A reader (and personal friend of WBN) sent us two pictures of a 10-foot alligator removed today from a lake in the Shores at Boca Raton. The neighborhood is just north of South County Regional Park, at the west end of Yamato Road. We believe it was one of the interior lakes.
Here’s another shot of the gator as it’s being pulled out.
And here are more photos from two readers:
We’re now told the actual measurement was 9.9 feet.
Tag: yamato
Accident: Yamato & 441
Readers began reporting an accident to us a little after 6 am this morning. From Google Maps, traffic problems persist especially southbound on 441 as we write this before 10 am.
The first photo we received was from a reader around 6:20 am, saying that the accident happened around 6:15. He sent us this photo:
Another reader sent us the photo at top and another one, below, showing the heavy PBSO presence.
We have not seen any public updates from PBSO or Fire Rescue. The length of time that it’s taking to clear up, along with the top photo, suggests that there may have been a fatality or near-fatality. In those situations the Vehicle Homicide Unit is called in to investigate.
As always, we thank our readers for alerting us and sending us photos. We keep them anonymous unless they request to be identified.
Bianca Fichtel Charged With DUI Manslaughter
Update: The charges against Ms. Fichtel were dropped by prosecutors on Wednesday, December 16, 2015.
Bianca Fichtel (24) was just charged with DUI manslaughter arising out of an April accident. Ms. Fichtel’s reported address is in the Barrington subdivision of Boca Chase (west of 441 and just south of Clint Moore).
Ms. Fichtel has two previous felony arrests, including a 2010 drug paraphernalia charge and a 2011 case involving alleged possession of stolen property that was dropped by prosecutors. She’s also had a few traffic cases including one for leaving the scene of an accident and a high speed on the Turnpike in Broward.
The April accident occurred at Yamato near I-95. Ms. Fichtel’s Ford F-150 allegedly collided with a bicyclist, George Morreale. The 65-year-old died “as a result of multiple blunt force trauma injuries.”
Police indicate that Fichtel had a passenger, Paul Maida, who was himself previously arrested in a January SWAT incident.
The arrest report asserts that Ms. Fichtel’s truck hit Morreale in the bicycle lane, but there appears to be little or no evidence of that.
Ms. Fichtel’s blood was drawn (it’s unclear if that was done properly). The toxicology report did show some drugs in her system and it’s not clear whether the level of those drugs is enough to have caused impairment. The police report vaguely alleges that it might be enough.
The alprazolam and nordiazepam levels are well below “therapeutic” levels. The clonazepam is in the therapeutic range but nowhere near toxic. The other drugs are so low as to be essentially unmeasurable.
This looks like a very difficult case for the prosecution to prove. There are major holes in proving both the cause of the accident and that Fichtel was impaired by drugs.
9-Foot Gator In Lakes at Boca Raton
A reader sent us a photo of an alligator taken out of one of the lakes in the Lakes at Boca Raton development, just north of Yamato off of Cain Blvd.
The red oval on the map below shows the location, near the basketball courts and the clubhouse.
We’ve also pasted an interactive map from Google, below.
While it looks large to us, full grown alligators can reach 13 feet or longer.
The reader submitted the photo to us via our West Boca News Facebook page.
Update: Another reader posted photos of the gator swimming in the lake some time before this incident.
Fire in Whisper Walk
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reports a structure fire in Whisper Walk. Tyrone Terrace is northeast of the intersection of Yamato and Lyons Road.
Please use extra caution if you’re driving on Whisper Walk Boulevard or Cherborg Drive.