Thirty years after a Tampa-area girl disappeared after getting off her school bus, a Florida man has been charged with her murder.
A grand jury has indicted Jeffrey Norman Crum for the 1993 death of 12-year-old Jennifer Odom.
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After Odom was abducted while walking to her Pasco County home, law enforcement searched for a blue truck seen near Odom’s bus stop.
Her body was found in a field six days later.
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State prison records show Crum has been in prison since 2019, serving two life sentences for sexual battery in a separate case.
A Seminole County detective is facing dozens of charges after deputies said he warned suspected child sex predators they were being targeted in an undercover investigation.
Authorities said Jose Tirado was a detective with the sheriff’s office Crimes Against Children unit since 2015.
Investigators said he would covertly warn suspects who were planning to travel to meet minors for sex.
Those “minors” were actually other detectives who were working undercover.
Sheriff Dennis Lemma lashed out at Tirado in a statement, which read in part, “You were responsible for protecting the most vulnerable members of our society — our children — and the actions you are alleged to have committed instead aided those who would seek to victimize children.”
Tirado is facing 15 felony charges.
The sheriff said he’s now in the process of terminating his employment.
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A flood watch in South Florida has been extended through Friday morning after a night of heavy rain and street flooding in Broward County.
Flash flooding shut down the Kinney Tunnel in Fort Lauderdale, stalled cars in Hallandale Beach, breached homes and businesses in Hollywood, and delayed flights and closed access roads to the Broward airport.
Forecasters say that area received about 7 inches of rain over the course of a few hours.
While the weekend is expected to be more dry for South Florida, the rest of the state can expect more wet weather.
Random Florida Fact
Driving along State Road 40, maybe on your way to Alexander Springs, it’s hard to miss the Barberville Yard Art Emporium.
It’s a colorful curio and roadside attraction full of animal statues, handcrafted ornaments, furniture and figurines.
The owner, Carlos Pendola, is a native of Argentina Pendola and was in the car dealership business for 30 years, until opening the three-acre shop in 2011.
Whether you buy some exotic decor or not, it’s a fun stop in the small Florida town of Barberville.