More: Lee County has been among the fastest growing in the U.S. over recent years. A Lee County jury found a Kentucky man guilty of squatting in a stranger's Lehigh Acres home grand theft from a dwelling and burglary of a dwelling according to a release from the State Attorney's Office More: 'Finders keepers': Audacious Lehigh Acres, Florida woman attempted to steal 2 homes broke into a home in the 1500 block of Glenn Avenue in Lehigh Acres in 2024 while the owners of the property were out of town Hayes told deputies he came from Kentucky and had been living in the furnished house for two or three weeks after finding a marketplace listing it for rent Hayes and his girlfriend told Lee County Sheriff’s deputies that they leased the home and showed a fake lease for the property A third person ran from deputies as they arrived at the home on June 12 The homeowners provided deputies with proof of ownership as well as used their key to open the lock on the front door Hayes and Lasker had installed a deadbolt that only they had keys to The homeowner told deputies the home was fully furnished as he prepared to move from Tennessee The homeowner said that several items he had bought for the home were in the car Angela Lasker had in the garage Lasker was sentenced in April to 40 months in prison for criminal mischief With temps heating up around Southwest Florida will see much more activity in the coming months With more people in the water comes a greater chance of accidental drownings and other water-related incidents May serves as National Water Safety Month with a history of highlighting water awareness and swim safety starting in June 2003 when the World Waterpark Association launched its National Water Safety Week The coalition is made up of organizations such as the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance there are more than 4,500 unintentional drowning deaths each year in the United States and can happen in as little as 20 to 60 seconds drowning is the single leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 No other single cause of death kills more toddlers and young children than drowning Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in children ages 5-14 following motor vehicle crashes NDPA officials state that drowning doesn’t always result in death it can cause hypoxic brain injury with moderate to severe impacts on quality of life and health outcomes The NDPA offers “5 layers of protection” to help prevent drownings: • Barriers and Alarms: It’s important to use four-sided fencing with self-closing to help prevent children and unauthorized adults from accessing water unsupervised *** Supervision: Stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings with close and capable adult supervision from a designated water watcher or lifeguard anytime children are in or around water *** Water Competency: Every child and adult should be equipped with the skills to protect themselves in water by learning and enhancing their basic water safety skills to reduce the risk of drowning and aquatic-related injuries life jackets protect you when you are not expecting to be in the water Ensure your life jackets are tested & approved by the USCG *** Emergency Preparation: Knowing how to prepare for an emergency with CPR training with rescue breaths and basic water rescue skills can make the difference between life and death Have a phone available and ready to call 911 According to the Florida Department of Health children ages 1-4 years-old are more likely to drown in a home swimming pool than children ages 5-19 years-old who are more likely to drown in natural bodies of water *** Always keep your eyes on children in and around water Actively supervising and giving children your undivided attention when they are in or around water can help prevent drownings *** Never leave a child alone around water check other pools or surrounding bodies of water Barriers help prevent young children from wandering into bodies of water *** Have a phone nearby in case you need to call 9-1-1 in an emergency *** Open cuts or wounds should not be immersed in water; if there’s bacteria in the water it can enter the body through a cut or wound *** If a cut or wound happens when in the water running water and soap and covered with a clean Hope Floats is an organization whose mission is to protect every life from drowning through education and water safety awareness said this is the fourth year the Cape Coral arm has helped provide lessons through the Hope Floats Foundation For every pool service completed in the month of May Pool Scouts will donate $1 to Hope Floats to provide scholarships for children in the community to have swim lessons “We’ve always believed that pool safety is just as important as pool maintenance,” Richard said “When we learned about Hope Float’s mission to provide those swim lessons It’s a very meaningful way to make a local impact on our community 1 cause of accidental drowning in children it’s very near and dear to our hearts to reduce that risk for as many children as possible — especially because a high percentage occur in residential pool.” Richard said now is a great time for parents to talk with their children about how yes There’s also a conversation to be had amongst adults “It’s definitely important to have those conversations with kids “So when you’re having pool parties make sure you have a designated person who is on pool patrol Sometimes you start chatting with other adults and you think somebody else is watching the kids It’s important to make sure there is always someone dedicated to lifeguard duty Richard also noted that the color of one’s bathing suit can also play a role in how visible they are to those keeping an eye on things are more visible or less visible,” she said “In a residential pool when the water is clear of blue wearing black or red or brighter colors are easier to spot.” Pool Scouts’ pursuit of getting as many local children a valuable swim lesson is a paramount step in pool safety as well “Swimming lessons is one of the best ways to help prevent any drowning accidents,” Richard said “It gives the kids those skills that they need so that when they receive that formal lesson it will hopefully potentially save their lives if they were ever in that situation.” “Having those safety fences is definitely important Having beepers on your sliders into your lanai is good so that you know if they’ve ever opened those doors.” More information on National Water Safety Month More information on Pool Scouts of Cape Coral More information on the Hope Floats Foundation Copyright © Lehigh Acres Citizen | https://www.lehighacrescitizen.com | 2510 Del Prado Blvd semi-trucks and more can be found throughout Lehigh Acres on empty lots and in yards Those instances violate County Ordinance 93-39 which prohibits garbage or abandoned property on private property that causes an annoyance Lee County Code Enforcement works with the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Solid Waste to enforce the code in unincorporated districts across the county Find out what Lee County Code Enforcement investigates for here. he asked his neighbors on Facebook what they were seeing "Everyone that lives in Lehigh knows that there are many code enforcement issues in this area," Felder said Watch to see the type of trash dumped in Lehigh Acres: He believes the existing rules aren't being adequately enforced A heat map made by Lee County shows Lehigh Acres as a giant red spot indicating where they see the most illegal dumping so far this year Felder took his concerns directly to county commissioners in an email before they discussed the issue at an April meeting Assistant County Manager Marc Mora acknowledged the problem and said in January the county added two code enforcement officers specifically for Lehigh Acres "Caseload is extremely high with the hearing examiner and cases are taking months before they're heard so I think we'll have data to support whether or not to increase fines is actually treating compliance or not soon," Mora said Lee County shared the below Code Enforcement Activity Summary with Fox 4 48% of all code violations in Lee County were in Lehigh Acres Lehigh Acres has the highest number of commercial vehicle citations and violations in the county There's violations everywhere," Felder said While Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades was in the area she saw a code enforcement team removing truck tires from a lot on Lee Boulevard Felder believes hiring another hearing examiner to address violations could expedite the process "Try to bring the Lehigh community up to a level of standard of living that we all deserve and so that people don't reference to Lehigh as third world country and the armpit of Lee County." Lee County did not respond when asked if people in Lehigh Acres could expect to see more code enforcement officers in the area Find out how to report a code enforcement violation here. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of David Deetscreek to the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District.  the Owner of Frostbourne Strength and Fitness and a Director of Robert Bowers Accounting he is the Treasurer of the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce and Healthy Harvest Community Farms Deetscreek earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida Gulf Coast University With more than three times the number of Florida driver licenses set to expire in 2025, the Lee County Tax Collector’s Office is looking at ways to make the process as expedited as possible for residents locations have seen wait times increase when it comes to license renewal or changes Appointments on a rolling 30-day schedule are full up the Florida Department of Highway Safety released a Driver License Renewal Forecast Data shows that the number of licenses that expired in 2024 was 24,303 The renewal forecast shows that 87,544 licenses are set to expire in 2025; 88,019 in 2026; and 87,460 in 2027 the number went from 2,957 in 2024 to a projected 4,667 in 2025; 4,617 in 2026; and 4,895 in 2027 “These numbers are contributing to wait times,” said Lauren Bernaldo chief communications officer for the Lee County Tax Collector via email “There’s also been a lot of coverage on the REAL ID deadline coming up on May 7 which has generated lots of questions.” unless they have customers who don’t have the proper documentation to receive their REAL ID credential She said the latest numbers show fewer than 1% of Lee County