‘Something is not right’: Mobile park home tenants demand answers after unusually high water bills
Nearly a dozen tenants of a local mobile home park are sharing their concerns over unusually high water bills after the News4JAX I-TEAM reported the case of a disabled veteran who was being threatened with eviction if she didn’t pay a $2,200 water bill.
I-TEAM: Disabled veteran gets $2,200 water bill, landlord threatens to evict her if not paid
A local disabled veteran is turning to the News4JAX I-TEAM after her landlord threatened to evict her if she didn’t pay a $2,200 water bill for her mobile home. Kelly O’Neil who lives at the Three Seasons Mobile Home Park off Collins Road, says her bill normally averages $30 a month.
I-TEAM: Troubled Eastside apartment complexes under new ownership, renovations to come in next 60 days
A Jacksonville nonprofit and a developer have purchased a pair of troubled apartment complexes on the city’s eastside, paving the way for renovations and property improvements. Nonprofit LIFT JAX and real estate company Joined Development announced on Tuesday that they official purchased Eastside Terrace and Eastside Gardens for $6.2 million. The agreement was years in the making. They expect to begin renovations within 60 days.
Failing Jacksonville apartments to get new ownership, renovations after I-TEAM exposes years of problems
A Jacksonville nonprofit and a developer plan to buy and renovate two troubled apartment complexes on the Eastside the I-TEAM first exposed back in 2021 for unsanitary and unsafe conditions. It’s a deal that’s years in the making.
Mayor, city leaders descend on Jacksonville apartments after I-TEAM highlights despicable living conditions
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan joined other city officials and HUD representatives at the Cascade Apartments on Kings Road Tuesday afternoon. This comes after the News4JAX I-TEAM reported on the mold, pest and structural problems there.
Federal complaint: Church planting organization masterminded conspiracy to frame pastors
The former lead pastors and founders of Celebration Church filed a new federal complaint accusing a church planting organization and three other pastors of masterminding a conspiracy to take over the church and oust the founders from their roles.
State opens investigation following death of man who went days without medication in Duval County jail
Records show the city signed a $98 million contract for healthcare at the jail with a corporation that had been convicted just weeks earlier of letting an inmate die by dehydration at a Wisconsin jail and falsifying records to conceal it.
Why giant investment company rentals are being blamed for affordable housing issues in Jacksonville
A News4JAX I-TEAM analysis of Jacksonville property records found more than 9,600 homes across Duval County are owned by large, institutional investors, which are companies that have more than 1,000 homes nationwide in their portfolio.
JSO is searching for man charged with organized fraud. The SEC says he ran a $5.9M Ponzi scheme.
JSO is searching for a man accused of organized fraud. The Securities of Exchange Commission has also filed a civil lawsuit against the suspect, claiming Cedric Griffin scammed more than 100 victims into contributing nearly $6 million to a real estate Ponzi scheme.
I-TEAM: Questions raised if woman’s civil rights were violated in case of mistaken identity
A News4JAX I-TEAM investigation uncovered a mistaken identity of a Northside woman. The woman, Khristi Jackson, feels her civil rights may have been violated by Jacksonville police officers who forced their way into her home without a warrant.
Letter from Douglas Anderson alumni asks that investigation look into possible financial links to teacher misconduct
The Duval County Public School’s special meeting was abruptly canceled Friday, leaving some former Douglas Anderson School of the Arts students disappointed that they didn’t have a chance to discuss their ideas as the investigation into longtime music teacher Jeffrey Clayton, who is now charged with lewd behavior involving a student, continues.
Police photos show note written by prominent political donor before he was found dead in Atlantic Beach
Late last year, a prominent Northeast Florida businessman and well-known political donor Kent Stermon was found dead in his truck at the Mayport Post Office in Atlantic Beach. No foul play is suspected.
I-TEAM: Workplaces top target for mass shooters, attackers usually have connection
While school and church shootings often dominate the conversation, data shows that most active shooter situations are actually at workplaces and carried out by former or current employees. That’s the case in Louisville, where Monday an employee at Old National Bank opened fire, killing 5 people, and wounding 8 more.
