Marion County

A 19-year-old rookie firefighter at Marion County Fire Rescue's Fire Station 21 described to detectives the horror he underwent as his colleagues allegedly tackled him, put him into a leg lock, whipped him with a belt, and waterboarded him – all over the desire to gain access to his cell phone to watch a viral video he posted a while back on social media.

A second child – a newborn baby – has tragically died following a crash involving an SUV and an RV over the weekend in Marion County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Officials said an SUV collided with a motorhome, causing the motorhome to overturn.

Officers responded to the 800 block of West Silver Springs Place around 4:11 a.m. after a report of gunshots in the area.

It's been nearly three years since Sara Ebersole, 28, went missing. Now, an anonymous donor is offering a $35,000 reward for tips that lead to her whereabouts – an increase from $4,000 last year. 

Six more employees have been fired from Marion County Fire Rescue following an alleged violent hazing incident at a fire station, bringing the total number of terminations tied to the case to 10, county officials said.

A Florida man, behind bars as a suspect of two separate sexual battery incidents, has now been linked to another similar incident that occurred in January after a woman came forward. 

A 3-year-old girl who was reported missing in Kentucky more than 40 years ago is alive and well – living under a different identity and in a different state – and was unaware that she was a victim in a missing person's case, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

A jury convicted Michael Montgomery Jr., 48, of first-degree murder with a firearm in the 2023 killing of Wayne Barlow in Ocala.

DeSantis will be at the Eisenhower Recreation Center on Buena Vista Boulevard.

A Florida man is facing sexual battery charges involving two women this year, but deputies suspect he is linked to additional similar crimes.

Residents living at The Villages will be able to keep their health insurance after a deal between United Heathcare and CenterWell Senior Primary Care was reached. 

Three of the four Marion County Fire Rescue firefighters – accused of beating, robbing and kidnapping a fellow employee – were released from jail on bond. 

Four Marion County Fire Rescue firefighters made their first appearance before a Marion County judge, Thursday, after they were accused of beating, robbing and kidnapping a fellow employee. The Marion County Sheriff's office referred to this incident as a "violent hazing." 

A criminal case is ongoing after four Marion County firefighters are facing kidnapping, battery, accessory and robbery in connection to a "violent hazing" incident, the Marion County Sheriff's office said.

A 17-year-old was arrested Friday in connection with a shooting that left an Ocala man critically injured earlier this month. The victim, Robert Ciampa, is expected to recover from his injuries.