Escambia Woman Sentenced To 24 Years For DUI Manslaughter Of Two On I-10
November 15, 2013
An Escambia County woman is headed to prison for a DUI manslaughter for a crash on I-10 last October that claimed the lives of an adult and a child.
Kimberly Renee Rodrigues was sentenced by Judge W. Joel Boles to 24.45 years in state prison for of two counts of DUI manslaughter, one count DUI causing great bodily harm and one count DUI causing property damage. She was convicted following a two-day trial.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Rodrigues was traveling west on I-10 near the Pine Forest exit about 4:40 a.m. on October 21, 2012. Prosecutors said she was traveling approximately 86 miles per hour when she slammed into the rear of a delivery truck driven by Melissa Lynn Lyublanovits, 44, of Pensacola.
Moments later, a GMC Yukon driven by Riviera Beach resident Lovett Cummings approached in the outside lane and swerved to avoid Rodrigues pickup. Cummings barely missed Rodrigues’ truck but his Yukon then rolled several times before coming to a rest in the trees on the north shoulder of the Interstate.
His 11-year old son, Lovett Deshun Cummings II, was ejected and died on the scene, while his 71-year old father, Lovett Junior Cummings, was also killed in the crash. Cummings’ mother was seriously injured and was airlifted by Life Flight from the scene. The delivery truck driver was unhurt.
Shortly after the crash, Rodrigues’ blood alcohol content was determined to be 0.166/0.170, over twice the legal limit.
Pictured above: A pickup involved in an October accident on I-10. (Note: The tractor-trailer in the photo was not involved in the crash.)The scene on I-10 in Pensacola where two people were killed in a multi-vehicle accident. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tonight’s Prep Football Playoff Games
November 15, 2013
Here are tonight’s first round playoff games involving local area teams . All start times listed are local Pensacola time.
Northview, Tate and West Florida are all on the road tonight, while Catholic Pace and Navarre are at home.
Class 7A
Tate at Tallahassee Lincoln, 6:30 p.m.
Tallahassee Leon at Niceville, 7:30 p.m.
– Winners play next week
Class 6A
Choctawhatchee at Pace, 7:30 p.m.
Milton at Navarre, 7:30 p.m.
– Winners play next week
Class 5A
Tallahassee Rickards at Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
West Florida at Tallahassee Godby, 6:30 p.m.
– Winners play next week
Class 1A
Northview at Vernon, 7:30 p.m.
Cottondale at Baker, 7:30 p.m.
– Winners play next week
Escambia Man Sentenced On Child Abuse Charges
November 15, 2013
An Escambia County man was convicted of child abuse without great bodily harm Thursday. Circuit Judge Linda Nobles sentenced David Best to 18 months in state prison followed by 24 months probation.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on February 26, 2013, in Best’s front yard. The defendant told the victim he was going to put his cigarette out in her face and did so by flicking it from a few feet away. The cigarette hit the victim in her right eye.
Their were two witnesses that heard and saw the incident. The victim suffered a burn to her right eye. The case was investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Extreme Bull Riding, Barrel Racing Benefit Tonight, Saturday
November 15, 2013
A rodeo benefiting cancer patient Katelyn Godwin will be held tonight and Saturday night at the Pensacola Equestrian Center on Mobile Highway.
Gates open at 6 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. performance of Pensacola’s Southern Extreme Bull Riding and Barrel Racing . The event feature Rocking Robbie Hodges, the NFR Barrel Man of the Year and Extreme Trick Rider Gena Cox.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for 10 and under, and free for age 5 and under.
Katelynn Godwin, a 2013 Tate High School graduate, was recently diagnosed with a Central Giant Cell Granuloma Tumor and will undergo a series of treatments in the next few months in hopes of stopping tumor growth. A portion of the proceeds benefit her medical expenses.
The Northview High School FFA is in charge of concessions at the event and will receive all concession profits.
Pictured: Some of the participants in Pensacola’s Southern Extreme Bull Riding and Barrel Racing visited Byrneville Elementary School Thursday to share the rodeo experience with the students. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
U.S. Marshals Arrest Wanted Arkansas Kidnapper
November 14, 2013
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force captured a wanted man who was wanted by law enforcement in Arkansas for kidnapping a teenage girl who is believed to be his niece.
Late Tuesday evening, the U.S. Marshals in El Dorado, Arkansas, contacted the Marshals Task Force in Pensacola requesting their help in locating fugitive Phillip Thomas Nussey who was believed to have abducted his niece and thought to be heading toward Milton where he has ties.
The Marshals in Arkansas advised the Marshals in Pensacola to be on the lookout for a 1998 White Ford Crown Victoria, the car that reportedly had been used to abduct the young girl. The Task Force was provided with some information on some addresses but were unable to find the car in this area. Task Force Officers then eventually figured out Nussey had a former girlfriend living in Milton, but were still unable to locate him.
A Task Force Officer from Escambia County Sheriff’s Office checked the home of the ex-girlfriend on the 6500 Block of Dogwood Drive and found the Crown Victoria parked outside. Around 11:00 pm, Marshals and Task Force Officers from Santa Rosa, Escambia and Walton County along with a K9 unit from Santa Rosa County converged on the home but no one inside would open the door.
