Riverview couple flooded with soap shipments after ending Amazon business

STEVEN STEARNS SPARED DEATH. THE PLEA CHANGE AND LIFE SENTENCE HANDED DOWN. HOW MADELINE SOTO’S FAMILY IS HANDLING THE VERDICT AND. ENTERED THE VEHICLE. NOW EXIT THE VEHICLE. A VIOLENT ARREST CAUGHT ON CAMERA IS NOW GOING VIRAL. CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY ARE GROWING LOUDER. PLUS, FIREFIGHTERS IN BREVARD COUNTY ARE WAITING FOR A FINAL VOTE TODAY THAT COULD BRING A LONG AWAITED PAY RAISE TO THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES. WESH TWO NEWS SUNRISE ON CW 18 STARTS RIGHT NOW. ALL RIGHT. TUESDAY IS UPON US. AND SOME WOULD SAY THAT THAT MAY BE A MORE DIFFICULT DAY THAN EVEN A MONDAY. OFTENTIMES IT CAN BE. IT’S TOUGH JULY 22ND. AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL YOU’RE STARTING IT WITH YOUR SUNRISE TEAM. I’M JASON GUY AND I’M SANIKA DANGE. WE’RE GOING TO GET THIS TUESDAY OFF ON A SMOOTHEST START AS POSSIBLE WITH OUR FIRST WARNING. METEOROLOGIST KELLIANNE KLASS AND TRAFFIC EXPERT MEAGHAN MACKEY HELPING US NAVIGATE THE ROADS AND THE FORECAST. SO LET’S START WITH YOU. KELLIANNE WHAT ARE WE EXPECTING AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS TUESDAY? SO OUR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY ARE GOING TO FIRE UP A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ON IN THE AFTERNOON. BUT ALREADY THIS MORNING WE ARE TRACKING SOME HEAVIER RAINFALL AS WELL AS EVEN SOME STRONGER STORMS OUT IN MARION COUNTY. BUT I WANT TO ZOOM IN RIGHT NOW NORTH OF OCALA, RIGHT AROUND THE CITRA ANTHONY AREA. YOU SEE THAT ALMOST LIME GREEN BOX? THAT’S A FLOOD ADVISORY THAT’S GOING TO BE IN EFFECT FOR THE NEXT 59 MINUTES. SO IT’S GOING TO EXPIRE AT 8:00. AND THE REASON WHY THAT WAS ISSUED IS BECAUSE 1 TO 2IN OF RAINFALL HAVE ALREADY FALLEN. AND THIS IS A SLOW MOVING SYSTEM. SO THERE’S MORE RAIN THAT’S GOING TO FALL IN THAT AREA. SO WE ARE GOING TO BE WATCHING FOR THE POTENTIAL OF SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE’S A STRONGER THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHEASTERN MARION COUNTY THAT IS PRODUCING SOME GUSTY WINDS. DUNNELLON DRY FOR NOW, BUT THIS BATCH OF RAINFALL NOW WORKING OVER TOWARDS I-75, TOWARDS BELLEVIEW AND ALMOST THE MARION OAKS AREA. THIS IS ALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO DRIFT DOWN TO THE SOUTH AS IT DRIFTS DOWN TO THE SOUTH, IT’S GOING TO INCREASE OUR RAINFALL. SO THIS MORNING, SOME SHOWERS, COUPLE OF THUNDERSTORMS, BUT THE BETTER CHANCE FOR RAINFALL IS GOING TO BE EARLIER ON IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WE’LL TALK MUCH MORE ABOUT THAT TIMING COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. FIRST THOUGH AT 702. LET’S GET OVER TO FIRST WARNING TRAFFIC EXPERT MEAGHAN MACKEY KELLY. AND THIS IS A LIVE LOOK. OUR CHOPPER IS UP AND CRUISING LIV HERE OVER I-4 THIS MORNING. THERE HEADING TOWARDS CONROY ROAD. YOU CAN SEE NO ISSUES ALONG THE STRETCH OF I-4. WE ARE NICE AND QUIET THIS MORNING. IT’S BEEN A COUPLE OF LITTLE CRASHES HERE AND THERE, BUT EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW IS CLEAR FOR YOUR MORNING DRIVE. I-75. THIS IS LOOKING IN OCALA NEAR STATE ROAD 40. SOME SLICK SPOTS HERE ALONG THE I-75 CORRIDOR, SO EXTRA CAUTION THERE FOR YOUR MORNING DRIVE, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ROADS ARE SLICK, INCLUDING ALONG THE I-75 CORRIDOR. BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL HAVE THOSE LOW BEAMS ON. NOT THE MORNING TO BE IN A HURRY ALONG I-75, OR