residents (approximately 4,000) are not REAL ID compliant The larger impact on queues is the increase in license renewals Average wait times for the Cape Coral office from Feb 2025 show the average wait for customers with appointments for driver license or ID change or replacement is 27 minutes with the average wait for walk-in customers at an hour the average wait for customers with appointments was 26 minutes with the average wait for walk-in customers at 55 minutes “It’s possible that customers who do not have the proper documents to complete their transaction must return another day,” Bernaldo said  “We also let customers know when wait times will be long offering them times to come back later in the day check our website to see whether you need a service that can be done online make sure you have the documentation needed to complete your transaction if you have an appointment and know that you cannot make it please cancel so someone else can reserve that spot.” “We do open new appointments on a rolling 30-day basis for all services except road tests it is put back on the site for someone else to book.” LCTC just completed a 90-day pilot where it opened three of its offices (North Fort Myers and Cape Coral) an hour earlier (7:30 a.m.) on both Mondays and Fridays “We are currently looking at the data to determine how much of an impact this made on customer wait time and the number of customers seen,” Bernaldo said the office will gather feedback from its team about how it worked and what impact it had on their experience “We’ll review both the data and the team’s input and plan to share a full report with Leadership sometime in June,” Bernaldo said we’ll determine whether adjusted hours are feasible to move forward with implementation.” Bernaldo said as Lee County continues to grow the office is committed to meeting the evolving needs of the community the office purchased a centrally located 29,000-square-foot building at 3650 Colonial Blvd “This investment is part of our ongoing efforts to explore innovative ways to enhance customer service and efficiency,” she said we are working to reimagine the way we deliver our services anticipating future demands and improving the customer experience.” the LCTC office has been approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for mobile units that can provide driver licenses and ID cards and vehicle “We don’t have any mobile units in service as the state’s approval came after our current year’s budget was finalized,” Bernaldo said “As we begin planning for our (fiscal year 2026) budget we’re carefully evaluating which projects will have the greatest impact on customer service we believe utilizing our new building on Colonial Boulevard that will better serve our community’s immediate needs and we may look to incorporate them into our (fiscal year 2027) plans.” customers can access LCTC services in-person at one of six locations either via appointment or as a walk-in Residents can also use online services at LeeTC.com and/or Publix kiosks located throughout Lee County “Our mission is to deliver five-star service to every customer who walks through our doors,” Bernaldo said they deserve a smooth and efficient experience whether that’s through technology upgrades to make things easier for the customers we serve.” The six LCTC locations with a total staff of 266 employees are in Bonita Springs More information may be found at leetc.com The Florida Highway Patrol homicide unit continues to investigate a deadly crash involving three young adults on Interstate 75 in Lee County during the afternoon of April 18 A 24-year-old Lehigh Acres man was killed in the wreck in which he was ejected from his car and hit by another of the other car involved –suffered minor injuries Both cars were in the left lane of 1-75 near mile marker 131 at Daniels Parkay They were headed north at a "high rate of speed" around 1:46 p.m. a 2023 Hyundai Sonata driven by the 21-year-old North Fort Myers man driven by the Lehigh man who ultimately died and the first car went to the outside lane to pass and the second car went to the left to pass both attempted to move to the center lane and they collided hit the front right of the Nissan driven by the Lehigh man and both cars traveled across the outside lane to the shoulder The car driven by the Lehigh Acres man hit the concrete barrier while continuing north crossing the outside lane; the Lehigh man's car overturned he was ejected and hit by the car driven by the 21-year-old North Fort Myers man and occupied by the 23-year-old The first car – the Hyundai with the survivors – came to a stop facing northwest in the center lane; the other was upright in the inside lane and shoulder Lee County EMS delared the Lehigh Acres man dead at the scene Thirty-seven people have died in Lee County wrecks so far in 2025 — The Lee County Sheriff's office reports one person is critically injured after a vehicle and motorcycle crashed It happened on Unice Avenue and 23rd Street in Lehigh Acres LCSO's traffic unit is investigating the cause There is no update on the patient as of Tuesday morning Lee County will draw attention to a primary driver of our economy next week by shining a light on popular tourist icons The City of Cape Coral will be among those