David Harris is one of three men charged with murder in the 2015 alleged hate crime beating death of OnA©simo Marcelino LA3pez-Ramos in Jupiter. Harris now argues he should not be prosecuted under the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law.
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After nine consecutive years of growth, the organization cites 2017 as being on trend to become the highest year-end travel season on record. With relatively low gas prices, more than 97 million people are expected to hit the road, in the days before Christmas.
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Kelli Doherty , Sean Henry and Brandy El-Salhy were shot to death on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in the backyard of a Jupiter home. Marcus Steward, 25, was arrested on three first-degree murder charges in Riviera Beach by the United States Marshals Service.
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JUPITER, Fla. – Jupiter Police say an armed robbery in the Pine Garden South area turned into a police chase all the way to Riviera Beach on Wednesday.
The five suspects went southbound in their car but then bailed out in Riviera Beach at the intersection of Blue Heron Blvd. and Garden Road.
Officers from Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and Riviera Beach were on full alert to find the suspects.
They searched the brush with they guns drawn.
K-9 officers yelled at the suspects to come out or otherwise they would get bit.
After about 15 minutes police say all five suspects were caught and arrested.
Jupiter Police said there was one victim from the armed robbery, who is at Jupiter Medical Center. They did not say what condition the victim was in.
JUPITER, Fla. – A former Palm Beach Gardens baseball star and first round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks gave his parents a special gift for Christmas.
RELATED: More good news stories | Follow WPTV on Facebook
Palm Beach Gardens Community High School graduate Pavin Smith tweeted a video Monday that showed the emotional moment his parents learned that he had paid off the mortgage of their Jupiter home.
The video showed Smith’s mom reading a letter penned by him that left both his parents in tears.
As of Tuesday morning, the video had more than 3,000 re-tweets and had been liked 13,000 times.
Smith, 21, was the seventh overall selection in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft after starring at the University of Virginia.
Thank you for everything you have done for me! This doesn’t make up for any of it. Love you both so much. Our home is finally all YOURS. Merry Christmas! pic.twitter.com/h9wog2HfHv
— Pavin Smith (@PavinSmith) December 25, 2017
JUPITER, Fla. – Jupiter Police announced Tuesday the arrest of an additional suspect in the Jupiter triple homicide on Super Bowl Sunday.
Marcus Steward, 25, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder with a firearm, one count of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, and one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle.
Sean Henry, 26, Brandi El-Salhy, 24, and 20-year-old Kelli Doherty were shot to death during a Superbowl Sunday party on Feb. 5 on Mohawk Street in Jupiter River Estates.
A Contact 5 investigation discovered Jupiter Police believe three people were involved in the shooting. Police arrested the first suspect, Christopher Vasata for the same charges in March.
Steward was on a witness list as part of court documents in Vasata’s case.
Deputies arrested Steward in April for resisting arrest while detectives served a search warrant on him, trying to get his DNA. The warrant said they had found Steward’s DNA on a gun discovered after the shooting.
RELATED: First suspect in Jupiter triple murder says he was framed
Federal officers arrested the man renting the house on Mohawk Street, Charles Vorpagel, for cocaine possession, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm for drug trafficking.
Vorpagel is expected to in Federal Court in West Palm Beach Wednesday morning for a change of plea hearing. He pled not guilty to the three charges against him in June.
Members of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force arrested Steward without incident in Riviera Beach at 12:15 p.m.
Steward is expected to appear before a Palm Beach County judge Wednesday morning.
Statement from Jupiter Police Chief Frank Kitzerow:
“Due to the complexity of this horrendous crime, Jupiter Police Department Detectives completed a lengthy investigation and have worked tirelessly to examine all pieces of evidence obtained from this incident. As a result, Steward was apprehended and charged today. I would like to personally thank the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service for their assistance during this investigation. Due to the collaborative efforts of all agencies, a dangerous individual will no longer threaten our community. At this time, there is no further evidence to indicate any other suspects were involved in this incident; and therefore, the case is now closed,” said Chief Frank Kitzerow.
