Local News in Putnam County
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Putnam County 12 storiesWiden to Greater Palatka
Palatka Daily News
Published 14 hours agoMother convicted for endangering kids while fleeing cops
Putnam County jurors convicted a Daytona Beach woman more than a year after she was arrested for driving recklessly with her children in the car in an effort to get away from law enforcement officers. Sherry Denese Martin, 41, was found guilty Sept. 29 after a two-day trial at…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 25Man accused of striking crying child
An Interlachen man is accused of smacking, shoving and throwing a young girl because she wouldn’t stop crying while he had a headache, authorities said. James Lee Pennington, 34, was charged Sept. 23 with child cruelty without great bodily harm. The girl had been lying on the…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 23Sisters-in-law charged in burglary, theft case
Two Interlachen women have been accused of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of property from the home of a woman in a Gainesville hospital, with authorities alleging one of the suspects was trying to live in the building. On Sept. 18, Kristina Michelle Kaylor was arrested and…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 22Woman booked days after reported truck fight
Authorities made an arrest Sept. 21 in what was described as a severe beating that occurred while picking up children from a Crescent City elementary school. Welaka resident Crystal Danae Commander, 41, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to Putnam…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 21Man trapped beneath ATV in fatal collision
A Hollister resident died in a crash that resulted from his all-terrain vehicle running into pole wire and overturning, authorities said. The 33-year-old man had been driving an ATV north along Lloyd Drive in Palatka but failed to stay in his lane while riding along a curve just…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 17Teen gets life sentence for 2023 fatal shooting
An East Palatka resident will spend the rest of his life in prison for a 2023 shooting, which resulted in one death and the injuries of two others, that he committed when he was a minor. Circuit Judge Alicia Washington sentenced Ramon Gomez-Hernandez Jr., 19, who was found guilty…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 08Updated picture, friends’ info vital in finding missing kids
Having conducted two missing-child investigations within four days of each other, a local law enforcement agency is offering advice for parents and other loved ones to follow to help authorities more quickly find their children. At 7:19 p.m. Sept. 7, the Putnam County Sheriff’s…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 08Man charged as 36 aggressive dogs found in one home
After making complaints for years about loud noises and foul odors, Melrose neighbors finally got peace as deputies removed more than 30 dogs that were found at one property. Mark Weston Plosila, 67, was arrested Sept. 3 and charged with two counts of animal cruelty, one of them…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 08Officials warn against sinister ‘Cat in the Hat’ content
Local authorities are urging students and families to be on the lookout for a Dr. Seuss-named viral trend that uses altered photos to indicate threats in schools in Florida and throughout the nation. The “Cat in the Hat” trend has been circulating on TikTok and other social media…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 04Mother accused of absconding with child
A Palatka woman sparked a six-hour search when she took one of her children in the early morning hours of Sept. 4 despite not having custody of the minor, authorities said. After being located that same day, Amanda Lynn Burkes, 34, was charged with interfering with the custody of…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 04Couple jailed in child neglect case from 2025
Two more arrests were made this week in connection with four others that took place earlier this summer involving a family accused of keeping children in a home littered with animal excrement, rotting food and other abysmal conditions. On Sept. 2, Alex Drew Reign Flynn, 24, and…
Palatka Daily News
Published September 02PCSO: Man damages patrol vehicles to get arrested
An Interlachen man was put under arrest Sept. 1 after calling law enforcement on himself and proceeding to punch responding deputies’ vehicles, authorities alleged. Sebastian Gabriel Holland, 21, was charged with two counts of property damage and one count of resisting an…