pbso – Page 6 – West Boca News

Body Found Hanging Near Logger's Run: Possible Suicide

Multiple readers reported to us about a serious incident near Logger’s Run Middle School. Around 4:30 pm we started hearing about a substantial police presence at the intersection of Palmetto Park Road and Ponderosa. Those reports indicated as many as twelve PBSO cars, a crime scene van, and a fire truck.
Police were seen talking to numerous people on the side of the road, including school kids.

Multiple sources have indicated that a body was found hanging on a nature trail on the northeast corner of the intersection. Initially we heard that it was a “kid” but we are now getting more sources indicating that the individual found was a male, age 21.

We have made multiple efforts to get answers from the Sheriff but we haven’t gotten any response. It’s likely that they’re trying to inform next of kin before making any public statement.
Update: PBSO informs us that this was a suicide.
Most of our sources indicate this appears to be a suicide, and that the hanging was done with a dog leash.

Update: Initially we reported the missing dogs might be related. It now appears they were not.
It may or may not be related, but we were notified by a reader that she found two loose dogs in Country Landings III, which is about a mile north of the location.

Another Dead Body

Update (May 7, 2015): PBSO has identified the body as: Vilelio Gerson Vasquez-Portillo, 22, of Miami Gardens.

All images copyrighted by Warren Redlich, 2015. Media may use any photo by crediting @WestBocaNews, or WestBocaNews.com — All photos copyrighted by Warren Redlich unless noted. Media may use any photo by crediting West Boca News, @WestBocaNews, or WestBocaNews.com

This morning we were notified of another dead body found in our area. This body was found on the far west end of Old Everglades-Pump Road (aka Kimberly), near the southwest corner of the Saturnia neighborhood (but separated by the canal). This is west of Eagles Landing Middle School, north of Osprey Point Golf Course, and on the eastern edge of the Loxahatchee Refuge and the Everglades.

PBSO has released this initial statement:

Shortly after 8:00 am, a fisherman boating near the 19000 block of 120 Ave South, Boca Raton, saw a male lying near the embankment, while concerned for his well-being, he immediately called 911 to alert deputies and fire rescue personnel. When deputies and fire rescue arrived they located the male deceased.
Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division as well as Crime Scene Investigators are in route to the scene to investigate further. No suspect information or motive known at this time.

When we arrived there were several police vehicles already present, as you can see in the photo at top. We could not get close but our best guess is that the body was found in the area marked off by crime scene tape.

While we were on scene, the “Crime Scene” van arrived and went to that area.

There is a canal on the north side of Old Everglades-Pump Road and it’s possible there was some evidence on the bank of the canal. We saw people looking over in that area a few times.

Police vehicles were gathered near the intersection with 120th Avenue South.

Two TV crews showed up, from WPBF and WPTV.

The initial report was that the body was an Hispanic adult male. We will update when we get more information.
We heard from at least one area resident concerned that West Boca and West Delray are becoming dumping grounds for dead bodies. We think that’s a bit of an overreaction.
The other very recent incident was a body found near Delray Marketplace. An arrest was made in that case. The victim and alleged murderer are from Broward and/or Miami, but the murder allegedly occurred near West Boca Medical Center. Last year a West Boca woman was found dead in West Sandalfoot in her luxury SUV, a case that remains unsolved. Also in 2014 a body was found in Logger’s Run, which was determined to be a suicide.
Our early video from the scene is here:

Dead body found west end of Old Everglades Pump Road, near Saturnia.
Posted by West Boca News on Sunday, May 3, 2015

Note that we were kept far, far back from the scene. We estimate it was a quarter-mile.

PBSO would not let us closer, even on foot, first claiming that the dirt road might be disturbed (despite numerous PBSO vehicles driving over it), and then that there was evidence in the grassy areas.

Bomb Squad Called to Mission Bay Plaza: Video and Photos

Around 10 am today we were tipped off to a situation at Mission Bay Plaza. Readers and friends told us that there was a heavy police presence along with fire trucks. We headed over and took both pictures and video.
The main part of the story is a “suspicious package” that was found in the parking area between TD Bank and Bank of America. You can see a wide version of the scene in our photo at top. It took some time but eventually the Sheriff’s “EOD” team (Explosive Ordnance Disposal or bomb squad) determined that the package was safe to handle. In the sequence of photos below you can see an armored bomb squad member approach it, pick it up, and then start bringing it to their truck along with another team member who is even more heavily armored. PBSO tells us this was not the package in question, but watching it on scene we don’t see what else it could have been.
Another reader agrees with PBSO though:

There was something else made up of an umbrella, some sort of plastic container with a water bottle and some coins.

