Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon has kept his promise from earlier this year regarding largescale house parties held in rental properties that feature underage drinking, illegal drugs and other crimes.
The Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office reported this week it shut down two more illegal house parties over the three-day July 4th holiday weekend, resulting in six arrests. Six people were arrested, including a 16-yearold male in possession of a handgun and multiple hollow point bullets.
At one of the parties, at a Crown Haven Road townhouse, deputies were alerted Saturday to the illegal party by VRBO property manager. Police say at least 20 individuals were observed in the home in direct violation of the rental agreement. The teenager was arrested at this location along with Efrain Manases Martinez, 20, who was charged with possession of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. Jail records show he has since bonded out of the Osceola County Jail.
At the other house party, deputies responded to a Harbor Road residence off of Pleasant Hill Road just before 2 a.m. Sunday after a disconnected 911 call, and found what appeared to be an open house party, with multiple cups of alcoholic beverages, a DJ stand and paraphernalia associated with marijuana, according to the arrest report. Several attendees attempted to hide from deputies in the woods behind the house; according to a Sheriff ’s report, “Multiple attendees were observed impaired and most of the occupants were under the legal drinking age of 21.”
Diego Abraham Ledezma-Otto, 20, of Orlando, who police say admitted to renting the property to hold a friend’s birthday party, was arrested for allowing minors to consume alcohol or drugs an open house party. The report notes party attendees said the party was promoted on a social media platform called Posh, and that the suspect was a member of the group “Nova” that promoted the party.
David Mateo Canas-Romero, 20, Alejandro Quintero-Escalante, 19, and Jose Miguel Oraa-Perez, 20, all from Orlando, were arrested for resisting arrest without violence. Jail records show the remain held without bond, as ICE Miami was contacted by one of the responding deputies who advised that they would be placing a hold on all four males as they were in the United States illegally.
This comes after three cases over a two-month stretch in March and April resulted in shootings at such house parties that left two teenagers dead and at least one other wounded.
“I’m asking the parents: where are your kids at night? At these parties, there’s illegal drugs and alcohol, and we get sexual battery and rape calls from these,” Blackmon said at a May 7 press conference to announce a crackdown on these parties. “As a father, and as a Sheriff I ask you, do you want your daughters going to these parties? I’m asking parents to help us stop your kids from going to through that trauma, or potentially getting shot and killed.”
