Jonathan Grass

Orlando

Digital Executive Producer at WFTV-TV (Orlando, FL)

Digital executive producer for @WFTV , @COXMG ; aka I tell people what’s going on

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Articles

Former Orlando Catholic school teacher accused of molesting student

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police have arrested a man detectives say inappropriately touched a student at the school where he worked. Police say in May, a student at Bishop Moore Catholic High School reported being touched inappropriately during a tutoring session. The tutor was Jared Tatum, who was also an engineering teacher. Detectives say the school notified police and fired Tatum.
Michigan woman pleads guilty to scamming Orange City resident on Facebook

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

LocalDemetria Latimer (Source: Volusia County Sheriff's Office) DELAND, Fla. — A Michigan woman who was charged with scamming someone in Orange City has pleaded guilty to the crime. Demetria Latimer, 60, was arrested near Detroit after investigators said she sold a fake excavator on Facebook Marketplace. Detectives say she stole over $50,000. She was extradited to Volusia County in April, where Mike Sheriff Chitwood personally greeted her. Her charges were organized scheme to defraud and grand theft.
DeLand LGBTQ+ nonprofit aims for community solace

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Jonathan Grass

DeLand LGBTQ+ nonprofit aims for community solaceSome LGBTQ+ folks in Volusia County are finding a new sense of community, and it’s all due to a nonprofit that opened its doors in DeLand about six months ago. Volusia Pride may not have been open a year yet, but it’s become a beacon of hope - and Pride. Karaoke nights and jam sessions fill the halls, with floor-to-ceiling rainbows. There are even rubber ducks repping their Pride flags.
Suspect sought in Kissimmee gas station robbery

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help solving an armed robbery case. Detectives say an armed man robbed the RaceTrac at 2990 North John Young Parkway in Kissimmee on June 7. Detectives say the man pulled a gun with a silencer and demanded money. He was wearing a black hat, black T-shirt, black pants, and a blue medical face mask.
Arrest made in Melbourne hit-and-run crash that killed pedestrian on Christmas Day 2023

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Melbourne police have made an arrest in a traffic homicide case from Dec. 25, 2023. Police say a man was struck by a vehicle while crossing S. Harbor City Boulevard near the Strawbridge Avenue intersection. The man was pronounced dead shortly after at Holmes Regional Medical Center. Police identified the victim as Andrew Ryan Sofranko, 23, of Handover, Pennsylvania. Police say the driver fled the scene and has now been arrested. The suspect is Tekayiaha Alize Hardy, 26, of Palm Bay.
Report: Auto thefts down, but thieves still targeting these popular vehicles

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that automobile thefts finally dropped to pre-pandemic levels last year. The nonprofits states vehicle thefts went down 17% between 2023 and 2024. This is below the 1 million mark for the first time since 2021. Its report states that last year, 850,708 vehicles were stolen nationwide, as compared to the historic peak of 1,020,729 thefts in 2023.
Man accused of attacking Palm Coast homeowner over money

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

PALM COAST, Fla. — A Palm Coast man is facing multiple charges after deputies say he attacked someone inside his home. According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Joseph Palmese Jr., 34, told investigators he went to an acquaintance’s home Tuesday to collect money he was owed, but things turned violent. The homeowner and witnesses reportedly said they answered Palmese’s knock at the door and he lunged at the homeowner. They said they were able to subdue him and call 911.
State high court says Orlando killer’s execution can proceed

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Supreme Court will not stop the execution of a man who killed a woman in downtown Orlando in 1994. Thomas Gudinas was convicted of killing 27-year-old Michelle McGrath after she left a bar with him around closing time in May of that year. Prosecutors say Gudinas attacked her in a nearby parking lot while she was walking to her car. Gudinas’ attorneys argued that he has a mental illness that should be evaluated.
Orange County opens new firefighter training center

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

LocalORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Fire Rescue cut the ribbon on a new training center off Curry Ford Road in the east end of the county. The new $52 million center includes a 30,000-square-foot education building with offices, classrooms and a state-of-the-art incident command simulation room. The facility is a first-of-its kind in central Florida. It will be used to help train future Orange County first responders. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps.
2 accused of fraudulent EBT purchases at Sanford Sam’s Club

1 week ago | wftv.com | Jonathan Grass

SANFORD, Fla. — Seminole County deputies arrested two men on charges of fraudulently using EBT cards to buy palettes of coffee at a Sanford Sam’s Club. On Tuesday, deputies say they followed a tip from U.S. Department of Agriculture investigators that led them to the Sam’s Club on Rinehart Road. There, they say they found two men loading pallets of Café Bustelo in to a white van. Deputies say receipts showed they paid for the coffee with fraudulent EBT cards.