July 26 – Florida Woman Hurls Machete After Neighbor Asks Her to Quiet Down

A Florida woman faces criminal charges after slinging a machete at a neighbor during a nighttime noise dispute.

Lee County deputies report that the incident took place around midnight in the Pine Manor neighborhood of South Fort Myers. The Florida woman, identified as 44-year-old Ruby Mancha, had been hosting a party outside of her 10th Avenue home.

Hearing noise from the soiree, neighbor Jamie Dos Santos approached the gathering and asked the group to keep the noise down as he was trying to sleep. Dos Santos alleges that in response, an attendee suggested that he use earplugs and return to his house before pelting him with party items.

“There were a couple beer bottles thrown at me, a couple open can beers splashed on me and my trailer, Dos Santos said.

According to Dos Santos, the attacks did not stop with beer. The victim reported that Mancha then approached and suddenly hurled a machete in his face.

“She grabbed it from somewhere and just flung it. I think it was from the banana tree,” Dos Sandos said. “I don’t think her intent was to kill me, but she could’ve took my eye out or gashed my head,” he added.

Dos Santos believes that the blade would have struck him directly if he had not ducked just in time. Instead, the weapon impacted his trailer and resulted in property damage.

Although Mancha herself contacted 911 operators following the scuffle, deputies arrested Mancha after reviewing security camera footage from the street. Officers report that Mancha became distraught during the arrest, eventually creating such a commotion in the patrol car that deputies had no choice but to shackle her legs during transport to jail.

Upon arrival at the jail, officers charged the Pine Manor resident with the crime of assault with a deadly weapon. Her neighbor expressed that feels fortunate to have lived to tell the tale.

“I thought how lucky I was at that point,” Dos Santos said. “How lucky I am.”

See Also:

• Florida Man Stories – July 25
• Florida Man Chronicle – July 24
• Florida Man Report – July 23

July 26 – Florida Man Impersonates Blonde Woman to Evade Cops After Stealing Boat

A Florida man donned a blonde wig and a feather-patterned dress to evade police after stealing a boat.

In a statement, deputies from the Glades County Sheriff’s Office reported that they began an active search for watercraft stolen from Old Caloosa Lodge in Lakeport. The location is approximately 125 miles northwest of Miami.

Shortly after the search commenced, police noticed an individual wearing a wig and dress exiting a nearby residence. The person also wore a matching white cardigan and oversized, gold-rimmed sunglasses.

Despite efforts to disguise himself as a woman, police identified the person wearing feminine attire as Joshua Kolotka, the sole suspect in the boat theft. Officers promptly took Kolotka into custody. The deputies also recovered the stolen vehicle close to the scene. Records show that the suspect lives in Moore Haven, approximately 12 miles from the arrest scene.

Once in custody, police arrested Kolotka over two open warrants from Okeechobee County. Authorities also wanted Kolotka for an additional charge regarding theft of a John Deere Gator utility vehicle along with the current charge regarding the stolen lake boat.

Canvassing the area, officers noticed that “numerous other items were located on-scene.” The statement added, “These items were possibly stolen from the same area.”

Given the serial nature of the theft activity, the Glades County Sheriff’s Office has agreed to cooperate with the Seminole Police Department to identify the pilfered items. The offices will determine whether the connection can solve open criminal cases within the area.

Along with his Okeechobee legal troubles, the suspect faces a charge of resisting arrest via disguise. According to Florida Statute 843.02, resisting arrest in such a manner constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree. An individual charged with the misdemeanor can face both fines and jail time.

Thanks to his unconvincing disguise and previous warrants, Kolotka is currently held without bond.