participating in this year’s National Travel and Tourism Week through the “Light up Lee” initiative at City Hall by illuminating the City Hall fountain blue “Cape Coral is proud to join Lee County in celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week because it’s an opportunity to spotlight the vital role tourism plays in strengthening our economy and enhancing our community,” Cape Coral Economic Development Manager Sharon Woodberry said “The ‘Light Up Lee’ initiative including our City Hall fountain glowing blue is a visual way to show appreciation for the people and partnerships that help make our region a top travel destination.” The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau launched the “Light Up Lee” initiative to both recognize and celebrate the impact tourism has throughout Southwest Florida Other Lee County “Light Up Lee” locations include the control tower at Southwest Florida International Airport; Edison and Fort Winter Estates; Fort Myers City Hall foundation and river basin fountains; IMAG History & Science Center; Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium fountain; Luminary Hotel & Co.; Old Lee County Courthouse; Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center and Wonder Gardens “Tourism generates a significant economic boost for Cape Coral and the rest of Lee County,” Woodberry said “From hotels and restaurants to attractions and local shops visitor spending supports thousands of jobs and brings in tax dollars that benefit all residents.” and a number of short-term rentals — approximately 9,240 unique listings and approximately 8,530 active listings over the last 12 months Tourism plays a significant role in the economic health of Cape Coral and funds essential services through tax revenue “As part of the greater Lee County tourism landscape Cape Coral directly benefits from regional marketing and visitor interest in our waterfront amenities Woodberry encourages residents and businesses to join in celebrating the power of tourism we all play a part in creating memorable experiences,” she said “Tourism not only drives economic opportunity — it helps shape the identity and vibrancy of Cape Coral.” National Travel and Tourism Week was proclaimed by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners via a resolution on April 15 “Take Me Out to Fort Myers,” featuring local hospitality partners will be featured on www.visitfortmyers.com/celebrate “Travel drives economic opportunity and strengthens our community,” said Lee Board of County Commissioners Chairman Kevin Ruane who also is chairman of the Tourist Development Council “This National Travel and Tourism Week we celebrate travel’s impact and reaffirm its importance in shaping our local economy and quality of life And we invite all businesses in Lee County to ‘Light Up Lee’ to celebrate.” Tourism continues to be a strong economy driver for Lee County with $4.95 billion in total economic impact in 2024 — 42,000 jobs supported by tourism $1.6 billion in total wages and salaries and $1,049 in tax savings per Lee County household The spending contributed by visitors’ benefits Lee County residents through the Visitor & Convention Bureau’s three funding programs — Beach & Shoreline Events Marketing and Arts & Attractions Marketing The funding used for these programs comes from “bed tax,” a 5% tourist development tax $12,730,113 went towards the Beach & Shoreline Funding Program $257,500 – 13 events for Events Marketing Program and $600,000 – 35 nonprofit attractions – through the Arts & Attractions Marketing Program In addition the money is also used for stadium facilities Guests First Customer Service Training Program and the Elaine McLaughlin Outstanding Hospitality Service Award The travel industry in 2024 generated $2.9 trillion in economic output turned an emergency call into smiles and fun for neighborhood children Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District firefighters were packing up to leave from an emergency call on April 13 when they pulled up next door, where children were playing on a large bouncy waterslide, Tiffany Maillet told Storyful “My kids and I were at our neighbor's house on the waterslide when the fire department answered a call next door for an emergency,” Maillet said firefighters asked if they could spray the slide one of the firefighters walked over and asked if I knew how much water the slide can hold He then asked if it was OK If they could bring the fire truck over and spray the slide.” A video shot by Maillet shows the fire truck on the street parallel to the slide splashing a steady stream of water onto the slide eliciting squeals of delight from the children on it That's amazing," a person can be heard commenting in the video Here's a sampling of where you can go for some aquatic fun in and around Lee County that doesn't involve Gulf waters Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization. Fox 4 has obtained new court documents detailing what led up to the fatal stabbing We're also learning more about the suspect's history with mental health diagnoses *WARNING: Some of the details in this story might be disturbing to read Lukas Carlton's stepfather got home and saw Carlton in the living room where he sleeps His step-father