We have posted photos of the older red Honda Civic car and driver that were on someone’s property and in their screened in porch on Wed April 17 .  Go to our LMJ Watch blog at LMJ Neighborhood Watch to see the photos. Details from the neighbor that confronted the driver and passenger are at the bottom of this email.  

Several of you have responded that you may have seen this older red Honda civic car -  one sighting on Tues driving around Roberts Island, and a sighting on Pinecone Rd maybe an hour before this incident, and then another neighbor saw a similar car on Friday and got a tag # that we are having checked.  Great observations!  

Just FYI – there was also an attempted burglary in a nearby community on Thurs April 18^th that was sent to me by the Lake Hart/Whippoorwill Community leader:  Due to an observant neighbor, a burglary was averted this afternoon at a house on Kirby Smith. The neighbor observed 3 black males attempting to gain access to his neighbor's house and called 911. The Orange County Sheriff responded promptly and took them into custody, after finding them, in Bella Nona. The OC Sheriff arrested 2 (resident could only ID 2.)

Remember – as your Neighborhood Watch coordinator, I try to share info, pictures, and keep residents alert, but YOU need to call 911  (or the 407-836-HELP non-emergency #)  before you send info to me.   I do not respond to crime scenes.

Suzanne Arnold

Subject: Possible burglars in the hood and pics of car

 Confronted two guys possibly trying to break into a house at the end of LMJ rd. at preserve entrance. Red Honda Civic, faded and peeling paint, lots of dents and scratches. Two white males , mid twenties. Driver had light hair crew cut, clean shaved, average build 5' 8" to 5' 10". Large tattoo on back , small rectangular tattoo (possibly lettering) on right side of neck, other tattoo's as well but I don't remember what they were. Light gray tank top and baggy worn jeans.

Passenger was slender build, dark strait hair, over ear length, mustache and had not shaved in a few days, white t-shirt did not get out of car, don't know height. A neighbor spotted the same car a few minutes earlier on Marine Dr. near the Hickman residence. Driver was out of the car and on the back porch inside screen enclosure when I approached. Passenger was on the phone probably signaling his accomplice that I was there. Told me they were looking for a friend and jumped in the car and split fast.

 

Suzanne Arnold 11:14 PM (8 hours ago) to Neighborhood Hello LMJ Neighborhood Watch, Had a few things happen today and I’m still waiting for the details and photos, but just wanted to alert everyone.

 Around 2pm (1400 hours) today a red Honda car with 2 young men inside pulled up to a house at the end of LMJ Rd and Marine Dr.  No one was home and one of the guys went around back and started going into the screened in porch. The neighbor across the street said his dog was going crazy so he went over and talked to them. They claimed to know someone there – but obviously not.  In broad daylight, mind you.

The driver was a skinny guy with short blonde hair and tattoos on his neck etc. The other guy had brown hair. They left and went down LMJ Rd and may have taken a left near Winterset. The neighbor did not get the tag #. He called the cops but was not there when the cops got there later.

Around 3 or 3:30 a neighbor on LMJ Rd noticed that their screen on their dock-room had been ripped open. He went out to the dock and could see wet footprints as if someone got out of the water and onto their dock. The room portion was locked up so nothing was stolen.  He could hear people over at the IOP park and thinks someone may have swam over?

 If you have any information about these incidents – please let me know.  Keep your eyes open for suspicious behavior or unfamiliar vehicles in the area – especially an older red Honda.    GET A TAG # please! I will send more details once I receive them.

 SPEEDING – I have had quite a few people complaining about people speeding on our roads. Be warned – we may have cops out here soon with radar guns. I was thinking about putting together a meeting with some of the sheriffs to discuss what else we can do to help stop this dangerous problem. Let me know if you are interested in this.  Keep your eyes open!