JUPITER, Fla. – The second man arrested in a Jupiter triple homicide on Super Bowl Sunday refused to appear in court Wednesday morning.
Marcus Jamal Steward, 25, of Riviera Beach was set to go before a judge at 9:30 a.m. for his first appearance on murder charges after he was arrested Tuesday.
The judge denied bond for Steward.
Jupiter police say DNA evidence linked Steward to the killings.
Investigators found his DNA on one of the guns used in the shooting and on gloves and a shirt found in one of the victim’s cars.
Three young people were shot and killed at the Super Bowl party on Mohawk Street in Jupiter that February night.
The police chief says he’s confident there are no more suspects on the loose, and the case is closed.
Christopher Vasata was also arrested in this case in March. He remains in jail without bond.
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A man accused of killing a Guatemalan man in an apparent hate crime took the stand in court to claim he was defending himself during a fight.
Officials say David Harris, along with his brother Jesse Harris and another person, Austin Taggart, killed Onesimo Marcelino Lopez-Ramos outside a Jupiter home on April 18, 2015.
David Harris is asking a judge to dismiss the case against him based on “Stand Your Ground” defense.
“I knew I was going to hurt him, I didn’t know I was going to kill him,” Harris said in court Monday.
Officers say Harris beat Ramos-Lopez with an ax handle, killing him. According to a Jupiter Police Department report, Harris also made derogatory remarks after killing Ramos-Lopez saying he was hunting for members of the Guatemalan community.
Harris said Monday that only Taggart said he was going “Guat hunting” on that night. “Austin is his own man.”
In court, Harris said he was with his brother, Taggart and three other men when they walked by the home where Lopez-Ramos was and was invited to drink.
Jupiter police say Ramos-Lopez’s brother, Elmer Antonio Lopez-Ramos, told them he felt uneasy when he saw the three men approaching the home in 2015 so he went to a shed and picked up an ax handle in case he had to defend himself.
Harris said Monday that Elmer Lopez-Ramos hit him with an ax while intoxicated, starting several fights between the men.
Eventually, Onesimo Lopez-Ramos and David Harris were left and started approaching each other that night, Harris said. He claims Lopez-Ramos came at him with a pipe so he hit him in the head with the flat side of an ax once.
“Did you know that when the police came that parts of his brain were out on the ground next to him?” Assitant State Attorney Jill Richstone asked Harris.
Richstone said she felt Harris did not meet the standard of the stand your ground defense. She said Harris was the aggressor.
Taggart beat Lopez-Ramos with rebar after Harris walked away, Harris claimed. He said that he didn’t know Lopez-Ramos died until hearing it on the news the next day.
The Florida Legislature recently changed the “Stand Your Ground” law, putting the burden of proof on the prosecution.
Judge Samantha Schosberg-Feuer said the law is unclear if the change applies to cases retroactively.
The “Stand Your Ground” defense hearing is scheduled to continue in January. If Judge Schosberg-Feuer doesn’t dismiss Harris’ case, he is scheduled to go to trial in April.
Jesse Harris and Taggart will be tried after then.
JUPITER, Fla. – The Town of Jupiter has hired a new city manager.
Town council members approved Matt Benoit’s contract during its meeting Tuesday evening.
Benoit was previously the city manager of Huntsville, Texas, before being hired in Jupiter.
The Jupiter community rallied to make sure no child at Jupiter Elementary School goes without a gift this Christmas.
The Palm Beach County School District says it learned Wednesday that Toys for Tots was going to fall short in donations for Jupiter Elementary students. So school leaders and the community came together and raised $6,000 in three hours to buy enough gifts for those kids.
Thursday morning, a group will gather at Walmart in Jupiter to shop for those gifts and get them to the students before they head home for winter break.
The school, located at 200 S. Loxahatchee Dr., is also accepting donations of new toys until 10 a.m.