Officers then forcibly entered the residence and found Nussey hiding in the bathroom. The 38 year-old Nussey was then arrested without any incident. The missing girl, along with his ex-girlfriend was found inside unharmed.
Nussey faces charges in Arkansas for the abduction, and is allegedly a suspect in sexual molestation cases in both Arkansas and Virginia. Thomas may also face charges in Santa Rosa County for kidnapping, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest. He will remain in the Santa Rosa County Jail until he is extradited back to Arkansas. The car was impounded and may be treated as a crime scene.
Cantonment Man Charged With Home Invasion Robbery
November 14, 2013
A Cantonment man is facing multiple felony charges in connection with a home invasion robbery last month at a Pensacola motel.
Tony Michael Robinson, Jr., was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of armed burglary, grand theft, robbery with a firearm and home invasion robbery.
Robinson, 28, allegedly took part a home invasion robbery September 9 at the Super 6 motel on Plantation Road. The victims told deputies that four black males, one of which was later identified as Robinson, pointed guns into their faces and, searched their vehicle and forced them into their hotel room. Several items were reported stolen, including a $200 watch, an Acer laptop, $10 in cash and a foods stamp card with a $360 balance.
Robinson was positively identified in a photo lineup by the victims. He remained in the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning with bond set at $310,000.
At last report, the three other suspects in the home invasion robbery had not been identified.
Warming Trend, Rain By Sunday
November 14, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. East wind around 5 mph.
- Friday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. East wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Bratt, Byrneville Students Take Virtual Trip To Italy
November 14, 2013
During the past few weeks, hundreds of students from Byrneville and Bratt elementary schools have taken a virtual trip to Italy, thanks to the Global Corner Learning Center.
The students spent time learning about the language, arts, culture, geography and more of a unique land half a world away. Each year, The Global Corner teachers take students from their classroom virtually to another country. Through The Global Corner, local students have “visited” Japan, Spain, Egypt, Brazil, Russian, and now Italy.
The non-profit Global Corner was conceived by its director, Lee Hansen, as part of her vision for the Pensacola area to become a player in the global economy and to have Northwest
Florida become an international business hub and the Center of Excellence for International Learning by 2025.
he Global Corner program is scheduled to be at Molino Park Elementary School November 18-22.
Pictured top: Students at Bratt Elementary School learn to dance the Tarantella with Maestra Bridgette from the Global Corner Learning Center. Pictured below: Byrneville Elementary School students take a virtual visit to Italy through the Global Corner Learning Center. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Suspected Pipe Bomb Destroyed By Bomb Squad (With Photos)
November 14, 2013
An item suspected to be a possible pipe bomb found alongside Highway 29 in Cantonment Wednesday morning turned out to be harmless.
“It looked like pipe with caps at both ends and a wick or something coming out of it,” George Guntner of Guntner Custom Pools in the 800 block of South Highway 29 said. He said he saw the device laying alongside Highway 29 and became suspicious because it looked like a pipe bomb.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Bomb Squad responded just after 10 a.m., and Highway 29 was closed as a precaution from about Chemstrand Road to Muscogee Road.
A member of the bomb squad could been seen carrying the device attached a to a tripod-like stand (pictured left) to an open area of a parking lot. At 11:43 a.m. cries of “Fire in the hole” could be heard from the scene followed by the sound of a controlled explosion by the bomb squad to neutralize the object.
“The possible device was destroyed by the Fire Marshal’s bomb tech,” Sgt Andrew Hobbs, a spokesman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, said at the scene. “It was determined that it was not an explosive device.”
After the object was neutralized, Highway 29 was reopened after being closed for about two hours.
Multiple units from Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the incident.
To watch the sequence of events, scroll down and read the description below each NorthEscambia.com photo.
Pictured above: A member of the Florida State Fire Marshal Bomb Squad, in protective gear, carries the suspected pipe bomb.
Pictured above: The bomb squad member sets up the device for destruction.
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Pictured above: Authorities examine the remnants of the device after it was purposefully exploded.
Pictured above: The bomb squad device used in the destruction of the suspicious item.
Pictured above: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Unit arrives on scene.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Peanut Butter Drive Ends Friday
November 14, 2013
Friday is the final day to contribute to a peanut butter food drive that has been underway for the past month by the Escambia County Extension office, the University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the EscaRosa Young Farmers and Ranchers and the Florida Peanut Producer Association.
The groups are accepting donations of unopened jars of peanut butter to be donated to local food pantries during Farm-City Week.
“Let’s keep children eating locally grown peanuts in healthy, nutritious, and yummy peanut butter,” is a slogan being promoted for the drive. The extension service said the average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before graduating high school.
Unopened jars of peanut butter of any brand can be dropped off through Friday, November 15 at any of the following locations:
- Escambia County Extension office, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Escambia Farm Bureau, 153 Highway 97, Molino
- Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 North W Street, Pensacola
- Escambia County Community & Environment Dept. 223 Palafox Place, 3rd Floor, Pensacola
- Gilmore Services, 31 East Fairfield Drive, Pensacola
For more information contact Escambia County Extension at (850) 475-5230.
Pictured top: The Barrineau Park 4-H Club collected peanut butter for the drive. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.