Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the county.
A fatal boating accident occurred recently near the 86-mile marker after a 38-foot boat from Miami entered an area known as the Cowpens and struck a channel marker.
Ramsay said three passengers were ejected from the boat. The boat remained in motion and struck one of the passengers, killing her.
A Good Samaritan stopped to provide assistance, while the Coast Guard and Monroe County Fire Rescue responded. Two other passengers suffered injuries and were transported for medical treatment.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is leading the investigation.
“All four people were from Miami,” Ramsay said. “Just a tragic end to a day on a boat.”
In another incident, a man was arrested after striking another man in the face with a rock during an argument at Ocean Breeze Marina.
Ramsay said the dispute began when the victim was waiting to use a shared shower and the suspect became impatient about how long the other person was taking.
The suspect armed himself with a rock and struck the other man in the face, causing cuts.
Ramsay said a rock can be considered a deadly weapon when used to strike someone, and deputies arrested the man on aggravated battery and aggravated assault charges involving a deadly weapon.
“It’s all, again, stupid, stemmed from impatient waiting for your turn to take a shower,” Ramsay said.
Another serious incident involved a domestic disturbance in Marathon around 2:30 a.m. recently. Ramsay said a man became involved in a physical confrontation with a woman, and several people attempted to intervene.
The man allegedly pulled out a pocket knife and threatened those who intervened. Ramsay said the woman was also choked during the confrontation, which was captured on video.
Deputies separated those involved, collected witness statements and reviewed the video before making an arrest.
Ramsay said domestic violence calls are among the most dangerous situations law enforcement officers encounter.
“You shouldn’t be in that situation in the first place, but it’s never going to be a good situation when you arm yourself in some altercation,” Ramsay said.
He said grabbing a rock, knife or firearm only escalates a confrontation.
“People are making decisions through anger, emotion, not logic,” Ramsay said.
A 16-year-old Key Largo boy was also arrested following a road-rage incident in Marathon in which witnesses reported seeing him display a pellet gun.
Deputies stopped the vehicle and found a pellet gun under the passenger seat that matched the description provided by witnesses.
Ramsay said pellet guns can cause serious injuries and can look like real firearms, making them particularly dangerous when displayed during a confrontation.
“You don’t know if they have a real gun,” Ramsay said. “You never know what the other person may have on their person, in their car, or in their home when you take some type of offensive, aggressive action against them.”
Ramsay also discussed a recent investigation involving firearms found at a Lower Keys residence.
According to Ramsay, a convicted felon who spends time in Monroe County was found in possession of firearms and ammunition during a probation search. Deputies also found firearms that Ramsay said appeared to have been illegally modified, including two that investigators believe had been altered to function as fully automatic weapons.
The firearms were reportedly loaded and accessible to a young child in the home.
Ramsay said the suspect is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his criminal history and parole status.
Ramsay credited the Sheriff’s Office special operations team with getting the firearms secured and removing the suspect from the community.
Meanwhile, residents recently discovered two separate packages of suspected cocaine that had washed ashore—one in Big Pine Key and another in Key Largo.
Ramsay said the packages appeared to come from different shipments based on distinct markings on the packages.
He said drugs washing ashore are difficult to connect to specific suspects, but the discoveries provide law enforcement with intelligence about drug trafficking routes.
The sheriff said the Florida Keys remain a significant pathway for drugs moving from the Caribbean toward South Florida.
“Again, it’s good for our visitors and locals to have a story that they’ll tell the rest of their lives,” Ramsay said of residents who discover the packages. “The mystery, the nostalgia of drug smuggling in the Keys, is well alive.”
Ramsay also reminded Monroe County residents that Tuesday is election day and encouraged eligible voters to participate.
“Come out there and make your voice be heard,” he said.
The sheriff also reported that the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office maintained a strong law enforcement presence during the first week of school.
Patrol officers, traffic officers, school resource officers, command staff and detectives were deployed to help remind motorists that schools had reopened and to emphasize school zones and school bus safety.
Ramsay said the first week went safely and credited cooperation between law enforcement and the Monroe County School District.
“We wanted this first week to show a big presence of law enforcement education, reminding people schools are open, be behind the buses, the school zones, into schools,” Ramsay said. “It was a safe week one. We hope to keep that trend going the rest of the year.”