Update: Missing 15-year-old found safe

Phone, clothing left behind helps police nab Mulligan’s robbery suspect

VERO BEACH — A phone with text messages and calls to a getaway driver and a Mulligan's employee, along with DNA extracted from a mask, helped detectives make an arrest in the armed robbery of a beachside restaurant that occurred in mid-August. Officers said the suspect left behind his phone, mask, and other items during his escape. After the robbery, the suspect met up with the Mulligan's employee at a barbecue in Gifford, reports show. Police on Wednesday arrested Sederick Maurice Upton, 43, of the 2400 block of 42nd Street, Gifford, on charges of robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping or false imprisonment and burglary with assault. Upton was held Saturday at the Indian River ...

‘Significant damage’ following tornadoes; search ongoing at Central Beach

This story will be continuously updated for Hurricane Milton coverage Update: Thursday Oct. 10, 2024 Pictures show the devastation - downed trees, tossed cars and flooding - that wreaked the barrier island Wednesday as Hurricane Milton unleashed a swarm of deadly tornadoes throughout Florida. First responders continue to lead search and rescue efforts for people who may be trapped in homes after reports of a tornado that swooped down on Central Beach. "There are some areas that were hit very hard," Vero Beach City Manager Monte Falls said. "We are still assessing the damage." There were no fatalities reported for Indian River County as of Thursday morning, said Sgt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's ...

Medical examiners ID body found in woods near Old Dixie Highway

VERO BEACH — Medical examiners used dental records to identify the decomposed remains of a man found in a wooded area more than two weeks ago. The man was identified as 46-year-old Jeffrey R. Bartholomew, according to Vero Beach police. "The family has been notified and the Vero Beach Police Department investigators and the Medical Examiner's Office are still actively working to determine the cause and manner of death," police officials said in a statement. "This remains an active investigation." Sheriff's deputies and police responded to reports of a deceased person the afternoon of Sept. 11 near the 1300 block of Old Dixie Highway, west of the railroad tracks, in Vero Beach. Investigators arrived and turned the body over to ...