ANYWHERE FOR THAT MATTER. WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE TRAVEL TIMES COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. HOW DO YOU PLEA GUILTY? THIS MORNING, THE MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING 13 YEAR OLD MADELINE SOTO IS BEGINNING THE REST OF HIS LIFE BEHIND BARS. WESH TWO NEWS WAS IN THAT COURTROOM WHEN STEPHAN STEARNS PLEADED NO CONTEST TO KILLING MADELINE AND GUILTY TO RAPING HER. WESH TWO S BOB HAZEN IS LIVE AT THE OSCEOLA COUNTY JAIL. AND BOB, A JUDGE SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. YEAH, FOR RIGHT NOW, HE’S BEING HELD HERE AT THE OSCEOLA COUNTY JAIL UNTIL HE EVENTUALLY GETS SHIPPED OFF TO STATE PRISON. AND THAT COMES AFTER HE MADE A DEAL WITH PROSECUTORS TO END THIS TRAGIC CASE. I PRAY TO GOD THAT SHE IS IN HEAVEN AND THAT HE’S TAKEN GOOD CARE OF HER. I WILL NEVER NOT HONOR HER MEMORY. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR ALL THE PAIN. WELL, THAT WAS STEARNS IN COURT YESTERDAY AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO 20 COUNTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND NO CONTEST TO ONE CHARGE OF MURDER. STEARNS WAS THE BOYFRIEND OF MADELINE SOTO’S MOM. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY FOUND VIDEOS AND PICTURES ON HIS PHONE SHOWING HIM RAPING THE GIRL, ABUSE THAT THEY BELIEVE HAPPENED SINCE SHE WAS JUST EIGHT YEARS OLD. AND AS PART OF THAT PLEA DEAL, PROSECUTORS AGREED THEY WOULD NOT SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY. THEY ALSO DROPPED 40 COUNTS RELATED TO THE SEXUAL ABUSE, AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT FILE ANY MORE CHARGES AGAINST HIM FOR POSSIBLE ABUSE THAT HAPPENED IN OTHER COUNTIES. STEARNS AGREED TO GIVE UP ALL HIS RIGHTS TO APPEAL, AND HE MADE THAT BRIEF STATEMENT IN COURT SAYING THAT IT’S NOT FAIR THAT MADELINE IS GONE. I HAVE NOTHING BUT SORROW FOR HER LOSS. AND I MISS HER ALL THE TIME. HER PASSING HAS TORN ME AND MY FAMILY APART AS WELL, AND SHE TRULY WAS A JOY. AGAIN, STEARNS GAVE UP HIS RIGHT TO APPEAL. BUT THE PLEA AGREEMENT SAYS IF HE DOES AT SOME POINT WITHDRAW HIS PLEA OR GET ANY KIND OF POST-CONVICTION RELIEF, THEN PROSECUTORS WILL PUT HIM ON TRIAL FOR MURDER AND THEY WILL SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY. COVERING OSCEOLA COUNTY LIVE IN KISSIMMEE, BOB HAZEN WESH TWO NEWS. NOW, MEMBERS OF MADELINE SOTO’S FAMILY ADDRESSED STEARNS AND THE COURT DIRECTLY AFTER YESTERDAY’S HEARING. HER FAMILY SAID THEY WANT MADDIE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR HER INFECTIOUS SMILE AND LAUGH, NOT FOR THE WAY SHE LEFT THIS EARTH. THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY WHERE I DO NOT THINK ABOUT ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAT MADDIE ENDURED. I HAVE SO MUCH HATRED IN MY HEART, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CREATURE THAT’S SITTING IN THIS ROOM TODAY. HER INNOCENCE WAS TAKEN FROM YOU, AND SINCE CLEARLY THAT WASN’T ENOUGH FOR A CERTAIN SOMEONE, SO WAS YOUR LIFE. SOTO’S FATHER, TYLER WALLACE, WHO LIVES OUT OF STATE, ALSO SPOKE. HE DESCRIBED A QUIRKY, INTELLIGENT, CURIOUS GIRL. HE SAID THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAD BEEN STRAINED BUT WAS ON THE MEND AT THE TIME OF MADDIE’S DEATH. IT JUST GETS WORSE EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT, AND THE TRUE HORROR OF WHAT THIS MAN VISITED UPON HER. AND I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT HE LIVES A LONG TIME IN PRISON AND HAS THOSE SAME HORRORS