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Published on: September 24, 2025

Coroner reveals cause of man’s rollercoaster death in Florida. What to Know.

A man who died after riding a rollercoaster at one of Orlando’s newest amusement parks died from blunt force injuries, according to an Orange County medical examiner.

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, died due to “multiple blunt impact injuries,” according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The manner of his death has been ruled as an accident.

The incident happened on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Epic universe when Zavala was found unresponsive after riding a rollercoaster. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Published on: September 4, 2025

Girl Swept into Florida Storm Drain Died from her Injuries, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

The 5-year-old girl who was swept into a Sarasota storm drain on Aug. 24 has died from her injuries, according to hospital and law enforcement officials.

Zaria Miller was playing outside with her brothers on Aug. 24 around 6 p.m. when she was sucked down a storm drain following a water main break. The main break, coupled with recent rainfall, caused a current that pulled Zaria down the drain.

She was carried about 100 yards away from where she was playing, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. She was found in a wooded retention area near a local school.

Published on: August 27, 2025

Police: Deputy Put on Leave After Shooting in Orlando. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has been put on a paid administrative leave after accidentally shooting an Orlando home invasion victim, according to media reporting.

As of Wednesday morning, the deputy has not been named and officials with the Florida Law Enforcement Division is investigating.

The shooting took place around 3 p.m. on Aug. 23 when a 911 caller reported a home invasion. The caller, a man in his 40s, told dispatchers that four people tried to break into his home and that he had fired shots at them. All four ran away before deputies arrived, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Published on: August 26, 2025

Second South Florida Child Hospitalized After Dog Attack in as Many Weeks. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Another child was hospitalized Sunday after she was the victim of a dog attack in Fort Lauderdale, according to local media.

The girl, 2, was mauled by a rottweiler before 8:15 p.m. at a home near the 1700 block of Southwest 24th Street. Emergency responders were called out to the property after receiving 911 calls for the girl’s “numerous injuries,” according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

She was taken to Broward Health Medical Center’s trauma department by emergency personnel.

Published on: August 25, 2025

Two Families Displaced Following Separate and Devastating Fires in Florida. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two families tragically lost their homes following separate fires in Vero and Boynton Beaches over the weekend, according to local media.

The first fire broke out Saturday at a home near 21st Court in Vero Beach. At least seven people were displaced after the fire engulfed their home. Of the seven people, five are children.

Sunday morning in Boynton Beach, a family of three and their dogs were displaced after a fire started near NW 10th Court, a home in the Skylake neighborhood.

Published on: August 20, 2025

One Dead, Another Injured in E-Bike-Related Crash in Miami Beach

By Leesfield & Partners

One person died and another was injured after the e-bike they were riding on Tuesday morning was hit by a car on the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

The crash happened around 3:05 a.m., just before entering Miami Beach near the Alton Road exit. A white Ford sedan crashed into an e-bike carrying two people, shutting down the eastbound lane for hours and causing traffic delays.

Both passengers on the e-bike were taken to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. At least one person died and the other is in critical condition, according to local media.

Published on: August 18, 2025

Fire at North Miami Beach High-Rise Apartment Over the Weekend. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Firefighters put out a blaze at a high-rise in North Miami Beach that caught fire overnight Saturday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Emergency responders were called out to the area just before 7 p.m. Friday after getting reports that a 10-story apartment building near the 3700 block of Northeast 166th Street had caught fire. When they arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from an apartment on the sixth floor and evacuated everyone inside. The fire did not spread to nearby units.

At least three people were treated at the scene by paramedics but did not require transport to a nearby hospital. One resident told reporters that she noticed debris falling onto her balcony. She ran from her apartment and knocked on the doors of her neighbors to alert them before fleeing the building.

Published on: August 11, 2025

Coral Springs Charter School Teacher Accused of Sexually Abusing Student. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A teacher at Coral Springs Charter School in Broward County has been accused of sexually abusing a student, according to reporting from local media.

Joseph Michael Melendez, 33, was charged Thursday, Aug. 7, with one count of sexual battery of a victim between the ages of 12 and 18, two counts of lewd and lascivious battery of a victim between the ages of 12 and 16, and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation.

Melendez is accused of abusing the victim — whose name and age were not released to protect their identity — during their freshman and sophomore years at the charter school. The school serves students from sixth grade until their senior year of high school. The student told police that Melendez first gained his trust in January of 2018.

Published on: August 8, 2025

Iconic Miami Beach Landmark to Open Water Park. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

The Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, which has largely been credited with altering the landscape of luxury hospitality in the area and was once the playground for elites including Elvis Presley, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, has recently announced plans to build a water park on the iconic property.

The home of LIV, one of the top nightclubs in the country that has been the stage for some of the most-famous performers in the industry, is seemingly using the planned construction of a water park to beckon to new clientele: families with children. The park will include 11 slides to the hotel’s pool area, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

In a statement to the newspaper, hotel officials said the move will transform the property into ” … a destination for all-ages, with all-new pools and water features, family attractions and slides, food and beverage offerings, and elevated poolside entertainment.”

Published on: August 4, 2025

Housekeeper Jumps to Save Toddler Drowning in Pool. Now, Father Faces Charges.

By Leesfield & Partners

A housekeeper at a Melbourne, Florida, hotel spotted a toddler drowning in the pool and raced to pull him out, but tragically, the child later died at the hospital despite her efforts.

The incident happened as the 3-year-old boy’s father allegedly dozed next to him, passed out on the pool steps, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday. As the woman was cleaning a room on the hotel’s third floor, she told police that she spotted the boy floating in the deep end of the pool. She screamed for the father to wake up, but he did not stir, according to local media reporting.

The woman ran downstairs and jumped into the pool. Not knowing CPR, she told police that she pounded on the child’s chest and tried calling for help.