'Newspg3.indd' by The Newscaster

Betsy Louise Ford, 64, Lecanto, was sentenced, Dec. 6, to serve three years with

the Florida Department of Corrections after being convicted of aggravated assault with a

deadly weapon in a Crystal River road rage incident on Jan. 23 (2015). Ford claimed the

On Dec. 29, a Holder man started and finished a police chase

motorcyclist ran her off the road and threatened to kill her. A witness who viewed the in- racked up bonds of $46,000 and found himself a mandated guest at the Citrus County De-

cident, only after the two vehicles had stopped, said that the motorcyclist did not appear tention Facility. Stephen Andrew Mansfield, 26, 6890 N. Marmoor Pt., was charged with

threatening and had his hands raised in the air while he and Ford were talking, and the shots four counts of aggravated battery, driving under the influence of drugs of alcohol, fleeing

were fired as he was driving away.

and eluding law enforcement officers, and two counts of hit and run.

Nichole Starr Hatley, 31, Floral City, was arrested by the Citrus County Sheriff's

The incident began about 12:41 pm, when deputies responded to a hit and run

Office, Dec. 29, charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of vehicle crash in Lecanto, near the intersection of Grover Cleveland Blvd. and County Rd.

491. When they arrived on scene, a vehicle matching the description of a car involved in the

Eliot Louis Bishop, 31, 925 N. Colin Kelly Pt., Crystal River, was arrested by the hit and run was leaving the scene. The suspected vehicle was a gray 2001 Mercury Sable

Citrus County Sheriff's Office, Dec. 30, following a BOLO (Be On the LookOut) in Holder four-door car, which was being followed by a green four-door Jeep that was being driven by

for a red Ford F150 truck that Bishop was driving in the area of N. Lecanto Hwy. and N. a witness who had been involved in the traffic crash from which Mansfield was fleeing. The

Florida Ave. The report stated, that as a deputy began following the vehicle because it was Mercury had heavy front end damage, and the witness' Jeep had damage to the left rear of

being driven in an erratic manner, a woman jumped out of the vehicle and ran toward a his vehicle, which was consistent with the witness' statement of being involved in a hit and

home, and the driver (Bishop) jumped out and ran into the woods. A deputy located the run crash and following the other vehicle as it sped away.

truck, parked on the shoulder of Whippoorwill Ter. Bishop, who was sitting at the wheel,

Deputies began to follow the Mercury, traveling east down Grover Cleveland

said he'd dropped-off his girlfriend and was waiting for her to come back. Bishop told the Blvd. The Mercury turned around in a driveway and headed in the opposite direction, pick-

deputy that his driver's license had been suspended in Feb. 2015. The deputy found a glass ing up speed on Grover Cleveland Blvd., and then turned Florida 34446 Rd. 491. Deputies

5093 S. Orwell Pt., Homosassa, north on County

pipe next to the vehicle that Bishop denied was his and a small bag with 7 grams meth- placed stop sticks on the roadway at489-4588 Ridge (near the362-4788

Phone: (352) Woodland Fax: (727) Citrus County Detention Fa-

amphetamine on the ground next to the vehicle, Bishop said he'd tossed when the deputy cility) and County Rd. 491, before the intersection at State Rd. 44 and County Rd. 491. The

Email, Tom Russell, Publisher: thenewscaster1@gmail.comIEmail, Debbie Russell, Editor: debbienewsc

pulled up. Bishop gave consent for the truck to be searched, and nothing was found. Bishop stop sticks blew out the Mercury's front right tire, and slowed the car down, but did not stop

Websites: thenewscaster.com · newscasterarchives.com · history.newscasterarchives.com · thehea

was charged with possession of a controlled substance and driving while license suspenced the vehicle, which continued traveling on the grass on the side of the road. Mansfield contin-

or revoked (third offense), with his combined bond set at $2,500.

ued north on County Rd. 491 in the Mercury, with deputies continuing in pursuit. Mansfield

James Brian Frazier, 44, Dunnellon, was arrested by the Citrus County Sheriff's then pulled into the McDonalds restaurant parking lot in Lecanto at the corner of County

Office, Dec. 31, charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation and aggravated as- Roads 486 and 491. According to the report, Mansfield intentionally smashed into four

sault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. His bonds were set at none.



Pursuit Ends - Continued on page 4

Amber Marie Hubbard, 34, Beverly Hills, was arrested by the Citrus County Sher-



iff's Office, Dec. 30, related to an incident that occurred on Nov. 3 through 4, 2015. Hubbard

  

was charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, by willful or culpable negligence.

Her bond was set at none. Hubbard is accused of depriving a child of medical treatment for

              

almost 14 hours. The three month-old infant had been brought into Citrus Memorial Hospi-

      

tal in Inverness, lethargic, suffering from a concussion. X-rays showed that the child had a

      

fractured skull. The infant was transported to All Childrens' Hospital in Tampa.



Hubbard told detectives that she'd been out with friends the night prior to the

hospital visit (Nov. 3), and during the night, she realized that something appeared to be

   

wrong with the child, that she would not open her eyes and was acting tired and lethargic.

The explanation she gave detectives is that her roomate must have dropped the infant. The



report stated that Hubbard said she'd waited the almost 14 hours to seek medical treatment

because her urine was "dirty" at her methadone appointment, and she was afraid that DCF



(Department of Children and Families) would have taken the child.



During the next several weeks, witnesses were interviewed. According to the re-

port, they all noticed that something was wrong with the baby and told Hubbard to seek help



for her, and Hubbard knew that the baby was sick or injured, as well.



Hubbard admitted to investigators that she had gone to a friend's house on Nov. 3

to do drugs, but maintained her innocence as to having inflicted physical injury to the child.



Christopher James Varner, 30, Homosassa, was arrested by the Citrus County Sher-

iff's Office, Dec. 11, charged with felony child neglect (without great bodily harm by willful



or culpable negligence) and driving while license suspended or revoked knowingly. His total



bond was set at $2,500. The report stated that a small child was found running loose on W.



Homosassa Trail, about 6:10 pm, It was dark outside and witnesses said that several vehicles

 



had swerved to avoid hitting the child. About 20 minutes later, Varner contacted dispatch,

   

stating that the child, who had ran away or gone missing on three other occasions during

  

past months,now, again, missing. The report stated that Varner drove to the

 several  was 

area the childhadfound, but his license was not valid. The report also stated

 where   been 

thatthechild on a  without supervision, in going

  visits three nearby residences  regular basis,

backand them.told child was within his supervi-

 forth between  The deputy  Varner that the

sion when he sent him off, unsupervised, to the other residence, which was negligent. The

Department of Children and Families (DCR) was contacted.

    

   

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