Man who set Salvation Army center on fire sentenced
The man who admitted to burning down the Salvation Army’s assistance center near downtown to Kissimmee police pled no contest to arson and burglary charges in court Thursday.
Cordearo Lee Mable, 37, was sentenced to seven years in prison, with credit for the nearly seven months he’s already served, and an additional 10 years of parole for his role in setting the Ministry Center on Union Street on fire the night of Nov. 6, 2023.
According to police reports, Mable caused a disturbance that morning and had to be trespassed from the facility. He told a staff member he was, “Going to burn the place down,” and reportedly did so that evening. Everything inside, include the iconic red kettles seen at stores for donations during the holidays, was destroyed.
Capt. Ken Chapman of the Salvation Army’s Orlando Area Command, which includes Osceola County, said the organization is working with local officials to build an emergency resource center, which would be a one-stop shop for those in need of food, clothing and comfort. They’ve collected donations from Osceola County and commissioners totaling in the millions, and Chapman said the Salvation Army will raise funds to match the county’s donations to build the center.
FDLE arrests Kissimmee man found with child porn on devices
An 18-year-old Kissimmee man has been arrested after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they found multiple FDLE arrested Alexander Tehrani-Mercedes, 18, of Kissimmee Tuesday, and charged him with 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. He was booked into the Osceola County Jail and made an initial appearance in front of a judge Wednesday. Jail records show he was released Thursday.
FDLE said its investigation began after the Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office provided agents a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user had uploaded multiple files of child sexual abuse material. Investigators found information that identified Tehrani-Mercedes to be the account holder.
Tuesday, agents served a search warrant on Tehrani-Mercedes’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices which contained several images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, some as young as 3 years old.
FDLE said the case remains active. Additional charges are possible pending further forensic analysis.