Door opened for more talks with DCPS, security contractor says, following I-TEAM report
School campus safety is once again in the spotlight following the deadly shooting at a Nashville Christian school, and on Tuesday, the News4JAX I-TEAM reported that a $36,000 contract for active shooter training and campus evaluations in Duval County hasn’t been used 10 months after leaders announced it.
I-TEAM: Arrest of former DEA task force officer has possible ties to the arrest of FHP trooper
The I-TEAM has been digging into the allegations against a former Nassau County Sergeant, who was also a DEA task force officer, and found possible ties to another drug investigation resulting in the arrest of a longtime Florida Highway Patrol trooper.
How law enforcement agencies are recruiting future officers in a difficult climate
Small towns and big cities alike are struggling to recruit and retain law enforcement officers amid national controversy over the police profession. Many veteran officers are retiring, leaving agencies in a bidding war for qualified candidates — as they try to hire the next generation to protect and serve.
I-TEAM: Local contractor accused of taking money and not finishing the job
Local contractor and owner of North Florida Leisure, James Couturier, owes tens of thousands of dollars to several Jacksonville homeowners who said they either paid him for screened patios that were not finished, or he didn’t start the work.
How a Jacksonville mental health program is keeping people arrested dozens of times out of jail & hospitals
It’s all about breaking the cycle and keeping people out of jail and cutting down on homelessness in Jacksonville — and saving taxpayers money at the same time. And a team of mental health and legal professionals believe they’re on the right track with a program that identifies and treats repeat offenders with severe mental illness and substance abuse problems.
I-TEAM: State voting records show 22 people convicted of felony sex offenses voted in 2020 general election in Duval County
The News4JAX I-TEAM has found more than 20 people convicted of felony sex offenses who, according to state law, were ineligible to vote, cast ballots in the 2020 general election and were not purged from the voter rolls until nearly two years later.
Conspiracy that led to Jaren Bridegan’s murder began just over a month before targeted ambush shooting in Jax Beach: court records
The state attorney’s office filed the formal charges against the man arrested in connection with the shooting death last year of a father of four in Jacksonville Beach, Duval County court records show.
I-TEAM: Body cameras to be deployed in Baker County Detention Facility
After obtaining the latest inspection report and a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, the News4JAX I-TEAM has learned some major changes are in the works for the Baker County Detention Center, where there have been complaints of inhumane conditions and the mistreatment of immigrants.
I-TEAM: Baker County Sheriff’s Office found hospital staff reported crimes late, altered evidence
In a harsh email sent this past May, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office found the staff at the Northeast Florida State Hospital, or NEFSH, reported crimes late and destroyed or altered evidence in criminal investigations.
Aiden Fucci’s mental health likely to be a focus during sentencing hearing, attorney says
In a St. Johns County courtroom on Monday, when Aiden Fucci pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of his 13-year-old schoolmate Tristyn Bailey, the 16-year-old disclosed the medications he is currently taking.
Guns, Drugs & Gangs: An inside look at how Jacksonville police address violent crime
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters believes high-tech, targeted crime fighting will help decrease violence as the city struggles with a high number of shootings and homicides. In January, JSO allowed the I-TEAM to spend several days and nights with special units attached to the project.
Family adamant others involved in ‘mass conspiracy’ to murder Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach
The widow and brother of a father of four killed last year in what police believe was a targeted ambush shooting in Jacksonville Beach opened up Thursday to the News4JAX I-TEAM about the arrest in the case and the questions still left in the investigation.
Man charged in ambush murder of Jared Bridegan to be arraigned exactly 1 year after shooting
The 61-year-old man arrested in connection with the targeted ambush shooting of a father of four in Jacksonville Beach last year will be arraigned on the charges Feb. 16 -- a year to the day that Jared Bridegan was gunned down with his toddler daughter in the back seat of his SUV.
