Florida News

An artificial intelligence–based security company has expanded its operations into Central Florida, opening a new monitoring hub in downtown Orlando. The hub is designed to support real-time weapons detection at high-traffic facilities nationwide.

Family members of Anna Kepner, a teenager found dead aboard a cruise ship, returned to court Wednesday for a custody hearing that offered new insight into tensions within the blended family, as investigators continue to examine her death.

A holiday toy drive led by a Central Florida teenager marked its most successful year yet with the delivery of hundreds of toys to young patients at a children’s hospital, organizers said. Seventeen-year-old Teddy Pentz delivered 475 toys on Wednesday to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children as part of Teddy's Giant Heart Project.

A Florida man was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the fatal shooting of a convenience store clerk in Leesburg last year, authorities said. A jury took about three hours to find Alex Lopez guilty in the killing of 51-year-old Raied "Ray" Shihadeh, who was shot during a robbery in which less than $100 was taken.

A nonprofit veterans center in Cocoa, which was on the brink of closing due to severe termite damage, has begun repairs after community support surged following media coverage of its plight.

FOX 35's Marley Capper talks to actor Gary Sinise about his foundation, the Gary Sinise Foundation, the "Snowball Express," and how the foundation helps those families -- and why.

A longtime Sanford police officer was arrested and fired this week after authorities accused him of stealing tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds by submitting fraudulent work claims over several months.

Sanford Police Officer Ronny Neal was arrested on Dec. 16 in connection to a fraud scheme involving being paid with city money for off-duty services Neal didn't do. The police department is now saying invoices showed that Neal worked overtime hours at Lofts at Eden – an apartment complex in Sanford – and "fabricated the detail." FOX 35 News+ spoke with reporter Chris Lindsay about the ongoing investigation.

It's been four years since Paola Marie Miranda-Rosa went missing on Dec. 17, 2021. She was last seen near leaving her grandmother’s home near South Semoran Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. Now, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office says they're trying to bring life to the investigation and are looking for any further information.

A Lake County jury reached a verdict on Wednesday in the trial of Alex Lopez, who was accused of shooting Raied "Ray" Shihadeh during a robbery at the M&M Food Mart in Leesburg in May 2024. Surveillance video from the store showed a man walking into the store and shooting Shihadeh, who was on FaceTime with his wife at the time. The man is then seen hopping over the counter before fleeing the store, according to authorities. Shihadeh, a father of five, died from his injuries after being taken to a hospital. Lopez evaded police for weeks before he was arrested in June 2024 at a hotel in Osceola County. A jury convicted Lopez of murder and robbery.

The Sanford Police Department said the alleged fraudulent actions of one of their own – which has prompted a criminal investigation – has tarnished the reputation of trust the department has worked for in the community. During a Dec. 17 press conference, Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith spoke about the department's investigation into Officer Ronny Neal – in tandem with the Secret Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement – to look into how long Neal had been using city money to pay himself for off-duty hours that he didn't serve.

Seven Orange County public schools could close by the end of the current school year as the district grapples with declining enrollment, officials said. The Orange County School Board voted this week to move forward with plans that could lead to school consolidations, setting the stage for rezoning students before the next academic year.