JUPITER, Fla. — Jupiter police say 9 people have been taken into custody after a boat came ashore at about 2:30 a.m.
Police searched for other suspects in the areas surrounding Burt Reynolds Park, Love Street and Dubois Park for several hours.
Agencies such as the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and US Customs and Border Patrol assisted Jupiter Police in the search.
From the sky the PBSO helicopter assisted and on the ground K9 officers made sure everyone was accounted for.
A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations says a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office helicopter spotted a boat near the Jupiter Inlet and contacted Homeland Security and US Border Patrol.
The 9 people who were taken into custody included 2 Chinese, 1 Bahamian, 1 Jamaican, 2 Turkish, 2 Haitians, and 1 US citizen.
Authorities are trying to determine if they were involved in human smuggling or human trafficking.
JUPITER, Fla. A motorcyclist died in a crash with a minivan in Jupiter Tuesday morning, according to Jupiter police.
The collision happened around 6:45 on Indiantown Road at I-95.
Investigators say a Dodge Caravan was heading east on Indiantown Road and was trying to turn onto the northbound entrance ramp to the interstate.
The motorcyclist was heading west and collided with the Dodge, police say.
The motorcyclist was a man but not identified. He died at the scene.
No further details were released.
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PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A man facing weapons charges, who was living at the Jupiter home where three people were murdered, has entered into a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office.
Charles Vorpagel has agreed to plead guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Vorpagel lived in the home where Kelli J. Doherty, 20, of Tequesta, Brandi El-Salhy, 24, of Gainesville and Sean P. Henry, 25, of Jupiter, were shot Super Bowl Sunday.
Marcus Jamal Steward, 25, and Christopher Vasata, 24, face charges in connection with the killings.
Defense attorneys are asking the court to allow Vorpagle to be held in federal custody in Miami because he is still a witness in the Jupiter homicides and they don’t want him near the suspects.
Vorpagel will be sentenced at a later date. One of the charges carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
JUPITER, Fla. – In this new era of policing, body cameras have become a mainstay.
“The body worn cameras provide us an un-redacted version of what occurred,” says Major Adam Hirsch with the Jupiter Police Department.
However, the cameras aren’t foolproof, and can be subject to human error.
That was the case in Minneapolis earlier this year, when an officer did not activate their body camera prior to the fatal shooting of an Australian woman.
Jupiter police are trying to eliminate that human error.
Their brand new body cams activate automatically when an officer activates their taser.
“Their camera will come on, along with every camera in a 30-foot radius, to make sure we capture every view of the incident.”
The technology isn’t just limited to taser deployment.
The cameras will turn on when the officer activates lights and sirens.
And early next year, cameras will turn on when the officer removes their gun from his or her holster.
“It’ll help out with lawsuits, it’ll help out with training purposes, and being transparent with our community,” Hirsch says.
The cameras cost the city almost $900,000 for a 5 year contract.
The department will deploy more than 200 cameras, and each officer will be given two.
JUPITER, Fla. – A truck crashed into the Country Corner convenience store in Jupiter Friday evening, according to the Jupiter Police Department.
The store is located at 17443 Central Blvd.
Non life-threatening injuries have been reported.
This developing story will be updated as more information becomes available.
JUPITER, Fla. – A Jupiter High School student is facing charges for bringing a BB gun to school.
Principal Dr. Colleen Iannitti, told parents the student posted a picture of the BB gun on Snapchat. The photo was taken on campus inside a classroom.
Two students alerted administrators after they saw the post, Iannitti said Thursday in a phone call to parents.
After school police identified the student who posted the photo, they charged the student, who now faces additional disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.
District officials haven’t identified the student, their age or the charges filed against them.
Iannitti urged parents to speak to their children about responsible social media use and that the online platforms should be used for good, and not to do harm to others.
10 years of authentic Caribbean Cuisine!