 Suzanne Arnold LMJ Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

Neighborhood Watch Residents,

Early this morning (4am) an Orange County Sherriff arrested a white male who was violently smashing mailboxes and front driveway lights and lamp posts in the area of Marine, Winterset and Nell. 

Four residents reported information about this and also said that the Sheriff’s office responded very quickly. (Many people said their dogs woke them up.)   The man was either extremely intoxicated or on drugs.  He is listed in the Orange County Jail as a violent offender. 

He was booked for several counts of criminal mischief, possession of a controlled substance and burglary to an occupied dwelling (the burglary was because he went onto a front screen porch – private property - and broke the latch while ripping the screen door open.)   We have found out that the man is supposedly a renter in this area and the house he lives in is for sale.

 From what we can tell – he was not targeting anyone – just out of control.  I’m very glad to say that no one was injured and that he was immediately caught and arrested. 

 I have the lead officer’s name and number.  If anyone in the neighborhood has any other information regarding this incident, I can send you his contact info. 

Stay safe and keep your eyes open,

Suzanne Arnold

LMJ Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

LMJ Neighborhood Watch

Five Car Burglaries...

Hello LMJ Neighborhood Watch,

Sorry to report that after quite a long time of no incidents – we had a rash of car burglaries Tues Night Dec 6th.  I received 5 reports of car burglaries on Fresno, Marine by LMJ, and Nell.  They took money, a wallet, a GPS, an Ipod, etc.  One car owner said they could tell someone went through their car – but they didn’t have any valuables left inside to take. 

 From the messages I received – it sounds like all these cars were left unlocked.  The burglars were successful – so they typically will try this again.  Your best defense is to simply:

•        Lock your cars...it may be inconvenient but it is safe
•        Don’t leave valuables in your unlocked cars
•        Don’t leave valuables in plain sight or they will break into your car

Many of the victims lost keys or work ID’s – so if you find any items like this in the ditches on the side of the roads – please let me know.  If you were also a victim – please file a report! 

Call 407 836-help  

or online http://www.ocso.com/Fileapolicereport/tabid/126/Default.aspx

Thanks!

Suzanne Arnold

LMJ Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

LMJ Neighborhood Watch

Narcoossee Corridor Policy Meeting Thurs Oct 20th at 6:30 pm

Hello Alliance Members,

Just a reminder that there is an important meeting this Thurs Oct 20^th at 6:30pm held at Lake Nona High School.   PLEASE try to attend! 

This meeting is to discuss updating the Narcoossee Corridor Policies to try to get them back in line of what was planned 4 yrs ago.  It’s VERY important to get residents to attend this meeting to show your concerns about the current policies and this is your one chance to give input.  Originally the County wanted to hold 4 meetings again – but residents asked for one meeting for input, and then a follow up meeting a few weeks later to find out what the County will propose.

History:

Back in 2007 residents met at 4 community meetings to discuss plans for the portion of the rural settlement on the east side of Narcoossee Rd between Tyson Rd and Kirby Smith.  The idea was to allow low impact 2 story Professional Office on the first 300-400 feet of land closest to Narcoossee Rd since the road was going to 6 lanes and there is now development across the street. 

The back portion of this land was supposed to remain rural, and there was supposed to be a road (almost like a small service rd) parallel to Narcoossee that would divide the rural area from the Office Space, and would connect residents to both Tyson Rd and Kirby Smith without having driveways and mailboxes directly on 6 lane Narcoossee Rd.  

Since then – the adopted policies have changed so much that developers are trying to put in 4 story commercial buildings, hotels, and apartments.  They are also trying to develop all the way back to the lake – leaving only wetlands to fulfill their “rural” requirements.  

Several key members of the Hart Whippoorwill Community and the President of our Alliance and myself all met with our Dist 4 Commissioner Thompson and Staff this summer to ask for some changes to the policies and completion of other policies so that we can finally quit fighting everything that comes forward as proposed new development.  

