A1A South

JACKSONVILLE, FL — It was meant to be just a quick stop at home. The incident happened at 9:49 a.m., Wednesday morning. The victim was on the way to pick up her three year old daughter at her home on Oak Bay Drive. Her mom was baby-sitting.

“I went inside to use the restroom and I heard a big boom,” says the victim.

On the surveillance tape outside the home, you can hear one of the men yelling at the victims inside to get on the ground.

“Lay down, lay down!” yells one of the suspects.

The door is kicked open and three men walk in with a gun.

“When I saw him point the gun at my baby it was like my body went numb. He told my mom and daughter to lay on the floor and then he grabbed me around my neck and put the gun to my temple, and drug me around the house asking me where was the money,” says the victim.

The money was in the family safe. That’s where they went next. The other men stood as lookouts in the living room with the grandmother and the three-year-old. Helpless, this victim did the only thing she could.

“I started praying for the man as he had the gun on my head. I started rubbing his back and started praying for God to have mercy on me and him. I said Lord he don’t know what he’s doing. I said just have mercy on both of us. Spare my life and I just started to pray and I could feel like a calmness,” says the victim.

In less than two minutes the men were gone, leaving with the safe just as fast as they came. They took off in a car parked out front. Their car had pulled up right behind hers.

“I just thank God that we’re here to tell about it,” says the victim.

The family says the security cameras have only been up for a week. The cameras were only put up because the family had just installed a new security system at their business. These were extra cameras they already paid for and decided to put them to good use.

Watch the surveillance video attached with this story to see a better description of the three black male suspects in this case. The three men were wearing black shirts and put on plastic gloves before entering the home. The first man who entered the home was wearing a camouflage baseball hat. Another man was wearing a blue baseball hat. The man who exited the home holding the safe was bald. The victim says the men looked like they were in their late twenties.

Police describe the getaway car as a light colored, four-door Cadillac.

The victim says she wonders if the three men followed her home that morning.

If you recognize the people or the car, you can remain anonymous by calling our partner, First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

Source:  First Coast News

When my last ol’ buddy Odie dies, I’ve sworn to never get another dog because it just hurts too much when they pass on.  On the other hand, I don’t think those POSs would have blithely kicked the door down when a couple of Rottweilers were lounging outside on the lawn.

Corn: In the 18 major producing States, corn was 6 percent at or beyond silking, compared with 27 percent a year ago, and a 5- year average of 19 percent. Across the nation, corn development was near or behind the normal pace, with the most significant delays in Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri, where silking trailed the 5-year average pace by 35, 43, and 42 points, respectively. The one exception was Colorado, where corn development was ahead of normal. Crop conditions improved slightly compared to last week, with 62 percent of corn rated good to excellent.

Soybeans: Ninety-five percent of the nation’s soybean acreage had emerged, lagging both the average pace and last year by 3 points. Delays were most pronounced in Missouri, where emergence was 22 points behind the 5-year average. Emergence in all other states was within 9 points of normal. Twelve percent of the crop was at or beyond the blooming stage, 14 points below average and 21 points behind last year’s pace. Michigan was the only state where blooming was not delayed, with blooming acreage 12 points ahead of the 5-year average. Soybean development was the most advanced in the lower Delta region. Overall, 59 percent of the acreage was rated in good to excellent condition, a 1 point improvement from the previous week.

Winter Wheat: Winter wheat harvesting was 52 percent complete, compared with 53 percent last year and an average of 61 percent. Dry weather in Kansas allowed producers to harvest 43 percent of their crop during the week. Despite rainy conditions during the week in Missouri, producers were able to harvest 31 percent of their crop. Harvesting was nearly complete in Arkansas, California, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, and was near or below the normal pace in most other states.

Cotton: Acreage at or beyond the squaring stage reached 60 percent nationally, lagging the 5-year average and last year’s pace by 3 points. Development was most advanced in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri, with nearly all of Arkansas’ acreage reaching the squaring stage. Additionally, dry, sunny conditions in Kansas allowed cotton to develop rapidly, advancing 40 points during the week to more than 30 points ahead of normal. Nationwide, boll setting was 5 points behind the 5-year average and last year’s pace, with progress at or below average in all states except Arizona, Louisiana, and Missouri. Overall, cotton condition was rated 45 percent good to excellent, unchanged from last week.

Sorghum: Planting advanced to 97 percent complete, which is near both the 5-year average and last year’s pace. Planting was complete in the Delta, Nebraska, and South Dakota, though progress in New Mexico was 13 points behind the 5-year average. Elsewhere, sorghum planting was within 8 points of normal. Nationwide, 24 percent of the crop was at or beyond the heading stage, 2 points below normal and lagging last year’s pace by 11 points. Heading was significantly delayed in Arkansas, trailing the 5-year average by 33 points and last year by 40. In contrast, dry weather and seasonable temperatures in Louisiana promoted crop development, with acreage 20 points ahead of normal. Elsewhere, heading progress was within 9 points of normal. Seventeen percent of the nation’s acreage reached coloring, which is 1 point below normal and 7 points behind last year’s pace. Coloring had occurred in Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, but had not yet begun elsewhere. Overall, sorghum condition was rated 51 percent good to excellent, an improvement of 2 points from last week.

Rice: Eight percent of the Nation’s rice crop was heading, 3 points behind last year and the 5-year average. Heading progress in all states was behind last year and the 5-year average. Sixty-nine percent of the acreage was rated in good to excellent condition, a 3 point improvement over last week.

Small Grains: Fifty-eight percent of the spring wheat acreage reached the heading stage, 18 points behind last year and 12 points behind the 5-year average. Despite significant progress during the week, especially in Minnesota and the Dakotas, heading was still lagging both last year’s pace and
the 5-year average in all states. Sixty-nine percent of the crop was rated good to excellent, a 5 point decline from last week. Development to the heading stage was evident in 58 percent of the barley acreage, 21 points behind last year and 8 points behind the 5-year average. Development was behind last year and normal in all states, despite major progress during the week. Compared with 71 percent last week, 69 percent of the barley acreage was rated in good to excellent condition. Oat acreage was 81 percent headed, lagging 13 points behind last year and 8 points behind the 5-year average. Heading acreage was at or below normal in all states except Ohio. Overall, producers reaped 9 percent of the oat crop, equaling the average pace but lagging last year by 1 point. Oat harvesting had just begun in Iowa, while the harvest was nearly complete in Texas. Sixty-six percent of the oat crop was rated in good to excellent condition.

Other Crops: Forty-two percent of the peanut crop had reached the pegging stage, 15 points ahead of last year and 1 point ahead of the 5-year average. Pegging progress was slower than normal in the Southeast and Oklahoma; however, all states except South Carolina and Oklahoma were near or ahead of last year’s pace. Peanut condition improved 7 points from last week, with 56 percent rated good to excellent.

Source:  USDA