Florida

Published on: June 3, 2025

String of South Florida Shootings Raise Safety Alarms. What to Know.

A string of South Florida shootings that made headlines over the weekend raise alarms about safety and security at grocery stores and shopping centers.

The first of the three shootings took place in a Pembroke Pines shopping plaza Saturday morning. It began with a verbal argument at the Pembroke Gardens shopping plaza and ended with gunfire, according to local media reporting. When police arrived, they found one man who had been shot. His injuries were non-life-threatening, according to previous reporting.

The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.

Published on: June 2, 2025

Firefighter Injured in Lumber Warehouse Fire in Miami. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Friday morning fire at Miami lumber warehouse injured at least one firefighter as emergency responders battled the flames.

Firefighters were called out to the Little River Building Home Supply, 7737 NE Second Ave., at around 6:06 a.m. There was heavy smoke coming from the building.

No one was inside the building when the fire broke out, however, as firefighters continued to battle the flames, they were forced to evacuate due to structural concerns.

Published on: June 2, 2025

One Dead, Another Injured in Florida Turnpike Crash. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A scooter driver remains in critical condition and their passenger was killed after a crash on Florida’s Turnpike in Broward County, local news outlets reported Wednesday.

The crash happened before 3 p.m. Saturday in the southbound lanes at mile market 55. The scooter driver, a 21-year-old Miami man, was in the center lane and switched lanes into the path of a Ford van driven by another man, 27, of Davie.

The van hit the back of the scooter, causing it to become trapped underneath the moving vehicle along with its driver and passenger. The driver of the van pulled to the inside lane, where, officials with Florida Highway Patrol told reporters with The Miami Herald, the passenger became “dislodged.”

Published on: May 29, 2025

A Boat Carrying 15 People over Memorial Day Weekend Exploded in Fort Lauderdale. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least 11 people were injured when a boat exploded on Memorial Day with 15 people on board, according to reporting from local media.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told reporters Tuesday that the vessel was a 39-foot Sea Ray. The incident happened in the Intracoastal Waterway around 5:45p.m. near the New River Triangle sandbar. Among the injured were two children, including a 5-year-old.

Many of the injured had burns and were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s burn unit in Miami.

Published on: May 27, 2025

Home Healthcare Nurse in Florida Accused of Abusing Patient. How Leesfield & Partners has Represented Victims and Survivors in the State for Decades.

By Leesfield & Partners

A home health nurse in Florida was accused of taping the mouth of her “nonverbal” patient and repeatedly ripping it off, according to recent reporting from local media.

Nia Ayers, 24, was charged with aggravated abuse of the elderly or disabled after turning herself in on May 7, The Miami Herald reported this week.

The incident, involving an 18-year-old patient who investigators say “is completely unable tot defend herself or cry out for help,” was reported to the St. Cloud Police Department by the patient’s mother. The mother checked home camera footage after noticing cuts and scrapes around the patient’s mouth and on her eyelids.

Published on: May 19, 2025

The Road to Motor Vehicle Accident Results: What You Should Know About Seeking Damages

By Leesfield & Partners

A seemingly mundane trip to the grocery store or a tiring commute home after a long day’s work can quickly turn into a driver’s worst nightmare.

About 400,000 car accident victims discover this annually in Florida with many suffering severe and permanent injuries. As a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience litigating cases just like these, Leesfield & Partners knows that the “road to recovering damages” can be a daunting one.

Here’s a basic guide to what plaintiff’s should know when seeking damages for injuries caused by an accident on Florida roads. For a more in-depth breakdown or for a free consultation, call Leesfield & Partners at 800-836-6400.

Published on: May 14, 2025

Washington Boy, 13, Killed in E-Bike-Related Incident; Leesfield & Partners’ Outspoken History with Micromobility Devices.

By Leesfield & Partners

A family has lost their 13-year-old son after he hit a metal cable in a “freak accident” while riding his e-bike through the neighborhood, according to local media.

Emiliano Munoz, of Everett, Washington, was playing with friends at a neighborhood field on May 2. As he left on his e-bike, he took a shortcut through a yard where he did not see a braided cable strung up between two bollards in the grass.

The boy ran into the cable and cut his vocal cords, a spokesperson for the family told local media.

Published on: May 14, 2025

Seminole County Pastor Accused of Sexually Abusing Children. How Leesfield & Partners has Represented Victims and Survivors for Nearly Five Decades in Florida.

By Leesfield & Partners

Police in Sanford, Florida, are asking anyone with information on a local pastor who they believe has sexually abused multiple children in his congregation.

Yersson David Solarte Basto, 33, was charged with sexual assault on a victim under 18 years old and lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under 16, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Solarte was a pastor at IPUL Pentecostal Church in Sanford, or Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana Orlando Norte, during the alleged abuse. The crimes were reported to police “after the most recent incident,” according to local media. The victim said she was abused by Solarte on multiple occasions before he “expressed his love for her” and she “refused his advances.” After that, the girl told police he “tried making her jealous” by abusing her sister.

Published on: May 14, 2025

‘We Stood Firm:’ Leesfield & Partners Holds Company Accountable in Death of Minor

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners recently thwarted a company’s attempt to claim that an employee driver involved in a fatal crash was an independent contractor in a recent settlement.

This case was handled by Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Lawyer at the firm and resulted in a $1 million settlement for the grieving family.

As a result of this driver’s utter carelessness, a family has been forever fractured from the loss of their 8-year-old daughter.

Published on: May 12, 2025

Woman Dies After Canoe Flips on Florida Alligator. What to Know About Vacationing in Florida.

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman canoeing with her husband this week has died after their vessel flipped on top of an 11-foot alligator and the animal attacked in Kissimmee, Florida, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

Cynthia Diekema, of Davenport, has been identified as the woman who was killed in this incident, according to local media. She was 61.

The incident happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday near the mouth of Tiger Creek in Lake Kissimmee, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The couple was in a 14-foot canoe in a little more than two feet of water when their canoe went over the animal who then thrashed and flipped them. Both husband and wife ended up in the water and the wife landed on the alligator.