed mothers who have no other housing available.
Title X part C Grant has provided the dollars to have a social worker serve as a Homeless Liaison with the district. Title 1 receives funding for homeless students and all receive free lunches.
The District says one way communities can help is through the Walton Education Foundation, a non-profit 501(C)3 organization that helped students last year in need of shoes. If you'd like to help meet these student's needs, you may make a tax deductible donation to the Walton Education Foundation, 145 Park Street, DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435. Please note that your donation is for "Homeless" students. These funds are made available as student needs arise and is coordinated through the school district's Homeless Liaison.
In Gulf Coast Pro Baseball
On Sunday, July 25th, the DeFuniak Red Sox
traveled to Campbelton to take on the Wildcats. DeFuniak won the game 7-4.
This Sunday, August 1, a rematch between the Red Sox
and the Wildcats will take place at 4 pm at Douglass Crossroad Park in Argyle.
For more information, call
218-0134.