VISITED UPON HIM BY HIS FELLOW INMATES. WE HEARD NOTHING FROM MADELINE SOTO’S MOTHER, WHO REPORTEDLY LIVED IN THE HOME. WHEN POLICE SAY ALL OF THIS HAPPENED. SHE DOES NOT FACE ANY CHARGES IN THIS CASE AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE SHE WAS IN COURT FOR THE HEARING. YOU CAN FIND ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS REPORTING, INCLUDING A MORE DETAILED TIMELINE OF THE CASE RIGHT NOW ON WESH.COM. IT IS 706. A MAN IS DEAD AND HIS FIANCE IS FACING CHARGES AFTER DEPUTIES SAY SHE STABBED HIM DURING AN ARGUMENT WHILE VACATIONING IN OSCEOLA COUNTY. JAMILA GOODWIN REPORTEDLY TOLD INVESTIGATORS SHE HELD THE KNIFE TOWARD HAROLD MUNDY IN AN ACT OF SELF-DEFENSE. THIS WAS AT THE WESTGATE VACATION VILLAS IN KISSIMMEE. DEPUTIES SAY THERE WERE FOUR YOUNG KIDS IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED. GOODWIN WAS ARRESTED ON SECOND DEGREE MURDER AND TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE CHARGES. FLAGLER COUNTY DEPUTIES SAY A BABY WAS FOUND IN THE BACK OF A CAR ALONE ON FRIDAY NIGHT. NOW THOSE PARENTS ARE FACING CHARGES. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE TELLS US THE BABY IS OKAY, BUT THINGS COULD HAVE ENDED VERY DIFFERENTLY. THAT BABY WAS LEFT ALONE WHILE THE PARENTS WERE INSIDE A BAR IN PALM COAST, ACCORDING TO THE ARREST REPORT. IT SHOWS CLARICE FINNEGAN TOLD DEPUTIES SHE ONLY CAME TO THE BAR TO GET MONEY FROM HER HUSBAND, NORMAN FINNEGAN, TO GET SOME THINGS AT CVS FOR THE BABY. SHE SAYS SHE ONLY LEFT THE CHILD IN THE CAR BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED SMOKING WAS ALLOWED INSIDE THE BAR. BOTH SHE AND HER HUSBAND TOLD AUTHORITIES SHE WASN’T INSIDE LONG, AND THAT SHE ONLY HAD A FEW SIPS OF A DRINK. A BARTENDER GAVE HER. I SEEN THE KID, AND THEN I TOLD MY BROTHER I WAS LIKE, YO, I THINK THERE’S A BABY IN THE CAR. THAT WOMAN TOLD US SHE NOTICED THE CAR RUNNING IN THE PARKING LOT. SOMEONE ELSE TEXTED 911 ABOUT THE BABY. REPORTS SHOW ONE OF THE PARENTS COWORKERS TOOK THE CHILD WHILE THEY WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WAS NOTIFIED. BOTH PARENTS HAVE NOW BEEN RELEASED FROM JAIL. TO SOME VIOLENT MOMENTS DURING A TRAFFIC STOP IN JACKSONVILLE. AND THIS WAS ALL CAUGHT ON CAMERA. NBC’S MARISSA PARRA EXPLAINS. VIDEO VIEWED MORE THAN 4 MILLION TIMES IS NOW RAISING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICE TACTICS. AND WE DO WANT TO WARN YOU, THIS VIDEO COULD BE CONSIDERED DISTURBING. ENTERED THE VEHICLE. NOW EXIT THE VEHICLE. SHOW ME YOUR HANDS HERE. CAN YOU? VIOLENT MOMENTS CAPTURED ON CAMERA DURING A TRAFFIC STOP IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA THIS FEBRUARY. VIDEO GOING VIRAL AFTER DRIVER WILLIAM MCNEIL JUNIOR, WHO FILMED IT INSIDE OF HIS CAR, POSTED IT SUNDAY, DRAWING SWIFT REACTION SINCE IT SHOWS AN INTERACTION WITH POLICE ALREADY IN PROGRESS, INCLUDING THE MOMENT AN OFFICER BREAKS MCNEIL’S WINDOW AND STRIKES HIM IN THE FACE. CAN YOU CALL YOUR SUPERVISOR? GO FOR IT. EXIT THE VEHICLE NOW! EXIT THE VEHICLE. SHOW ME YOUR HANDS HERE. BUT THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THAT THE VIDEO DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT REALITY. ONE VIDEO CLIP DEVOID OF CONTEXT CAN BE VERY MISLEADING. THE SHERIFF RELEASING OFFICER WORN BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE SHOWING MCNEIL PULLED OVER FOR DRIVING WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS IN THE RAIN. THEY SAY HE WOULDN’T PROVIDE HIS LICENSE AND REGISTRATION. I’M ABOUT TO BREAK A