Celebration of Life for Lt. Duane Dykstra

 

September 29, 2020

Lt. Duane C. Dykstra was born in Falls Church, Virginia and moved Morriston, FL 25 years ago from Inglis, FL.   He was presently employed at the Levy County Sheriff Office where he led the Criminal Investigations Division and Drug Task Force.  His passions included hunting, fishing, bee keeping and he was an avid Gator Football Fan. Above all, his top priority was his family.

Lt. Dykstra is survived by his wife of 24 years, Tina; son, Derek Dykstra; daughter, Sarah Dykstra; mother, Pamela Hart; step-father, Bill Hart; sister, Amy (Doug) Blackmon; granddaughter, Rhylee Dykstra; many nieces, nephews and a lot of other family members, including his extended family was his brothers and sisters in GREEN.

Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 5, 2020 at the Rafter Cross Cowboy Church in Williston, Florida located at 16550 US-27 ALT, Williston, FL 32696.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in honor of Duane be made to the Duane Dykstra gofundme account organized by the Florida Deputy Sheriff’s Association. This is the only official donation site for Lt. Dykstra and family.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-family-of-lt-duane-dykstra?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

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Escort of Lt. Duane Dykstra

 

September 28, 2020

Lt. Duane Dykstra will be escorted from Gainesville to Knauff’s Funeral Home in Chiefland. The escort procession will depart Gainesville today at 10:30 a.m. The escort route led by the Levy County Sheriff’s Office will enter Levy County on SR 24 approximately 11:15 a.m. turning right onto CR 32, passing by the Sheriff’s Office, to SR 27 then into Chiefland. The procession will then turn left onto Park Avenue in Chiefland ending at Knauff’s Funeral Home on West Park Avenue. Friends who wish to honor may pay their respect to Lt. Dykstra along this route.

DEATH OF LCSO LT DUANE DYKSTRA

 

Sheriff Bobby McCallum is sad to report the death of LCSO Lt. Duane Dykstra (47 yoa) today.  Lt. Dykstra was the Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division.  Lt. Dykstra had more than 25 years of law enforcement experience.  During his long career at LCSO, he worked as a Dispatcher, a patrol deputy, a K9 handler, a Narcotics Investigator and SWAT Team member.  He had been the CID Commander since February of 2016. 

Lt. Dykstra failed to return from a deer hunting trip on Saturday morning.  He was later found deceased in Goethe State Forest near the intersection of CR 337 and SR 121.  Lt. Dykstra appears to have died from natural causes and foul play is not suspected.  The incident is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Office of the Medical Examiner Florida District Eight. 

LCSO extends our deepest condolences to Lt. Dykstra’s family.  Funeral arrangements will be published when they become available. 

Missing Person John Raines

 September 25, 2020

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing person:

·       JOHN JOSEPH RAINES (5/4/80)   white/male

·       Height:  6'-4"

·       Weight:  180 

·       Blonde / Strawberry colored hair

·       Hazel colored eyes

Mr. Raines left his home in Northern Levy County on Friday September 18th for his place of employment in Alachua County.  He was driving  a white colored Chrysler 4-door car with a broken headlight. Mr. Raines has not been seen by his co-workers or family since that date. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Levy County Sheriff’s Office at 352-486-5111.

Missing and Endangered Adult

 

September 25, 2020

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing and endangered person:

·       SHAWNA MARIE HART (6/20/87)   white/female

·       6-0 ft. tall

·       205 lbs.

·       dirty blonde/light brown hair

·       hazel eyes.

Ms. Hart left Chiefland, Florida on September 24, 2020 traveling to Knoxville, TN in a blue/gray 2006 Kia Van with Tennessee tag number CKP-696 via the I-75 corridor. Ms. Hart is suffering from severe depression and has made statements about harming herself.  She did not reach her destination and has not been in contact with family members since her departure.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Levy County Sheriff’s Office at 352-486-5111.