Our Commissioner agreed to this and said she remembers some of the original vision.   After they get this resident input, then her office will work with staff to create an amendment to try to get the policies back in line with the original vision. 

If the policies are changed - this will not impact developers that have already been approved – but this would impact future plans and stop previous plans from stretching even farther.

We need to stay focused at the meeting to the specific topics that we can impact.

Here are the 6 key things we discussed:

•  More land needs to be left inside the rural settlement next to the lake.  Discussions of a minimum of 33%, 2 acres, or 300 ft from the lake   - whichever is the largest.
• C-1 uses must be restricted to same list of uses approved for Tyson’s Corner.  (Staff knows what is on this list and we have copies)
• NO Multi-Family !  (apts, townhomes etc.)
• Height should only be 2 stories (maybe 3 in certain cases by the rd) and Mass only 10,000 – 15,000 Sq Ft
• Building Architecture – similar to what is proposed for Windermere Rural Settlement  Main Street  (Commissioner knows this) and what was originally promised. 
• Access Rd – difficult because of the current layout of parcels.   The only thing we could try to request on this is that the connections between parcels should be within the first 300 ft closest to Narcoossee so it actually connects the offices – and does not encourage sprawl towards the lake.

Thanks for making an effort to attend this important meeting!

Suzanne Arnold

Alliance Communications Chairperson

Door to Door Scams

LMJ Neighborhood Watch Members,

I have forwarded two messages below that I received tonight – Monday Oct 17th  - and hope you didn’t get caught in this scam as well!  “Marquis Fulfillment Agency”  is associated with SCAM complaints all over the internet – and their website listed below does not exist. 

 They had a van load of kids out getting donations today under false pretenses.  If they come out here again - be aware – and tell them to leave this neighborhood.  If you gave them a check – see if you can cancel it – but it’s probably already cashed.  One resident went to the bank and closed out his account and opened a new one for protection.

I’ve let our deputy know about this as well (I’m betting it’s a fake tag)  but we are the front line – so make sure your neighbors are aware of this!  Don’t know that they will come back the very next day – but at some point they will come back! ( I think they were out here a few months earlier this year!)

Question anyone selling door to door if you don’t know them!!  Special thanks to Laura and Gary for reporting detailed info about the people going door to door!

Suzanne Arnold

LMJ Neighborhood Watch Coordinator

LMJ Neighborhood Watch

Subject: money scam in live oaks

Suzanne, as we discussed earlier today Oct 17,11 Monday. We were approached in our home by a young man claiming to be Mike Mathews, new to the area living in Live Oaks on Bramble Bush and representing the Wounded Warriors Project. After we made a donation I became suspicious when I saw the van so I sent my wife to that house as I followed it out and to 15 south. She found out that he had been there also and it was all a LIE. He also claimed he was representing the baseball team the that was part of the WMBA? names the Ghost, which is a young Christian men's baseball travel team and that a small part of the money would be going to them don't know if this is even a team in Orlando or FL. Mike also said he was going to be attending UCF next season as member of their baseball team and that he was a pitcher. 

Majestic Sales, is on the receipt along with  www.marquisfulfillmentagency.com, would be getting 25% of all money collected for his baseball team the Ghost. 

He was picked up in a white extended van license # GC 4444-12  which was filled with all young white boys.  they have been in the neighborhood for several hours before coming to my house. 

Please alert everyone to this scam.   if you go to the web site you will see the reports of the scam. 

He was very convincing !

Subject: Door to Door in the area

Hi Suzanne,

There is an extremely nice young man knocking on doors in the neighborhood claiming to raise money for his soccer team. The fundraiser matches a scam that is reported on the web: Marquis Fulfillment Agency. He claims to be a soccer player, but smokes. He says his mother and father are both in the military and live in the fourth house on the right on Conifer, his mother’s name is “Kathy”.  I am pretty sure that is not our neighbor.  He is selling care packages for the troops.

Just wanted to let you know so you can pass it along.