WINDOW. YOU CAN HEAR OFFICERS REPEATEDLY WARNING MCNEIL THAT IF HE DID NOT COMPLY WITH GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE, THEY WOULD BREAK HIS WINDOW AND PUT HIM UNDER ARREST. OPEN THE DOOR AND EXIT, OR WE ARE GOING TO BREAK THE WINDOW. OPEN THE DOOR AND EXIT, OR WE ARE GOING TO BREAK A WINDOW. STEP OUT. WHAT IS YOUR REASON? STEP OUT NOW. ALL RIGHT, GET UP. NO NO, NO. THE SHERIFF SAYS NONE OF THE INVOLVED OFFICERS VIOLATED CRIMINAL LAW. BUT AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW IS ONGOING. YES, THERE ABSOLUTELY WAS FORCE USED BY THE ARRESTING OFFICERS. AND, YES, THAT FORCE IS UGLY. AND JUST BECAUSE FORCE IS UGLY DOES NOT MEAN IT’S UNLAWFUL. NBC NEWS HAS NOT SPOKEN TO MCNEIL DIRECTLY, BUT HIS LAWYER SAYS HE’S STILL RECOVERING. HIS TEETH ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH HIS LIP WHEN HE WAS SLAMMED TO THE GROUND. SO HE’S STILL RECOVERING AND DEALING WITH THOSE INJURIES. HIS ATTORNEY SAYS THEY PLAN ON FILING A LAWSUIT. MARISSA PARRA, NBC NEWS. HAPPENING TODAY, BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE SET TO VOTE ON A NEW CONTRACT FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS THERE. AND THIS COMES WITH A SIGNIFICANT PAY RAISE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. LET’S BRING IN WESH 2’S PAOLA TRISTAN ARUDA. SHE’S JOINING US LIVE FROM VIERA, WHERE THAT MEETING IS GOING TO HAPPEN. AND PAOLA, THE UNION SAYS THIS IS A LONG TIME COMING. YEAH. JASON. THE UNION APPROVED THE CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY AFTER GOING WITHOUT ONE FOR NINE MONTHS. SO NOW IT WILL BE UP TO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO DECIDE WHETHER TO MOVE THIS CONTRACT FORWARD. NOW, THE DEAL SHOWS AVERAGE INCREASES FOR MOST FIREFIGHTERS BETWEEN 16 TO 22% FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF A NEARLY THREE YEAR CONTRACT, SOME IN HIGHER POSITIONS LIKE AN ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHAL, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL GET A 30% RAISE FOR THE FIRST YEAR. UNION PRESIDENT MIKE BRAMSON TELLS US THIS DEAL SOLVES THE WAGE DISPUTE, BUT THERE’S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE. IT IS A WAGE AGREEMENT WITH SOME CULTURAL RETENTION, AND IT IS NOT A FIX ALL. CLOSING ARGUMENTS BY BOTH PARTIES SAID THAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE MULTIPLE CONTRACTS. A LOT OF TIME AT THE NEGOTIATIONS TABLE TO PUT BREVARD COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY RIGHT. INCREASED WAGES HAS BEEN A HUGE TOPIC SINCE THE BREVARD COUNTY FIRE RESCUE HAS FACED SEVERE STAFFING SHORTAGES. THE DEPARTMENT HAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT SHORTAGE, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN RALLYING FOR A BETTER WORK ENVIRONMENT. THE FIRE UNION PRESIDENT SAID THEY RECENTLY HAD A HIGHER CLASS OF ABOUT 20 PEOPLE, BUT THEY STILL NEED FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT, AND THERE’S A NEED TO ADDRESS WORK LIFE BALANCE ISSUES. NOW, TODAY’S COMMISSION MEETING STARTS THIS MORNING AT NINE, COVERING BREVARD COUNTY LIVE IN VIERA, PAOLA TRISTAN ARUDA. WESH TWO NEWS. IT HAS BEEN QUIET AT THE FLAGLER BEACH PIER FOR MONTHS, BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING. WITH MORE CONSTRUCTION. THIS IS LEADING TO BUSINESSES STRUGGLING A BIT. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL TAKE MANY, MANY MONTHS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. HOW THEY’RE GETTING BY IS THE PIER IS SET TO OPEN UP NEXT