Lawrence, who says his customer base comes all over, says his restaurant maintains a loyal base of those seeking the authentic experience in addition to just excellent food. “We have a lot of repeat representation from the Caribbean community” he tells us. But the Caribbean community are not the only people who have taken a liking to Negril Palms Restaurant & Lounge, Lawrence tells us that snowbird season (A season when many people from up north relocate to Florida temporarily for the winter months) has had a sizable impact on their volume of customers. “This is the busiest time for us” he says. A diversity of loyal customers can be attributed not only to the quality of food and experience, but also to two other values that Lawrence holds in high regard for his business. “My staff has excellent customer service, and the prices are pretty good too” Lawrence tells us. For those trying Negril Palms Restaurant & Cuisine for the first time, if you find yourself undecided between the many choices, you may want to try what Lawrence describes as his most popular dish among his customers, the “ox tail”.
JUPITER, Fla. – Fireworks will go off at Harbourside Place in Jupiter on New Year’s Eve.
On Monday, town officials voted to allow the 10-minute fireworks display at midnight.
Some town officials worried the fireworks could endanger traffic on US 1 and Indintown Rd. But other commissioners agreed Harbourside officials have taken enough precautions for public safety.
For the last 9 years, Shel’s Auto Motors has provided motorists in West Palm Beach area with comprehensive auto repair services that include General Services, Car & Truck Care, Undercar Services, Brakes, Tires, Engine & Transmission, Engine Maintenance, Transmission Services, Heating and Cooling Services, Electrical Services, Electronic Services, Miscellaneous Services and Towing. Our goal is to offer the best services available at affordable prices to get you back on the road in no time.
The owner, Sheldon Miller, worked for Pepboys for 20 years prior to following his dream and opening his own shop. He takes pride in every car he works on and offers a personal guarantee of service.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find the same level of expertise that our auto mechanic specialists provide! We have years of experience working on both domestic (GM, Chrysler, Ford) and import (VW, Acura, Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Infinity, Lexus, and more) vehicles of all makes and models and can work with you to find cost-effective repair and maintenance alternatives.
We talk in easy to understand language. Not a lot of technical mumbo jumbo. If you don’t understand what we are saying, how can you make the best decision for your car’s needs? We will give the same explanation to your family member or friend who will help you to decide.
If you’re seeking affordable and reliable auto repair this holiday season, you don’t have to spend too much time shopping around the West Palm Beach area. Affordable Auto Repair & Tires has proven to be a staple of the community over the last six years. With a trusted team behind them who are ready to provide first-class customer service, Affordable Auto Repair & Tires is at your disposal for auto care and repair, servicing both foreign and domestic vehicles.
We spoke with the co-owner, Theresita Delcado, who spoke to us about the values that distinguish her organization, in a dense industry that encompasses auto care and repair. “People who come in are treated like family” she tells us. “If their vehicle has a problem, we show them, explain it, and try our best to increase their own awareness of it so that if they do go somewhere else, they won’t be getting ripped off.” For a company that describes their price range as the “lower end of competitive”: honesty, reputation, and doing the right thing are all values of absolute importance. Theresita, whose husband and father were both mechanics, would not have it any other way simply because it’s “the right thing to do”.
In the age where word of mouth which has been such an integral part of the auto industry has evolved into various forms of online reviews and marketing, Theresita informs us that many customers are pulled in the doors by their organization’s positive feedback, especially from Google Reviews. This is no surprise for an organization that goes above and beyond to satisfy the needs of a customer. One time in particular, Theresita recalls lending a customer her personal vehicle to allow a woman to get to work on time while her car was being worked on in the shop. This is an organization that prides itself on executing high-level customer service, which results in a carefully picked staff who share the ultimate values of the organization, in addition to the skills needed to perform. “If someone is good at working on cars but they are just trying to sell things to the customer, that doesn’t work for us. Sometimes a customer comes in and thinks their car has three problems and it may only be one. Our staff is honest. It’s our reputation” says Theresita.
