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A Publication of

Wednesday January 28, 2009

Permit No. 14

Newscaster Publishing

Sally Price Correspondent

Man Arrested for

Child Abuse and

Domestic Battery

A 22-year-old Homosassa man was

arrested by the Citrus County Sheriff's Of-

fice, Jan. 21, related to an incident that oc-

curred on Jan. 18.

According to the

arrest report, just before 5:30

p.m. on Jan. 18, a deputy on

patrol in Homosassa came

across a car, that had no

lights on, parked in the

middle of a street. As the Nicholas McGahen

deputy got out of his patrol

car to see if anyone was inside the vehicle, he

heard yelling from a nearby mobile home and

went there to investigate.

A woman stated told the deputy that

she had gotten into a fight with Nicholas

Austen McGahen, of Homosassa, as they

were driving home from visiting one of her

relatives. She said that McGahen had begun

smacking her on the head, and that he had

also burned her on the arm with his cigarette

lighter. The deputy reported that the woman

had swelling on the right side of her face and

"two distinct burn marks" on her right arm.

When they had returned to a resi-

dence, she said, McGahen had continued to

"talk down" to her, and when she'd decided

to leave, McGahen had attempted to take a

small child out out the vehicle, which she had

Citrus Grow House Shut Down - Deputies searched a residence, along with a large steel building north of Crystal River off Citrus Ave. (C.R.

been able to prevent, in spite of McGahen

495). Inside the home, officers found no furniture except mattresses on the floor and cabling that led to the many security cameras. When

continuing to hit her on the back of her head.

deputies approached the property at 9853 W. Woodhaven Lane, two Hispanic males fled the scene in a ’95 Ford Taurus with a Georgia tag

She said that she had left and driven to the

number of BFW4119-Photo by Citrus County Sheriff Dept.

area where the vehicle had stopped running

Deputies Shut Down

Man

and the deputy had found her.

Soon, two deputies went to

McGahen's residence to arrest him, but no

Crystal River Grow House

Arrested for

one answered the door. The victim went to a

Continued on page 3 - Child Abuse

(Citrus County) After receiving an anonymous tip on Friday, Jan. 23, Citrus County

Drive-By

Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an address in Crystal River regarding the potential

Mudbog Open

existence of a large “grow house” in the area. When deputies approached the property at

9853 W. Woodhaven Lane, two Hispanic males fled the scene in a ’95 Ford Taurus with a

Thiis Weekend

Th s Weekend

Shooting

Georgia tag number of BFW4119 and a front plate with an ATLANTA FALCONS insignia. A

statewide BOLO (be on the lookout) was immediately issued for the pair.

Detaiills on page 12

Deta s on page 12

Deputies then canvassed the property, noticing a strong odor of cannabis all around them,

Bronson - On January 23, 2009 Detective Mike

as well as an abundance of surveillance cameras and exposed piping that had been painted to

Bell arrested Robert Hughes for four counts

camouflage it. A search warrant was secured and a search of the property ensued.

of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

Deputies searched a residence, along with a large steel building. Inside the home, officers

and one count of shooting into an occupied

found no furniture except mattresses on the floor and cabling that led to the many security

vehicle.

cameras. A search of the steel building revealed a premier hydroponics system that sustained

On January 22, 2009 around 10:10 P.M.

marijuana plants in two large rooms. A total of 30 marijuana plants were discovered, ranging

one of the victims was walking on Pine Street

in height from 7 to 10 feet. The plants were near harvest and were very high grade.

and Hughes approached him in a vehicle.

“These are the best plants I’ve ever seen,” said Detective John Novy, a member of the

Hughes asked to buy some weed (marijuana)

specialty unit responsible for the search, “and I’ve seen a LOT of plants.” According to

and the victim continued to walk to 422 Pine

Novy, the average marijuana plant yields about 1 pound of sellable marijuana. “These plants,”

Street. The victims reported that Hughes

he said, “would each yield about 3 to 4 pounds of sellable marijuana.”

Continued on page 5- Drive-By Shooting

Continued on page 4 - Grow House