Suspect arrested in ambush murder of Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach ‘did not act alone,’ state attorney says
Nearly a year after a father of four was gunned down in what police believe was a targeted ambush shooting in Jacksonville Beach, police and the state attorney’s office announced an arrest in the case Wednesday.
Activists call for Baker County jail to be shut down over alleged mistreatment of immigrant detainees
Civil rights activists, attorneys and supporters of detainees gathered Friday on the footsteps of the federal courthouse in Jacksonville, calling for the Baker County Detention Center to be shut down over the alleged mistreatment of immigrants detained at the jail.
Right before JSO killed a robbery suspect, an officer turned off his bodycam because of a ‘bright blinking light.’ Does that violate policy?
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s pledge to be transparent under Sheriff T.K. Waters is being challenged by a mother who still wants answers following her son’s death.
Video: Man crashes during high-speed chase after stealing pizza delivery driver’s car, police say
The News4JAX I-TEAM uncovered new information Thursday about a man accused of carjacking a pizza delivery driver and leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash with a police cruiser last week.
I-TEAM: Jacksonville records 900 catalytic converter thefts in 11 months as thieves steal auto parts at alarming speed
The News4JAX I-TEAM has learned Jacksonville police alone worked 900 cases of catalytic converter theft in the first 11 months of 2022. Many cases involve multiple vehicles at the same address, making the total number of converters stolen greater than 900.
I-TEAM: Lawyers for Aiden Fucci filed documents asking him to be transported to an unknown location
Recently filed legal documents are giving the News4JAX I-TEAM new insight into the arguments lawyers for Aiden Fucci may make in his upcoming trial. The now 16-year-old is charged in the fatal stabbing of his schoolmate 13-year-old Trystan Bailey on Mothers’ Day 2021.
I-TEAM: High-profile political donor, who was found dead Thursday, had access card to JSO headquarters
Kent Stermon, who was not employed by the Sheriff’s Office, was given an access card to JSO headquarters for the past five years -- at the same time, he was donating thousands to GOP candidates, including former Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams.
I-TEAM: Contractors say local apartment management company late on tens of thousands of dollars in payments
After the I-TEAM reported about complaints about poor living conditions at an Arlington apartment complex, contractors told News4JAX payment from the management company that oversees that complex and six others in Jacksonville has lagged or not come at all.
I-TEAM: Excess trash hauled away after complaints from residents at Towers of Jacksonville
Spokespersons for the city of Jacksonville and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) told the News4JAX I-TEAM on Tuesday that they are looking into reports of garbage piling up at a senior affordable housing community in San Marco.
I-TEAM: Judge grants plaintiffs permission to seek punitive damages against St. Vincent’s in cases involving former orthopedic surgeon
A judge has found that plaintiffs submitted enough evidence to permit a jury to conclude that top executives at St. Vincent’s Hospital were grossly negligent when they didn’t stop an orthopedic surgeon from operating despite a pattern of serious complications and reports of the doctor slurring his speech and behaving erratically.
Widower’s lawsuit says his wife died after surgery with former Jacksonville doctor at center of hundreds of malpractice claims
For months, the News4JAX I-TEAM has been investigating after hundreds of lawsuits were filed against Ascension St. Vincent’s and a former orthopedic surgeon, who is accused of botching surgeries.
‘Yahtzee!! We’re full’: Text messages shed light on conversations between officials before migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard
The News4JAX I-TEAM on Wednesday obtained new text messages and videos related to the controversial relocation of more than 50 migrants who were flown from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard on private flights.
I-TEAM: Local family scammed by man posing as property manager offered more time to find home
A local family now has more time to find another place to live, after the family’s attorney tells the News4JAX I-TEAM that JWB Real Estate has negotiated an agreement to allow the family to stay in the home for the month of November, as long as they pay rent.
Cracking the Code: I-TEAM helps parents decipher emojis used by teens to hide drug use
Drug dealers have been talking in code for years out of fear law enforcement might be listening to their conversations. But now, your teenager’s cellphone is making it easier than ever to communicate using emojis as code words for drugs.