Scam Alert

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office received an email report from a citizen about a suspicious incident that occurred on Saturday.   The incident involved a teen coming to the door selling magazines for a “school trip”.  Wisely, the citizen contacted the school this morning and learned they had no such fundraiser going on.  The Sheriff’s Office…

Deputies Locate Missing Elderly Man

At 8:37 am, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office responded to 375 SW Old Spanish Road due to a missing elderly man. The preliminary investigation revealed that Richard Irving Preston, 87 was missing from the home he shares with his wife. When a home health worker arrived at 8:30 am to care for the couple, she…

Fort White Man Arrested After Standoff

At 3:18 pm Thursday, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office responded to 3764 SW Wilson Springs Road due to a 911 call from a male reporting “a man had a gun was going to kill everyone”. When deputies arrived, the caller told the deputies that Patrick James Dempsey, 32 armed himself during an argument with his…

Detective Seeks Public’s Help in Cold Case

In April 2008, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division began an investigation into a missing person, Jarrick Benard Lindsey, 21. Jarrick had not been seen for approximately a month and was reported missing by his mother, who felt “something bad had happened to him”. Jarrick lived in the Lake City area and interviews…

Thank You Columbia County

Few people could imagine more heartbreaking news than a serious crash of a van loaded with church youth; however that’s exactly what happened on Friday, February 21.  The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office provided only minimal assistance at this tragic crash by directing traffic and securing the area for FHP.  It is what occurred afterward that…