Orlando

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.

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.

Published on: May 7, 2025

More Than 30 People Rescued off Miami Beach Over the Weekend After $4 M Lamborghini Yacht Sank.

By Leesfield & Partners

More than 30 people were rescued Saturday from the waters off Miami Beach after a multi-million-dollar yacht began taking on water, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Emergency responders were called around 5 p.m. near Monument Island, and 32 people were rescued, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard. No injuries were reported.

Photos of the incident showed the assemblage of people, some with life jackets and others without, gathered on the vessel’s bow. Other photos showed the vessel partly submerged with mainly the bow peeking above the water.

Published on: May 5, 2025

What Sarasota Police Didn’t Find on Out-of-Control Boat Raises Concerns on Important Safety Issue in Florida.

By Leesfield & Partners

Police in Sarasota chased down a speeding and out of control boat this week, but there was no operator on board to be chastised.

That is because the vessel’s operator, who was not wearing the skill switch, had been tossed off when a wake hit. As a result, the man was thrown into the water without a life jacket as his vessel sped off without him at 40 mph. When the vessel’s operator was thrown off, he broke two fingers but was otherwise uninjured, according to reporting from Fox News.

Luckily, officers with the Sarasota Police Department’s Marine Patrol were able to catch up with the vessel, hop on and shut it off before anyone else was injured.

Published on: April 30, 2025

Five people Hospitalized After North Miami Beach Boat Crash, Officials Say

By Leesfield & Partners

Five people have been hospitalized, including three children, after a boat collided with a docked vessel Saturday night in North Miami Beach.

The incident happened before 8 p.m. near Maule Lake and was caught on surveillance footage, according to reporting from Channel 10 News. A boat operator with seven passengers struck a docked boat. Everyone on board was ejected.

Good Samaritans rushed to help get people out of the water before first responders arrived, witnesses told local media.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Man Goes Viral After Spotting Something Shocking in His Neighborhood—The Joke He Made Says a Lot About Pedestrian Safety

By Leesfield & Partners

A man’s viral video where he jokingly claims he fell and will sue for millions of dollars has gained traction online, but the video highlights serious safety concerns that can have long-lasting effects for actual victims.

In the video, which has over 115,000 likes and hundreds of comments and shares, the man can be seen admitting that he rolled his ankle at the edge of a sidewalk where a deep sinkhole had been concealed beneath artificial grass.

“I rolled my ankle right here and am asking for $36 million from the city,” he said in a caption on the screen. “Not because I fell, but because I spilled my coffee that was $9.”

Published on: April 24, 2025

Texas Family Left Devastated After 6-Month-Old Killed in Dog Attack. Previous Leesfield & Partners

By Leesfield & Partners

A 6-month-old baby girl in Texas was killed after her family’s dog attacked her earlier this month.

The attack happened on Tuesday, April 1 just before 4 p.m. at an apartment complex in Baytown, a city that is about a 30-mile drive east of Downtown Houston. The dog involved is allegedly a 1-year-old red-collared pit bull mix who animal control has already taken custody of along with another pit bull mix. Since the attack, the family has agreed to sign a surrender order, which would allow the city to euthanize the dog, according to multiple media outlets.

Only the red-collared pit bull was involved in the attack. The second dog was inside a kennel at the time of the incident.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Miami Lifeguards Rescue Over 40 People. With Summer in Miami Approaching, Here are Some Water Safety Tips from Leesfield & Partners.

By Leesfield & Partners

Thousands of tourists and locals languish on Florida’s white, sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters.

It’s a dream many vacationers fantasize about while enduring frigid winters, but for Floridians, it’s just another typical Sunday afternoon. Whether visitors return sunburned to a hotel room or their primary residence, one thing they all have in common is venturing into the water – a choice that can carry dire consequences, even for the most experienced swimmers.

A Slew of Rescues

Published on: April 24, 2025

One Person Died in Florida Highway Motorcycle Crash Monday. How Many Motorcycle Crashes Have There Been in Miami-Dade County?

By Leesfield & Partners

One of two motorcyclists has died after the two crashed into a concrete wall, causing them to be thrown over a Florida highway overpass.

The incident happened just after 9 p.m. Monday near Orlando on Interstate 4. The pair were riding alongside one another on separate motorcycles when taking an exit ramp towards Maitland Boulevard. The highway curves right at this juncture and, according to reporting from The Miami Herald, the two failed to make the turn. Both crashed into a concrete wall over were thrown from their bikes over the edge of the overpass to land in the grass below.

The woman, a 25-year-old Kissimmee woman, died at the scene. The 34-year-old Orlando man, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The woman was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.