*Update – Apprehension of Bonnie Gray and Tina Romano

September 24, 2020

Deputies and Detectives responded to the 6400 block of SE County Road 326 in Gulf Hammock in response to Deputy James Yanok’s call for assistance shortly before midnight on September 22, 2020. Detectives located and arrested Bonnie Gray (7/28/89) of Otter Creek and her associate Tina Marie Romano (8/29/90) of Winter Garden at the conclusion of this investigation.

Romano was arrested near the crime scene approximately 7 hours after the first call for assistance was announced by Deputy Yanok. LCSO Deputies and DOC K-9 Officers tracked Romano through the swampy wooded area for hours, sighting her several times before she was ultimately chased down and arrested.

Deputies supported by the FWC, Marion County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit and the Department of Corrections K-9 combed the wooded area of Goethe Forest for approximately 12 hours before locating and arresting Gray near Wolf Arbor Road in Goethe Forest. Gray was able to slip handcuffs and squeeze into the front seat of Deputy Yanok’s patrol vehicle and flee the area in his car. She lost control and crashed the stolen patrol vehicle a short distance from the crime scene and fled on foot. In the process of her escape, she struck Deputy Yanok twice as he was attempting to stop her.

Gray and Romano were transported to the Levy County Detention Facility and booked in. Gray has been charged with multiple charges to include escape, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence. Her bond has been set at $1,080,000.00. Romano was charged with resisting arrest without violence and her bond has been set at $50,000.00.

 

Deputy’s Vehicle Stolen Then Crashed

 

September 23, 2020

On September 22, 2020 at approximately 11:54 pm Deputy James Yanok responded to the 6400 Block of SE CR 326 which is located in a remote area of the county between Morris Junction and Gulf Hammock. He was responding to a report of a suspicious person. This is the same general area of the county that deputies recently took a report of a stolen vehicle which was ultimately recovered in Citrus County.

Deputy Yanok saw the suspicious person described by the caller when he arrived on scene. This individual fled from him but Deputy Yanok was able to apprehend her. The suspect was identified as Bonnie Gray 7/28/89 who was handcuffed and placed in the backset of his patrol vehicle. Deputy Yanok returned to the area he saw her run from to search for any other person(s).

Gray is a slight built woman approximately 5-4” tall and approximately 100 pounds. She slipped from her handcuffs and was able to somehow squeeze through the screen partition and into the front seat of the car.Deputy Yanok heard his vehicle rev and as Gray sped away, she struck Deputy Yanok. Gray crashed the patrol vehicle a short distance and fled on foot into the wooded area known as Goethe Forest.

Deputy Yanok was transported by ambulance to a local emergency room for treatment of minor injuries and has been released. Deputies are still on-scene searching for Gray. She was last seen wearing cut off shorts and a pink tank top. She was not wearing shoes at the time she was apprehended. Gray is not known to be armed.

Multiple agencies are involved in this search including FWC, K-9 Units from the Department of Corrections and air support from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit. Anyone living in this area is asked to immediately report any suspicious activity to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office by calling 352-486-5111 or 911. 

UPDATE: September 23, 2020 at 1:30 pm.

Bonnie Gray was apprehended by deputies in Goethe Forest near Wolf Arbor Road. She is being transported to the Levy County Detention Facility. There will be multiple criminal charges forthcoming and she will be seen by a Judge tomorrow morning. 

Traffic Stop Results in Drug Trafficking Arrest

September 21, 2020

A traffic stop made by Detective Tucker Gaffey late Friday evening September 18, 2020 resulted in the driver’s arrest for trafficking in MDMA (ecstasy). Melissa A. Hall (9/22/84) of Ocala passed Detective Gaffey in a no passing zone on NE 212 Court south of CR 318 east of Williston. Detective Gaffey immediately smelled both burned and unburned marijuana when he asked Hall for her driver’s license. Hall told Detective Gaffey she did not have her license with her, but immediately gave him a rolled marijuana cigar when he asked if there was marijuana in the car.

Detective Gaffey searched the vehicle and discovered 89 MDMA pills inside Hall’s purse next to her driver’s license. Hall was arrested and booked into the Levy County Detention Facility and charged with trafficking in MDMA, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Hall has since posted a $30,000 bond and released.