Arrest Report 7/2/2025
By Michael Shen
Herald Intern
Horror House
Sanford police were dispatched to an unknown address on the morning of June 21 to assist the Florida Department of Children and Families. On arrival, an officer spoke with a Child Protective Investigator who said there were allegations that a child in the residence was being locked in his room for 24 hours a day. The officer and the investigator spoke with the boy’s stepfather, who claimed that the boy wasn’t locked in his room daily, only when he was misbehaving, which he admitted is frequently. The stepfather said the boy often leaves the home, steals items in the home and frequently defecates on himself. He noted that the boy is advised not to leave his room when he is in “time out” and that there is an alarm on his door to deter him from leaving. He said the boy was given an opportunity to stay out of the room but stole ice cream without permission, leading him to stay inside. The investigator then expressed concerns about the amount of food in the house, which the father refuted by saying the boy eats 3 meals a day. The investigator argued that this might not be enough food for him, which the father pushed back against by saying the boy doesn’t communicate when he wants additional food and only steals it without asking permission. The stepfather added that he doesn’t use corporal punishment on the boy but has threatened it. The officer and the investigator then went inside the residence to contact the boy, at which point they were met with an “extremely pungent odor consistent with animal waste.” The officer observed an active roach infestation and multiple cats. Walking towards the boys room, the officer noticed the previously mentioned alarm and that the door had been altered to have the locking mechanism facing forward. Once inside the room, the officer saw partially boarded windows, dirty walls and multiple handprints of what appeared to be fecal matter. The officer then spoke with the boy, who described his daily routine. He claimed that he used to stay in his bedroom all day but is now allowed to spend time in the living room. He said if he continues behaving well, he may be allowed to go outside in one to two months. When he asked if he felt safe in the home, he said he felt safe with the two women in the house, but not with his stepfather due to him being previously incarcerated and threatening corporal punishment. Describing his eating habits, the boy said when he misbehaves, he is sometimes only given a cheese sandwich to eat. The boy said he is not allowed to go to the restroom regularly and is only allowed to use the commode. A woman in the house corroborated what the boy’s stepfather said and noted that she does not believe in seeking a medical professional. George Scott Josler, 34, and Jesica Lynn Corales, 38, of Sanford, were charged with neglecting a child without great bodily harm.
Naked Knocker
A man was reported to police by his own mother and an unknown complainant for attempting to open doors on 3rd Street & Sanford Avenue in Sanford, with no shirt and shoes on the night of June 23. Officers were initially unable to contact the suspect because he evaded them. An hour later, another officer was called to conduct a follow up and observed the man near 418 Sanford Ave. The man appeared to have made a disturbance by swiping away at another man’s arms and hands, then fled westbound on Fifth St. from Sanford Avenue, losing the officer in the process. The officer then traveled to Fifth St. and Sanford Avenue, at which point the man reappeared and was arrested. The officer then came into contact with the man the suspect was swatting at, who explained that he attempted to assist officers by blocking the man from leaving his hiding spot behind a truck, causing the suspect to push the man away. Dexter Jamar Casey, 32, of Sanford, was arrested for breach of peace and resisting an officer without violence.
Family Matters
Sanford police responded to the area of 1804 S. Cedar Ave. after a woman requested law enforcement. Officers began speaking with the victim and suspect, who are mother and daughter. The mother explained that she was from California and came to Sanford to visit her daughter. She was drinking wine at her daughter’s home, accompanied by her other children, when her daughter came home from work and became upset she was drinking. The two began arguing, with the daughter demanding her mother give her the wine bottle. The daughter then began striking her mother in the chest area with her finger. The mother asked for her daughter to stop repeatedly, but she refused to do so even after her daughter said she would contact the police. The mother recorded these interactions and showed them to police, also claiming there was a fourth video that showed her daughter being more aggressive, but she didn’t want to further incriminate her. The daughter told detectives that her mother is an alcoholic and believes she should not be consuming alcohol. The mother corroborated her daughter’s account and opinion about her alcoholism. Bernarda Jackeline Vasquez, 24, of Sanford, was charged with battery touch or strike domestic violence.
Not father material
Sanford police responded to a disturbance at 912 Avocado Avenue in Sanford, in reference to a disturbance on the morning of June 25. A woman said she was speaking to her boyfriend about plans regarding their child, which she was pregnant with for one month. She then saw a text message from another woman on the man’s phone, leading to an argument between the two. The man became angry, striking the woman and causing her to bleed in her private area. The man then dragged her by the hair, causing her to urinate herself. The man let her go but began striking her with a broom handle. The broom handle eventually broke and both fought over it. The women then left the residence and called law enforcement. The man told a different story, painting the woman as the aggressor and claimed he didn’t know she was pregnant. Rigoberto Cruz, 40, of Sanford, was charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant victim.
