Stepfather of boy rescued from abuse by Orlando restaurant manager gets life sentence

Timothy Wilson was convicted in June after a manager at the Mrs. Potato restraurant noticed the 11-year-old boy with bruises and then showed the boy a note asking if he needed help.

Nikolas Cruz pleads guilty to 2018 Parkland school shooting

The guilty pleas will set the stage for a penalty trial in which 12 jurors will determine whether Cruz should be sentenced to death or life in prison.

Miami firefighter fired after writing 'who cares' about officer's death

A firefighter in Miami has been fired after writing "who cares" in a profanity-laced text about law enforcement officers after a Miami-Dade police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Polk sheriff: 85 arrested, $12.8M in drugs seized after wiretap investigation takes down drug trafficking ring

Authorities say a two-year undercover investigation resulted in 85 arrests, the seizure of over $12.8 million worth of drugs, and the dismantling of an international drug trafficking organization whose ringleaders operated out of Winter Haven.

Entire Florida police department quits in this small town

The entire police department that serves a small Central Florida town has quit, officials announced Thursday in a news release. 

Mom of Florida student held at gunpoint in Alabama remembers daughter's boyfriend as hero

Heather Lambert tells FOX 35 News that her daughter, Mikaya Paulus, was traumatized as she watched her boyfriend of more than four years, Adam Simjee, die in her arms.

'A walking miracle': Brandon man survives after gator latches onto his head in Lake Thonotosassa

It is hard to say what is more incredible, that JC Defeats was bitten in the head by an alligator and survived, or that the brutal attack was caught on camera. "The world is a really difficult place, and, man, is it challenging to maneuver without God and ultimately Jesus Christ in your heart."

Palm Harbor parents call for empathy, kindness after daughter dies by suicide days before start of senior year

McKenna Brown, 16, was a star athlete with a bright future, but just days before the start of her senior year at East Lake High School she took her own life. Her parents are now sounding the alarm on the needs surrounding teenage mental health.

2 Floridians die from bacterial infections linked to raw oysters from Louisiana

A restaurant customer in Fort Lauderdale has died of a bacterial infection after eating raw oysters. A Pensacola man died the same way this month. Both cases involved oysters from Louisiana.

Parentless 16-year-old in Florida Panhandle not 'mature' enough for abortion, judge says

A Florida judge ruled that a parentless 16-year-old girl in the Panhandle was not “sufficiently mature” to end her pregnancy. She was seeking a waiver due to a state law that requires minors to get parental consent for an abortion.

NASA's Artemis moon rocket makes final journey to launch pad

NASA's 32-story moon rocket began its last slow trip to the launch pad Tuesday night before launching the Orion spacecraft to the moon later this month.

FBI Mar-a-Lago search: DOJ opposes unsealing affidavit for warrant

The Justice Department on Monday rebuffed efforts to make public the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida, saying the investigation "implicates highly classified material" and the document contains sensitive information about witnesses.

Parkland shooter trial: Nikolas Cruz thinks he will get out of prison, defense mental health expert says

A defense mental health expert in the penalty trial of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz said he could pinpoint when he realized the 23-year-old mass murderer still has “irrational thoughts” — the two were making small talk when Cruz began describing plans for an eventual life outside prison.