told deputies he and his wife were in the garage watching television until about 9 p.m Documents say his step-father woke up 10 minutes later to turn the TV off Another 10 minutes goes by and his step-father told deputies Carlton came into the room and said Barnett needed rubbing alcohol The step-father said it was abnormal behavior and Carlton did not appear to be calm like he usually is the step-father said he went to the garage and found Barnett unresponsive One of Carlton's half-sisters called 911 as other family members gave Barnett CPR it says Carlton was caught on a Ring camera leaving the scene two minutes before 911 was called shows Carlton appeared to be distraught and in a rush to leave The report also says he appeared to be carrying something in his hand before putting it in his waistband Deputies put a "trap and trace search warrant" on his phone Carlton was found in Pasco County after a traffic stop the report says several metal pieces were recovered from her skull family members were interviewed to learn more about Carlton he has raised Carlton since he was 5-years-old The report says Carlton has struggled with mental health issues and was diagnosed with schizophrenia about six or seven years ago Carlton's step-father says after Carlton's release from prison in February 2024 his step-father said Carlton was in a mental health institution in northern Florida for several months and they told deputies he was known to hear voices and threatened that he would “slit his mother’s throat and kill the family.” The report also says his siblings heard Carlton say he wanted to kill his mother and grandmother because he blamed them for his schizophrenia When deputies spoke to Carlton's grandmother the report says she also confirmed Carlton heard voices in his head She told detectives it stems from an incident that caused him to have traumatic brain injury She told deputies he used marijuana to cope Carlton's grandmother says she has noticed a shift in his behavior the man who deputies say stabbed a woman in a Lehigh Acres house appeared in a Lee County courtroom on Tuesday The victim's husband says Lukas Carlton killed his own mother at a house on 56th Street West in Lehigh Acres on April 7 Carlton's facing a second-degree murder charge He was caught in Pasco County and spent a week there before being brought back to the area The suspect was previously found incompetent to stand trial in an Alachua County case Lehigh Acres realtor Melissa Orta believes buyers are in a good position with the average price tag for a home there amounting to $325,000 so right now all of these builders are just competing against each other to try and get the buyers to go to them so we're just experiencing competition in the market," Melissa Orta says Big companies offer buyers this option called flexible financing it's an in-house lender that can give more competitive interest rates than the regular market "Flexible financing is definitely something that I'm seeing right now in the current market" like Lennar or MI homes building gated communities in Lehigh are offering offer this kind of help compared to local builders on traditional Lehigh single lots who don't offer this option MI homes VP of Sales Danielle Calamela says it's different for every buyer "Prepare for home ownership rather than waiting to see what might happen in the future so they can lock in fixed interest rates that are that are very reasonable for them." MI Homes will build 290 homes in Whispering Lakes across from Amanacer Elementary "It's working really well all to help secure home ownership for customers right now," Calamela says It's a trend Orta says she expects to see more of as more people move to Lehigh "It's one of the most affordable areas left," Orta insisted financing open the door to a lot of people might not be able to afford a home in the regular market." A Lehigh Acres woman is going to spend 10 years in federal prison for a fraud scheme that netted her nearly $4.2 million Barber ordered 49-year-old Madelyn Hernandez to forfeit $4,199,498.42 Hernandez was employed by a textile and apparel supply chain company and made false and fraudulent representations to the company to obtain money She submitted fraudulent invoices via email from purported fabric supply companies and directed payment be sent to bank accounts she controlled while Hernandez was employed by a textile and apparel supply chain company she made false and fraudulent representations to the company to obtain money Hernandez submitted fraudulent invoices via email from purported fabric supply companies and directed payment be sent to bank accounts that she controlled Hernandez created and submitted false invoices purporting money due and owing to a fictitious company and another that was a defunct company for goods purportedly ordered and received Hernandez received a total of $4,199,498.42 from her employer Hernandez’s fraud came to light after the owner of the company found discrepancies in the company’s financial records including inventory discrepancies and falsified business records and inventory reports that Hernandez had submitted were fraudulent As the company was investigating and unraveling the fraudulent records Hernandez sent a message to her employer from a