Category: Public Safety

At Monday night’s St Augustine City Commission meeting, on a 3-1 split vote with Mayor Joe Boles out of town, commissioners advanced a proposed new ordinance to public hearing hoping to better address the town’s exposure to graffiti.

In accordance with Florida State Statute 775.21, this news release will serve as public notification that the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office has been given information that a person judged to be a sexual predator is now residing within St. Johns County.

Just one month short of his 30th birthday, Paul Gerald Crookshank, who resided at 7 Beacon Street, was identified by police as the man who was gunned down during an argument at the Giggling Gator Pub located at 121 King Street; according to reports received by Historic City News.

Historic City News has learned that 41 year-old Christopher Linus Fries is in custody this morning, held without bond and charged with capital murder in the killing of another man at the Giggling Gator Pub on King Street in St. Augustine last night at about 8:30 p.m.

As members of the public crossed Malaga Street, returning to their parked cars following this morning’s Ceremony of Remembrance, a grey four-door Nissan X-TERRA came flying south on the street; passing dangerously close to departing vehicles and pedestrians.

Historic City News reporters were alerted by St. Augustine Police Public Information Officer Mark Samson yesterday that the commotion on South Ponce de Leon Boulevard at the height of rush hour traffic was not a training exercise.

In recognition of the ten-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is reminding Historic City News readers to remain vigilant for any activity of a suspicious nature.

“We hope we never find ourselves in the situation where we need them,” St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar told Historic City News this morning; referring to members of his Crisis Negotiation Team as they were being presented the 2011 Team of the Year Award.