Please email any updates to this list to mountdorabuzz@yahoo.com.  For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here.  Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app. ​

Navy training schedules indicate that live or inert bombing will take place at the Pinecastle Range Complex located in the
Ocala National Forest the following dates and times:

On September 14 2021, four male subjects posing as members of a youth basketball team began harassing customers within Mount Dora area businesses by soliciting monetary donations for a youth basketball league. It has now been confirmed this was a fraudulent enterprise. This group was also witnessed on video camera committing theft from several of these businesses and burglary to a vehicle.

Through collaborative efforts, it was determined these same subjects are connected to several crimes within Lake and Polk Counties, where vehicles and firearms were stolen.
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Lewis Hicks of Orlando was arrested on September 23 and all other subjects have now been positively identified in the related Mount Dora cases. Criminal charges will be forthcoming for the instances that occurred in the City of Mount Dora, according to a press release issued by the City.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.  ​​​​ For local things to do, click here and for the area's free mobile app, click here. ​

It’s been a years’ long problem, but now Mount Dora’s parking shortage will be getting some temporary relief until a permanent parking garage can be built. 

An agreement was finalized this week with Scherzo Parking, Inc. to lease a municipal parking barge to be moored on Lake Dora near the downtown core with access from the west end of Dora Court.  

The Italian company, with a manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, will transport the two-level barge with 323 parking spaces, in sections before launching and assembling it in place.  The vessel will be secured with steel cables tethered to the lake's bottom just north of the 4th Avenue docks.   Scherzo Parking has successfully installed temporary floating parking solutions in four other Florida cities, as well as its expansive, permanent vessel in Venice, Italy. 

The 1.85-acre Mount Dora barge and its 48-foot steel ramp will be nautical-themed and finished in white and gray shiplap to complement Mount Dora’s historic charm. The two parking decks will be constructed of recycled plastics salvaged from the ocean and waterways and feature solar-powered LED lighting.  

The term of the lease will be terminated upon construction of a permanent parking structure in the city’s downtown core.  The barge is expected to be fully operational in 5 weeks.  

The City currently has a Request for Proposals (RFP) for developers to submit their ideas for a permanent garage on a site at Third Avenue and Baker Street.   Read more important information on the parking barge, click here.

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At approximately 9:40 p.m on. Sunday, February 28, Mount Dora Police Department, was alerted about a possible abduction. Police said the victim texted a friend saying that someone was potentially following her and to call police.

As the victim was walking near Highland Street and 9th Avenue, a Hispanic male approached her from behind, grabbed her by the neck and took her in the backyard of a residence.  The victim was able to escape when the subject left her alone.

Officers attempted to locate the victim for a few hours.  Around 11:50 p.m. she was found walking on Clayton Street.

Yesterday, the City of Mount Dora stated the female reported being abducted by a Hispanic male and then "dropped off", but today MDPD updated the information to reflect her escape and release the sketch of the suspect.    If you have any information about the identity of the person from the sketch please contact the Mount Dora Police Department at 352-735-7130.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here.  Discover the area's online event calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.  ​

Two men were charged with four counts of Disturbing the Contents of a Grave and four counts of Abuse of a Dead Human Body for the thefts at gravesites that occurred on December 6, 2020 at Edgewood Cemetery just outside of Mount Dora.​
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Detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office had been investigating the crimes since the incident.  At the time of the initial processing of the scene, crime scene investigators collected items, including cigars, that were left behind and sent them for laboratory DNA testing.

The DNA samples were submitted into the database for comparison and recently one sample came back as a match to 43-year-old Brian Montalvo Tolentino, who resides at 115 Walpole Loop in nearby Davenport.
On January 6, Lake detectives contacted The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, whose detectives obtained a search warrant for mouth swabs from Tolentino for a direct DNA comparison.
Lake detectives then met with and interviewed Tolentino, during which he confessed to going to the cemetery with another individual, 39-year-old Juan Burgos Lopez, of 5170 Timberlane Road in Lake Wales, and committing the crimes. Tolentino stated that Lopez used a crowbar to open the vaults and then removed the heads of the deceased. He stated they removed four heads from the four graves and then returned to Lopez’s residence. He stated the heads were taken for religious practices.

Polk sheriff’s detectives were then able to obtain and execute a search warrant for Lopez’s residence last night in an effort to locate and recover any of the human remains. During the search, detectives located a total of six skulls, a hand, partial arm, and multiple other large bones within what appeared to be some sort of religious shrine. Lopez identified four skulls as being those obtained from the Edgewood Cemetery and stated the other two skulls were obtained from other practitioners. He also had an additional skull that he claimed was fake.

Both men were arrested on the Lake County warrants by Polk sheriff’s deputies and were transported to the Polk County Jail where they were booked in with bonds of $40,000 each. Both were charged with four counts of Disturbing the Contents of a Grave and four counts of Abuse of a Dead Human Body. Polk County Sheriff’s Office may be adding criminal charges for their jurisdiction as well. 

​For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here.  Discover the area's online event calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.  

For years the couple was a fixture in downtown Mount Dora.  As the owners of two different stores, The Olive Branch and Noni Home and Bath, Mike and Susan (Suzie) Brown were beloved members of the merchant community.    On November 11, Suzie passed away at 70 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The couple stocked their stores with unique artisan finds from their trips across the globe.  Among their most popular items were the original paintings made by elephants.  The well-travelled couple later decided to combine the two stores into one to become Noni at the Olive Branch, which was later sold to its current owners in 2014.   

Suzie, an Indiana native, is survived by her husband, daughter Lori Rowley, and granddaughters Kara and Lyla Rowley.  A celebration of life will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers,  the family has requested donations to pancreatic cancer research through the American Cancer Society.

​For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.  ​​​​ For local things to do, click here and for the area's free mobile app, click here.  ​