The story of Lori Stone and Whitney Mendez is a sad one. Even sadder for Mendez's two-year-old son, who can almost be considered an "orphan" now.
Tonight we did a story about Mendez's estranged husband, Juan Mendez. We found a restraining order recently submitted by Whitney and police reports documenting two other woman who accused Juan of abuse. It's tough for many to understand why a woman would stick around these abusive men, much less have a child with them.
Tonight's story proved difficult. On one side you have a tight lipped sheriff's office that will not confirm that Juan is a suspect or a person of interest. ("They're talking to him, he's cooperating")
The other side says, take a look at this domestic violence history, check out this restraining order in which he threatened to kill Whitney. I can present the facts... but what if the accusations are false? You can't ask Juan, he's gone. No where to be found.
In the end we go with the story because of the totality of Juan's arrests and convictions for domestic violence. So there is a high probability the restraining order could be truthful. And that's for you to decide, anyway. It would have been nice to confront Juan about it, though... hear his side.
If Juan is not innocent, which many believe is the case, this story should hit home for victims of domestic violence. Get out - get help - do it early on... before it becomes the monster that Whitney Mendez was trying to get away from.
Click on this link to see the story and restraining order Whitney filed.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
Cape Crime to increase 50%, 60%, 70% in 2006?
Statistics can be boring... Especially in television. But numbers we came across in Thursday's report on the "latest" Cape shooting is alarming. In 2005 there were 135 aggravated assaults in Cape Coral... i.e. a fight involving a weapon. This year, just 7 months in, that number is at 138.
Crime appears to be catching up with Cape Coral growth. Could we see a 50%, 60%, maybe even a 70% increase in crime this year?
At the same time, the Cape is going through transition at its highest ranks. The departure of Dan Alexander couldn't come at a more pivotal time.
What will the new chief do to get crime levels back in check? From all accounts heard so far, both candidates for the job want to run the department just like Alexander did. That doesn't sit well with many I've spoken within the agency.
On numerous occasions past and present officers have said the agency has gone soft. "They used to hire 'cops cops.'" "They ran a tight ship and didn't put up with any bull." "They" say it all changed when Alexander took over. Now that ______ is taking over... will it change again?
Whoever takes over will have a big task ahead of them. The Cape is not the same place they grew up in. Slum apartments are growing. Seniors who moved here for peaceful times are moving. Skyrocketing real estate prices have dramatically increased the gap between the haves and the have nots.
Maybe it's time to shift more of those impact fees into public safety.
Crime appears to be catching up with Cape Coral growth. Could we see a 50%, 60%, maybe even a 70% increase in crime this year?
At the same time, the Cape is going through transition at its highest ranks. The departure of Dan Alexander couldn't come at a more pivotal time.
What will the new chief do to get crime levels back in check? From all accounts heard so far, both candidates for the job want to run the department just like Alexander did. That doesn't sit well with many I've spoken within the agency.
On numerous occasions past and present officers have said the agency has gone soft. "They used to hire 'cops cops.'" "They ran a tight ship and didn't put up with any bull." "They" say it all changed when Alexander took over. Now that ______ is taking over... will it change again?
Whoever takes over will have a big task ahead of them. The Cape is not the same place they grew up in. Slum apartments are growing. Seniors who moved here for peaceful times are moving. Skyrocketing real estate prices have dramatically increased the gap between the haves and the have nots.
Maybe it's time to shift more of those impact fees into public safety.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
A new venture
Picture two televisions in front you. One has NBC news on… the other nothing. That’s how I feel about my reports. The stuff you see may be interesting. The stuff you don’t see, although you wouldn’t know it, is fascinating.
One of the biggest challenges about my job is what I don’t report. I’m talking about the tips, the rumors, the inside stuff you never hear about. So the internet division and I are teaming up. On this blog we will discuss the latest crime stories, theories and everything in between. Think of it as insight into what a reporter must dig through to find the truth. Think of it as an opportunity to learn more about a story that affects you. Think of it as a place to share information that may lead to who knows… a story!
My goal is to post here two to four times a week. I should place a disclaimer that I may at times offer an opinion or an idea. This is not the view of Waterman Broadcasting, WBBH, or WZVN. These thoughts are to encourage conversation, to which I encourage you to post responses.
David Sutta
One of the biggest challenges about my job is what I don’t report. I’m talking about the tips, the rumors, the inside stuff you never hear about. So the internet division and I are teaming up. On this blog we will discuss the latest crime stories, theories and everything in between. Think of it as insight into what a reporter must dig through to find the truth. Think of it as an opportunity to learn more about a story that affects you. Think of it as a place to share information that may lead to who knows… a story!
My goal is to post here two to four times a week. I should place a disclaimer that I may at times offer an opinion or an idea. This is not the view of Waterman Broadcasting, WBBH, or WZVN. These thoughts are to encourage conversation, to which I encourage you to post responses.
David Sutta
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