purported family member stating that she had died after an illness and complications with surgery agents with the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation executed a search warrant at Hernandez’s residence Hernandez admitted to agents that she had emailed invoices to the company for payment and had used the money deposited into her account for her own personal expenses and for gambling she admitted to sending the message to her employer stating that she had died WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now Governor Ron DeSantis announced several appointments for positions in Southwest Florida on Thursday DeSantis appointed David Deetscreek to the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District He is the Treasurer of the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce and Healthy Harvest Community Farms DeSantis also appointed Christine Riedel King to the Fort Myers Beach Public Library District Riedel King is lead strategist of Marketing Operations for Principal Financial Group She is also the Chair of the Anchorage Advisory Committee and previously served as a board member for the Des Moines Arts Festival Riedel King earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and German from the University of Iowa to serve as Judge on the Hendry County Court Ostrov has served as a General Magistrate for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit since 2018 and has been the Managing Partner of the Law Offices of Robert L He earned his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and his juris doctor from Fordham University Ostrov fills the judicial vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Darrell Hill — One person is hospitalized after a bus crash in Lehigh Acres on Wednesday according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office LCSO reports it was a bus and a vehicle that both crashed It was last reported that one westbound lane was open and traffic was being diverted on southbound Sunshine to Meadow Fox 4 has reached out to the school district for more The Lee County Sheriff's Office said its detectives were conducting a death investigation Saturday in Lehigh Acres "This is an isolated incident with no concern to the public," the agency said in a statement of its efforts at 608 Joel Blvd County government public records show the owners of the Beach Club Colony condo as William and Nancy Moore Authorities had no further information on the ongoing investigation Lukas Carlton is back in Lee County and had been booked into jail Carlton was caught in Pasco County and had spent a week there before being brought back to the area but Carlton's stepfather says Carlton stabbed his mother to death in her Lehigh Acres garage He will likely have a first appearance in a Lee County courtroom on Tuesday made his first court appearance in Pasco County on Wednesday The victim's husband says Lukas Carlton killed his own mother Florida Highway Patrol and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested 23-year-old Carlton north of Tampa Tuesday The Lee County Sheriff's Office says Carlton stabbed a woman on 56th Street West in Lehigh Acres on Monday night Find previous reporting here. The Lee County Sheriff's Office responded to their home a little after nine p.m Hear what the victim's husband told Fox 4 in Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades' report: The Lee County Sheriff's Office police report says that when deputies got on scene they found Stephanie Barnett in the garage The report didn't include where the suspect was when police showed up FHP and Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office pulled Carlton over and arrested him on State Road 52 Carlton made his first court appearance in Dade City Wednesday where he's being held without bond according to the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court The Pasco County Sheriff's Office says Carlton's pending extradition to Lee County It's not clear exactly when he'll be transferred Barnett told Fox 4 he was married to Stephanie for 16 years He said he's grateful for all the community support Stephanie has a 15 and a 13-year-old daughter as well as a son in the Navy Barnett says he believes his wife's murder was premeditated He wants Carlton's charge to change from a second degree murder to first degree murder He was released from prison in February 2024 after shooting into cars on I-75 Other court documents show he threatened his step father with a baseball bat in 2020 Update 3:55 pmAccording to the Florida Forest Service the fire has burned 6.7 acres and is 95% contained Original StoryWestbound lanes of SR 82 were closed down near Eisenhower Blvd on Friday afternoon because of a brush fire The Florida Highway Patrol reported heavy smoke in the area Fox 4 has a crew on the way to the fire and will update you as soon as there is new information — A massive fire that destroyed a church in Lehigh Acres last month has been deemed arson and now investigators have are looking for someone who may have started it The below images were released from church surveillance video The church's pastor Zulma Soba says she still can't believe her eyes almost a month after her church caught on fire "It felt that I was just in a valley