Please note that all photos in this article are copyrighted by Warren Redlich. Media are welcome to reuse them by simply crediting @WestBocaNews or WestBocaNews.com. Most photos are available in higher resolution just by clicking on them.

There was a lot of police and fire rescue activity around the plaza. A large section of the parking lot and the area around the two banks were evacuated and blocked off by police tape.

The bomb squad truck was in operation near Bank of America.

After the package was secured, the heavily armored bomb squad team member got some help getting the helmet off.

The suspicious package itself just looks like a tool kit:

We asked PBSO for comment:

We received a call from Bank of America, located on Glades Road and 441, of a suspicious package. Deputies arrived evacuated both Bank of America and TD Bank then contained the area until Bomb and Arson arrived. Bomb and Arson arrived checked out the package and determined that there was no threat. Both banks were opened to continue business as usual.

We shot some video at the scene. Here’s our initial report:

Here's our initial report from the scene at Mission Bay this morning. Our full report is coming soon.
Posted by West Boca News on Thursday, April 30, 2015

And here’s our final video:

Our final video on the Mission Bay Bomb Squad incident. We will also do an article. Pictures at the end of the video.
Posted by West Boca News on Thursday, April 30, 2015

Guns Drawn on False Alarm in Logger's Run

Vistawood Way in Timberwalk, Logger's Run; Image from Google — Vistawood Way in Timberwalk, Logger’s Run; Image from Google

We heard from many readers this morning about an incident in the Logger’s Run community. People saw 10 or more PBSO cars, deputies with rifles and guns drawn, and a helicopter flying overhead.

Police operation happening now inside the Timberwalk Association, Loggers Run. Lots of police cars, chopper and police with guns drawn behind trees.

What is going on at Ponderosa & Winikoff? Riot police – 10 cars w automatic weapons drawn!

We contacted PBSO and received an official response:

Deputies were dispatched to a call of shots fired. When they arrived, we checked the area and all we found was some pounding noise coming from a house nearby. This was not a false 911 call per se, whoever called it in perceived they heard a shooting. It’s considered unfounded.

The incident apparently began sometime before 8 am and heated up as kids were being dropped off at Logger’s Run Middle School. The location of the incident was in the Timberwalk townhomes south of Palmetto Park Road near the southern intersection of Ponderosa and Judge Winikoff:

Other readers reported that the middle school went into lockdown and kids were scared:

My daughter was locked in the cafeteria and was scared out of her mind. She stated in her text to me that many of the kids were very nervous and huddling with their friends.

The initial report sounded very serious:

•••WEST BOCA••• BARRICADED SUSPECT — Ponderosa Dr @ Judge Winikoff Rd (Loggers Run) — Multiple PBSO units are at the scene of a male suspect possibly barricaded inside a house, wanted for questioning, reported fired shots up in the air and ran

After further investigation there was a follow-up report:

UPDATE: PBSO made entry, suspect not in the house, appears to have fled on foot unknown direction, Further investigation revealed there was no shooting or shot, the subject was just banging on a car with a hammer, units are clearing the scene now, no danger or threat any longer

Another source – a neighbor – tells us that this was a possible domestic dispute where a man was banging on a car with a hammer and a woman got angry about it and called 911 falsely indicating shots had been fired. The banging on the car part of the story appears to be accurate though the details of who the caller was and why they made the call are disputed by PBSO and another of our sources.

Dead Body Found Near Delray Marketplace

Update from PBSO: “The victim is an unidentified white or Hispanic female, possibly in her 20’s. An autopsy will be performed today.”

The Palm Beach Sheriff reports that a female dead body was found on the 14000 block of Smith-Sundy Road, about a mile north and a little west of Delray Marketplace.

The location is about a half mile east of US 441, and about a half mile north of the northeast corner of the Four Seasons community (formerly Tivoli Isles). The area is mostly farmland.

Smith-Sundy Road, looking southbound at the 14000 block. Image: Google.

So far PBSO is not releasing much information. We will update if and when we learn more.
They do say there appears to have been “foul play.” inn other words this looks like a homicide investigation.