June 2, 2011

Funeral and Memorial Celebrate Life of Jearicka Mack - Teen Struck Down by Bullet Outside a Party in Gainesville Florida

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The life of North Central Florida teenager Jearicka Mack, also known to friends and family as Pooh, was honored Saturday at a Church on Newberry Road in Gainesville, Florida. Jearicka, 15, was shot and killed outside a party in early May. The police have arrested a 17-year-old with gang ties in the case.

Jearicka grew up in Gainesville, Florida. She was most recently living with a sister in Trenton and attending Trenton High School. The funeral was held at Westside Baptist Church and was chosen because it could accommodate a large crowd, which was estimated at 700. Jearicka was driven to the front of the church in a horse-drawn carriage. A funeral official in a top hat and tails carried her casket to the front of the church while the choir sang “I Shall Wear a Crown.” The life of the teenager was remembered with fond memories, and pleas for young people to turn away from violence.

Teen violence is real, and is a large part of a North Florida teenager’s life in the society we live in today. Many people think of school shootings when they think of teen violence but it can also include many other things. This includes fights, gang violence, suicide, and dating someone who is violent. The most critical risk factor for violence is the behavior of a teenager’s friends and classmates. The best way to help prevent teen violence is to know who your child hangs out with and encourage healthy behavior and relationships. For more information on this topic, see 700 gather in tribute to Jearicka.

Posted by David A. Wolf | | Email This Post

Posted In: Child Safety , Crimes , Violent Crimes

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May 18, 2011

Rape Reported by UCF Student Who Met Man on Match.Com

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In Central Florida (Seminole County) and other parts of Florida and the United States, people are meeting people online through services like Match.Com, Eharmony, and other dating or meeting websites. While most encounters are harmless or lead to some wonderful matches and even marriages, some result in serious personal injuries and even rape. Yes, you can get to know somebody online and form a friendship and relationship of sorts before meeting in person; however, in many instances, there is still a meeting of strangers so to speak with little knowledge of the person's past or the person's potentially dangerous propensities. This is the inherent risks of dating whether initiated through an online website like Match.Com or by other introduction methods or arrangements. In Seminole County, Florida, a woman reported to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office that she was raped by a man that she met on Match.Com. It was reported in the Orlando Sentinel that the woman went to the man's apartment where the alleged rape too place. She informed police that the man forced himself upon her and raped her. He then took her to a pharmacy for the Morning After Pill. According to the initial news report, investigators believed that the story was consistent with the information obtained during the initial investigation and later arrested the man. For more information on this story, see Deputies: UCF Reports Rape by Man She Met on Match.Com.

The man arrested will be entitled to defend himself against the charges through the services of a Florida criminal defense attorney or the services of the public defender's office. While an arrest has been made, the case will still need to proved through admissible evidence. If there is no plea deal or dismissal, a jury trial will be conducted in the future and the decision as to whether a crime was committed will be left to a Florida jury.

The internet and websites that promote dating and meeting of new friends and potential soul mates can be a wonderful and change a person's life for the better. Then again, some have quite a different experience with people they meet on these websites which result in a real life nightmare that can haunt a person for life.

Posted by David A. Wolf | | Email This Post

Posted In: Crimes , Rape - Molestation , Violent Crimes

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