of shadow of death Christ at the Cross Roads Church sits right at the intersection of Lee Boulevard and Homestead Road A massive hole in the church's roof is a reminder of a fire that started in the choir room and destroyed the chapel on January 26 Pastor Soba gave Fox 4 an inside look at the damage See what remains of the church in Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below: Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades spent the last month checking in with the State Fire Marshal for updates on what caused this fire Fox 4 was the first to report that the State Fire Marshal opened a criminal investigation into what happened and said someone intentionally started this fire Surveillance video shared from the the Fire Marshal showed someone dressed in dark clothing near the church at the time of the fire That's the person investigators said they want to find "We're just praying for justice...It's an act of evil Another Lehigh church fire happened less than a mile from this location at Victory Church last November According to a report Fox 4 obtained from the State Fire Marshal investigators said there's limited evidence they told Fox 4 the two cases are not related services continue for Christ at the Cross Roads Church inside of their fellowship hall as they plan to move forward "We're just gonna take it as new and then just start all over again," Soba said Right now there's a $3,000 cash reward as investigators continue looking for tips in this case if you have any information that can help or SWFL Crimestoppers A massive fire that destroyed a church in Lehigh Acres has been deemed arson and now investigators have released images of a person of interest In late January, the devastating fire destroyed the choir room and a chapel at Christ at the Crossroads church in Lehigh Acres WATCH the surveillance video here in Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades' report: Investigators working to determine cause of church fire in Lehigh Acres  state investigators from the Florida Department of Financial Services told Fox 4 surveillance footage from the church captured an unidentified individual wearing dark clothing near the property at the time of the fire Anyone with information on this individual’s identity is urged to contact the Arson Tip Hotline at 1-877-No Arson or SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an aggravated battery involving a firearm that happened on the 3800 block of 3rd Street West in Lehigh Acres LCSO said the incident was domestic in nature with one party involved being transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries The sheriff’s office adds that scene remains active as their Violent Crime's Unit Detectives continue their investigation A Lehigh Acres man convicted of inappropriately touching a relative while the minor slept at night will spend life behind bars Lee Circuit Judge Andrew Marcus on Thursday sentenced Graciano Lopez to life in prison for a child sex crime that happened last year Jurors convicted Lopez last month of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child younger than 12 after a three-day trial in Lee County Animal cruelty arrest: Fort Myers man arrested after Fort Myers Police find dog with collar embedded The child's sister reported the crime to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in January 2024 after the minor victim told her sibling what happened Authorities discovered Lopez groped the child while she lay sleeping in bed "which caused her pain and discomfort," according to an arrest affidavit from the sheriff's office One of the residents told authorities Lopez was "intoxicated but he was still in control of his mental capacity." When authorities questioned Lopez at the sheriff's office headquarters Lopez confessed that the day before the incident he did not go to work and consumed more than a 12-pack of Bud Light during the day The Lee County Sheriff's Office says an elderly woman died at a home in Lehigh Acres on scene, and an elderly man was transported from within the house. There are no suspects outstanding at this time, deputies say. The Lee County Sheriff's Office reports that detectives are at a home on the 600 block of Joel Boulevard in Lehigh Acres, Saturday morning, for a death investigation. Around 11 a.m., you could see squad cars and crime scene tape surrounding the block as detectives went in and out of the home.See what the scene looked like: The sheriff’s office hasn’t said what led to the death or who was involved.But they’re calling this an isolated incident and say there’s no threat to the public. The sheriff’s office says they plan to release more details when they can, so Fox 4 will keep you updated when we know more. highlights issues such as poor water quality and the need for frequent pest control in a viral TikTok video By has sparked intense controversy on social media after posting a video in which she discussed "the things no one tells you when you move to Lehigh," addressing issues such as the poor quality of well water In her video, posted on her TikTok profile @guajira40, Maivi described her experience of living in Lehigh with a list of problems that but your hair is still going to fall out in clumps," she stated He also warned about