Levy County School Bus Involved in Crash

 

March 30, 2022         

Deputies, EMS and Fire are on the scene of motor vehicle crash involving a Levy County School bus. The crash occurred shortly before 4:00 p.m. today on US Hwy 19 near the street address of 14227 NW Hwy 19. This location is in front of Village Pines Camp Ground. Currently both north bound lanes are closed. Injuries have been reported and the parents of those students who were on the bus have been contacted.

The north bound lanes of US Hwy 19 are expected to be closed for several hours as emergency crews work to clear the roadway. Please avoid this area if possible.

More information will be posted when updates are available.

Store Clerk Arrested for having Sex with a Minor

 

March 30, 2022

Levy County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested Shawn Allen Kohler (11/13/85) of Chiefland yesterday for having intercourse with a minor. Kohler works as a store clerk at a convenience store in Fanning Springs and met the juvenile while at work on March 20, 2022. Detectives collected store video surveillance footage of Kohler and the under aged female meeting while he was working and then departing the store together. The two enter his vehicle that was parked nearby and remain inside for some time. The victim reports the two had intercourse while inside of his vehicle. Additional evidence collected by Detectives supports the statements made by the victim.

Kohler was arrested and has been charged with Sexual Assault on a person under the age of 18. He is currently being held in the Levy County Detention Center on a $100,000.00 bond.

Detectives are concerned that additional women may have fallen victim to Kohler. Victims are asked to contact Detective Shelby Kilian at 352-486-5111 ext. 276. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous and report information about this or any other crime can call Crime Stoppers at 1-877-349-8477. You could be eligible for a cash reward.

Two 16 Year Old Juveniles Arrested for Attempted Murder

Burgman

 

Penny

 

 

 

 

March 23, 2022

March 21, 2022 at approximately 8:30 p.m. a citizen reported seeing a vehicle chasing a truck on US Hwy Alt 27 between Bronson and Williston. The citizen told Levy County dispatchers he thought one of the occupants fired several rounds at the truck being chased. Deputies arrived to the area they were unable to locate any evidence of a shooting and no one came forward reporting they had been shot.

Shortly after midnight on March 22^nd a 911 call was received from a residence east of Bronson near County Road 335 A. The homeowner reported the home had been shot during a drive by shooting. Deputies arrived on scene and found multiple shell casings near the driveway of the home. The home was occupied by a mother, her 17 year old daughter, her 13 year old son, an infant child and the daughter’s boyfriend. No one was injured during the shooting.

Deputies learned that earlier that evening the 17 year old female and her 13 year old brother attended a party at a home between Bronson and Williston. She was followed from the party by people she and her boyfriend were involved with in an on-going feud. She was driving her mother’s truck and in her attempts to escape from the vehicle following her, the occupants of the vehicle following her shot the truck. She did not report this incident to her mother or to law enforcement. The truck was struck several times by bullets but no injuries were reported.

Detectives were able to identify the suspects and the car they were driving during this incident and located the vehicle parked behind a home east of County Road 331 A near Williston. Deputies, Detectives and Officers from the Williston Police Department surrounded the home. Multiple occupants were observed inside the home by law enforcement officers and commands to exit the home were announced over a police vehicle P.A. system. For approximately an hour all occupants refused to exit. Ultimately, three people exited the home and were detained.

For the next 1 hour and 15 minutes additional commands were announced to the two remaining occupants inside the home to surrender. The Levy County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Response Unit (TRU) arrived on scene and shortly thereafter the two remaining occupants surrendered and were taken into custody.

Detectives determined that two of the five juveniles detained from this home were responsible for both shooting incidents. These individuals identified as Robert Burgman (6/10/2005) of Williston and Javaughn Penny (9/23/2004) of Williston were arrested. They have been booked in at the Levy County Detention Center and have been charged with Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Discharging a Weapon from a Vehicle. They will be held in the Alachua County Department of Juvenile Justice Detention Center.

Detectives searched the home where these juveniles had been hiding and found two guns. Both weapons were identified as the same caliber weapon used in the drive by shooting at the home earlier that morning. Additional testing of these guns is pending to positively determine if they are the exact guns used in these crimes.   

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office believes additional witnesses may be able to assist this investigation. Anyone who saw the incident on US Alt. 27 near the Olive Drive BP station or has information about the drive by shooting is asked to contact Detective Joe Barrera at 352-486-5111 ext. 265. This case is still under investigation and additional charges could be filed. If you wish to remain anonymous you can report your tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-877-349-8477.

Early Morning Shooting Incident Leads to Stand-off in Gainesville

Cole Langston (photo courtesy of Alachua County Jail)

March 14, 2022

On March 11, 2022 Deputies and Detectives responded to a 911 call of a shooting at a home near Bronson, Florida. Law Enforcement arrived and found multiple rounds from a .40 caliber handgun had been fired from outside the home into a bedroom window, nearly striking the occupants who were lying in bed. The occupants of the home identified Cole Langston (7/26/2000) of Bronson, a person known to them, as a potential suspect. They gave detectives a description of the car owned by Langston and said they saw Langston’s vehicle parked on the side of the road in their neighborhood shortly before the shooting occurred.

Detectives issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) for Langston and his vehicle. Langston’s vehicle was spotted in the City of Gainesville by a Gainesville Police Department officer at the Polo Apartment complex. The GPD officer saw Langston go inside an apartment. Detectives knew Langston had custody of his two year old child and told GPD officers to use caution. Langston previously made statements to harm himself and the child. GPD officers attempted to establish contact with Langston inside the home, but Langston refused to come out.

The Gainesville Police Department SWAT Team was standing by as negotiations for Langston’s surrender were on-going. Langston ultimately surrendered after a one hour stand-off and was taken into custody. A warrant for his arrest had been issued earlier this same morning in Levy County charging him with two counts of attempted murder. Langston was taken to the Alachua County Department of the Jail where he was booked. His bond is set at $500,000.00. Langston will be transferred to the Levy County Detention Center where he will be held awaiting trial.

 

Trenton Man Arrested for Child Pornography

 

March 3, 2022

On March 1, 2022 LCSO Detectives received a complaint of a man acting suspicious. The complainant told Detectives she recently ended a relationship with Jon B. Flores (9/15/85) of Trenton (Levy County). She was at his home last week and suspected he was communicating with other women and looked at his phone. She discovered pictures on his phone that she believed were of minor female children in various stages of undress.

LCSO Detectives gathered evidence and applied for a search warrant for Flores’s home. The warrant was granted and executed on March 2, 2022. Detectives located Flores and seized multiple electronic devices. These devices contained images of prepubescent children in sexual poses as well as evidence Flores had transmitted these images to other individuals. Flores admitted to taking some of the photographs Detectives found on his phone.

Detectives arrested Flores and he has been charged with possession of child pornography and transmission of child pornography. His bond has been set at $1.5 million dollars.

This case is still under investigation. Detectives believe other victims may come forward now that Flores has been arrested. Anyone with information about Flores’s activities or wish to report additional crimes is asked to call Detective Corporal C.J. Perryman at 352-486-5111 ext. 240.