WAFC Local News – December 02, 2025, 8:52 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. A drug trafficking arrest in LaBelle. Henry County Sheriff’s deputies say 34-year-old Jesus Gutierrez is facing charges of fentanyl trafficking, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, grand theft firearm, and committing grand theft with over $1,000 in damages. The arrest report said the vehicle was traveling southbound on State Road 29 and the deputy felt the window tint on the windows was darker than legally permitted. He pulled the vehicle over at 281 Main Street, the intersection of State Road 29 and Bryan Avenue. The male driver admitted to smoking marijuana earlier. A K-9 unit was dispatched to the scene and alerted to the vehicle. They found some suspected cocaine, some suspected fentanyl, and some marijuana during that search. They also found a handgun that had been reported stolen by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The total weight in grams for cocaine were five grams, 40 grams of marijuana, and five grams of fentanyl. The Belle Glade City Commission heard a presentation on the ever-growing popular school zone cameras. Commissioner Tequilla Collins says she’s interested in improving safety. Safety is always our number one priority, especially when it comes to our kids, and for this to be a free program integrated within the city, I think that is a plus and a win-win for all. David DeLafcy told the commission that slowing traffic on State Route 80 all day near Glade Central High School would cause traffic jams. So you’re really getting them at 56 and above, which I think everyone can probably agree, those speeds are way too fast for that road anyways. So it’s not 20 miles per hour all day. The cameras would only be in action when the school buses are running. When they approach a school, they automatically slow down and take their foot off the accelerator. Really, that’s what we’re trying to condition drivers to do, so slow down. A town hall public meeting for the Community Redevelopment Agency in Belle Glade will be held on December 10th at 6 p.m. They’ve been working on improving Avenue A. Jimmy Pittman Electric was sued for a car crash on October 29, 2024 in Henry Circuit Court. The crash occurred near the intersection of Ventura and San Benito in Clewiston. The vehicle collided with a 2014 operated by the plaintiff Curtis Brathwaite and two passengers. The main claim is negligence. They claim the driver was distracted, inattentive, impaired, and careless. They’re seeking damages for medical and hospital bills, pain and suffering, lost income, and other claims. Mediation has been unable to solve the Seminole Tribe lawsuit against Lenar Homes. The Tribe claims Lenar built 465 homes on their four reservations and on Seminole land, and every single one of them had major defects that are causing health hazards and construction problems. The Tribe claims these homes, which are less than six years old, are now unlivable. They say they paid $300 million in good faith for these homes. The homes are located here in Henry and also Glades and five other counties. Several teenagers are being charged with breaking, injuring, defacing, and cutting up a fence on land in Henry County. It happens at a cattle ranch at 5900 Kirby Road in Fort Donaud. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received a call that a landowner had caught three individuals on a trail camera driving a four-seater side-by-side on his property off Lob Lollie Bay Road. Charged in the incident were Janitrick Essian Williams, Jacob Mott, and Keyondre Thompson. The gate behind the side-by-side on camera was heavily damaged and appeared to be pushed through by a vehicle. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).