Despite a spike in activity during snowbird season, Affordable Auto Repair and Tires stays busy year round. It is not difficult to imagine for an organization that offers what they describe as “year-long low prices”. If you do run into any car trouble this holiday season, don’t hesitate to go with the company that goes the extra mile. Their hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. and Saturdays 8:00 A.M. – 2:30 P.M. Affordable Auto Repair and Tires is located at 2191 Indian rd, West Palm Beach, FL
JUPITER, Fla. – Let’s call it a simple act of kindness from a WPTV Newschannel 5 viewer to a young girl whose story he saw on Monday.
Alyssa Maiste began making simple bracelets as a way to cope with her chronic pain from Lyme disease. She sent them to other kids just like her all over the county, only to learn most of them never arrived. Sliced open envelopes arrived instead.
We got a call from this viewer last night after our story aired. He’s a man who didn’t want any attention on him. He explained the girl in our story reminded him of his daughter and her love of arts and crafts. He couldn’t just stand by after hearing what happened.
Oftentimes it’s the simplest stories that have the biggest impact.
“It’s not a small little story to my daughter,” said Tiffany Maiste, Alyssa’s mother. “In the grand schemes of things, maybe it is to a lot of people but maybe not everyone as we are seeing here.”
Amazement turned to action on the part of a complete stranger, Efrim Gjonbalaj, the president of Aeroshipper.com.
“It’s incredibly heartwarming,” he said. “I saw the story and I was heartbroken. I thought it was horrible thing that happened especially after that act of kindness her daughter performed.”
His company will ship more bracelets free of charge to ensure delivery.
Tiffany Maiste said she talked with someone at the post office in Jupiter, who told her it’s possible the machines split the envelopes even though she said she paid for special stamps to have them not go through the machines. The U.S. Postal Service said they need a day or two to investigate.
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No matter what your vehicle needs, come see us at Affordable Auto Repair & Tires today! From Brakes to transmission to engine work, we are the best one stop auto repair shop in West Palm Beach. We provide trustworthy, fast, reliable, and quality work at the right price. Don’t just pass through; come see us for any of your auto repair needs.
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Alyssa Maiste is an eighth-grader from Jupiter who suffers every day with Lyme disease. Despite her physical pain, she decided to make simple bracelets to send to other kids with the disease.
Instead, her mother Tiffany Maiste said someone sliced open the envelopes and stole them.
Maiste said she poured her heart into her daughter’s bracelet-making project. “To have to tell her when she was so excited to hear about how these people loved these bracelets. To have to tell her that the envelopes were slit and things stolen, it was hard to see her face. and to see a little bit of that hope go away.”
Alyssa lives in chronic pain because of Lyme disease and depends on a wheelchair to get around. She finds joy in bracelets. She said she’s made at least 50 by now.
“It makes me happy because I’m not able to do sports, so this is the thing I’m able to do,” she said. “I can’t hang out with my friends anymore because it’s too tiring and exhausting, so this is the thing I can do bracelet making and it makes me happy.”
Alyssa sends the beaded bracelets to other kids across the country who deal with the same kind of pain. She said it’s just to make them happy.
Many of the people she hoped to help, never got the bracelets. They got an opened envelope with nothing inside. “It’s hurt a lot of people and it’s hurt my daughter,” said Maiste.
The mother and daughter believe someone at the post office took them, so they filed a fraud claim.
“I don’t expect they will figure it out, but I sure hope they do,” said Alyssa’s mother.
The symbol of the little beaded bracelets means so much more.
WPTV Newschannel5 reached out to USPS to see where the claim stands. The Postal Service has not responded yet.
The Jupiter Police are asking for the public to help locate a missing 17-year-old girl who they say ran away from home in the middle of the night on Nov. 23.
Luz Arely Lopez-Ramos is described as standing 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-5, weighing approximately 130 lbs. and has black hair with blonde highlights.
Anyone who has information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Jupiter Police Department at (561) 746-6201.