well water: "The entire floor gets stained the bathrooms get stained with that water because it's well water it still stains." He added that he has tried "all the liquids you have recommended to me" without success and that he cleans almost every day because he has "mental issues with cleanliness." he stated that it is essential to fumigate regularly Fumigate all week or have a pest control specialist come every three months which is what I do and I recommend it to everyone." Furthermore he warned about "the flies that you've never seen in your life species you didn't even know existed because they are huge." noting that well water can stain bathrooms due to the presence of iron Others claimed they haven't encountered these issues at home because they installed an adequate filtration system Several stated that hair loss is a common problem in the area and recommended reverse osmosis systems to improve water quality Many suggested that if she didn’t like living in Lehigh the best option would be to return to Miami noting that no one forced her to move and that the city has advantages that aren't found elsewhere Some even commented that her problem wasn’t the house but that she "doesn't know how to clean," and that it’s actually "not the water but the lack of maintenance." Others sarcastically remarked that her video was a strategy to prevent more people from moving to Lehigh insisting that the area remains a more affordable option than Miami Maivi decided to address them in new videos with a firm stance: "I’m not going to Miami because I don’t want to an experiment to generate interactions on social media and promote his business "We are testing the creation of controversial content to see if it boosts sales of the two-in-one mop," he said Maivi expressed her disappointment that her followers do not share with the same intensity the videos where she promotes local businesses in Lehigh without charging them and the times this video gets shared were the same when I promote someone who sells corn or a cake it would greatly help people here in Lehigh," she stated the interest in controversy prevails over support for small businesses What people really enjoy here is gossip and drama," he stated Maivi mentions the poor quality of well water and the lack of communication in schools as the main issues of living in Lehigh Acres these concerns are often not brought to the attention of those considering moving to the area resulting in controversy and debate on social media The video of Maivi has sparked divided reactions on social media arguing that many of these issues can be resolved with proper water treatment and maintenance There are also those who criticized her stance suggesting that if she didn’t like living there she recommends fumigating every week or having a fumigation service every three months she has tried different products with little success and mentions the possibility of using reverse osmosis treatments to improve its quality despite the criticism and issues she faces in Lehigh Acres she prefers to stay because she enjoys the tranquility of the countryside she enjoys her life in Lehigh even more and remains steadfast in her decision not to return to the city A team of journalists committed to reporting on Cuban current affairs and topics of global interest we work to deliver truthful news and critical analysis LEHIGH ACRES — A devastating fire broke out Sunday night, completely destroying the choir room and a chapel at Christ at the Crossroads church in Lehigh Acres watched in disbelief as flames engulfed the building Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report: and we're gonna shine more than ever." While the main sanctuary remained untouched and the atmosphere was filled with heartbreak as the community faced the loss "The big damage is in the back," Soba explained "The choir room and the chapel are completely destroyed." She recounted how a neighbor alerted her to the fire saying he saw smoke coming from the church the impact of the church’s long-standing presence in the community since the 1960s became evident spokesperson for the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District provided insight into the firefighting efforts "We were able to put it out in about an hour and a half of active firefighting That was with all of our apparatus from our stations and assistance the City of Fort Myers and South Trail," Heck stated which can be helping to cover calls in the area while our units were here We actually just put one of our new aerials in service a few months ago." The quick calling from community members played a crucial role in the early response “That really led to the ability to save the building," she noted the church staff is collaborating with safety officials due to the fire and water damage which has left ash and soot that could be toxic it's not something that's good to inhale," warned Heck Classes associated with the church have been postponed with students not expected to return until next week pending safety evaluations of the property Pastor Soba emphasized the need for patience and support As the community rallies around Christ at the Crossroads the resilience of its pastor and the church’s congregation shines through even the darkest of times.