"Ira Leesfield"

Published on: January 30, 2025

Child Dies Saturday in Key West Fire that Killed Family, officials say

A 5-year-old boy died from his injuries in a fire at a Key West apartment that killed both his parents and one of his three siblings, officials said.

Sadrac Decimy died Saturday at HCA Kendall, where he and his two other siblings, 13 and 14 years old, were taken following Thursday’s blaze. The other two siblings are in stable condition at HCA Kendall as of Wednesday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The fire happened on Thursday at an apartment building with at least eight units at 1010 Emma Street in Key West’s Bahama Village. Parents Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyn Pierre, 38, and 7-year-old Dave Decimy, were killed in the fire.

Published on: January 27, 2025

Three Dead, Three Others Injured After Key West Building Fire Thursday Night

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire at a Key West apartment building resulted in the deaths of three people, including a child, and the injury of three other children on Thursday.

Parents, Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyn Pierre, 38, and child, 7-year-old Dave Decimy, were killed when a fire broke out around 7 p.m. Thursday at 1010 Emma Street in Bahama Village. A 14-year-old and two other children are among the survivors. Those three children were taken to Kendall Regional Hospital.

The fire was confined to a single unit, according to reporting from the Key West Citizen.

Published on: January 24, 2025

Key West Firefighters Complete Additional Training as Fires Continue to Rage in California. How Leesfield & Partners is Providing Aid.

By Leesfield & Partners

Amid horrific wildfires that have ravaged homes, wreaking havoc on the lives of thousands of Californians, Key West firefighters have completed additional training to improve their emergency response.

Firefighters in Key West recently completed their Florida Urban Search and Rescue Confined Space Technical Rescue training course, a lesson that teaches how to safely and effectively get people out of complicated fire situations. The course focuses on hazard analysis, risk assessment, training levels of personnel and the availability of external resources.

Providing Aid

Published on: January 21, 2025

Charter Boat Captain Charged After July 8 Florida Keys Crash that Injured Eight, police say

By Leesfield & Partners

The charter captain of a boat that crashed into a bridge over the summer, injuring several people including an 11-year-old boy, has been accused of being under the influence during the crash.

Laurence Lewis, 42, was charged this week with three counts of felony boating under the influence, causing serious bodily injury, as well as one felony count of child neglect. Additionally, he faces a misdemeanor count of aggravated boating under the influence accompanied by a minor, misdemeanor reckless boating and possession of drug paraphernalia. Authorities found Lewis at his home in Big Pine Key Tuesday, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. He was granted a $195,000 bond Wednesday morning and was released from jail.

Lewis was allegedly under the influence of drugs and had consumed tequila on July 8, 2024, the day of the crash, according to officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who investigated the crash.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Concerns Flagged over E-Bikes in Key West at Latest City Commission Meeting. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Officials raised concerns about e-bikes in Key West this week at the first City Commission Meeting of 2025.

The concern was flagged by Donie Lee, the City Commissioner and former police chief, who said the issue could not be solved with “more enforcement,” according to reporting from the Key west Citizen. His suggestion was to ban the electronic modes of transport from multi-use pathways to protect pedestrians and traditional cyclists from potential crashes.

Tom Malone, a resident who disagreed with Lee, spoke out during the public comments section of the meeting to share his experience as an avid walker throughout the community. As a pedestrian, he said, these electronic modes of transport present a significant hazard to pedestrians.

Published on: January 14, 2025

Four People Rescued from Sinking Boat off Florida Keys. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least four people were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Marathon, Florida, Sunday.

Th incident happened about 11 miles off the coast around 5 p.m. when a distress signal reached the U.S. Coast Guard. A crew was sent out to find the 27-foot, sinking vessel and its four passengers.

Additional information including what caused the boat to sink or whether anyone was injured were not immediately available Monday.

Published on: December 26, 2024

New Bill Proposes Stricter Penalties for ‘Boat and Run’ Crashes in Florida. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Several bills, including one to impose stricter penalties on boaters involved in crashes, have been proposed in the Florida House and Senate ahead of the 2025 start to the legislative session in March; here’s what you should know.

The bill referencing the penalties was proposed by Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Republican in Miami, and would classify fleeing a fatal boat crash as a first-degree felony, meaning this charge could carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, if convicted. Additional penalties can include a $10,000 fine. If a person who is found guilty of this crime was also found to have bene under the influence at the time of the crash, then a mandatory, minimum sentence of four years would be applied.

This bill, SB 58, was filed in response to the 2022 Biscayne Bay boat crash that killed one high school student on board and permanently injured another. The student killed in that incident was 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez who was on the boat being operated by George Pino, a local real-estate developer. Pino was first charged with three misdemeanor charges of careless boating, but those charges were changed to vessel homicide after a witness came forward this year with new evidence in the case.

Published on: December 19, 2024

Tallahassee Woman Dies in Florida Keys While Scuba Diving, officials say.

By Leesfield & Partners

A woman died Tuesday morning while scuba diving with a commercial scuba vessel in the Florida Keys, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

The 56-year-old woman, identified at Andreas Shultz of Tallahassee, was diving at Molasses Reef off Key Lago. Just before 10 a.m., she was found unconscious in the water and was rushed to shore.

Shultz died enroute to shore while others on the boat performed CPR, according to local reporting.

Published on: December 18, 2024

Tractor-Trailer Driver Allegedly on social media Before Fatal Crash that killed woman, 8-year-old son.

By Leesfield & Partners

A tractor-trailer driver who faces felony charges in the August 2023 crash in Nebraska that killed a woman and her young son, 8, is now being accused of using Snapchat as he crashed, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

Justin Zoerb, 22, was charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of reckless driving following the Clay County, Nebraska, crash on Aug. 9, 2023.

The crash happened around 4 p.m., killing 8-year-old Ryker Schlichtman and Nicole Pavelka, 30. Three other children in the family were hospitalized for their injuries but lived.

Published on: December 13, 2024

Key West Hotel Joins Marriott Autograph Collection. A Look Back at Previous Leesfield & Partners Hotel Cases.

By Leesfield & Partners

Following a $35 million renovation, La Concha in Key West has recently joined Marriott’s “Autograph Collection,” a signifier of upscale properties within the Marriot International portfolio.

The 160-room hotel, formerly known as Crowne Plaza La Concha, was under construction since at least October of last year and now features a refurbished bar, hotel lobby and restaurant. Included in the renovation were upgrades to the outside of the hotel, rooms, the pool area and meeting spaces.

While the addition of an upscale lodging property is a positive development for Key West’s thriving tourist economy, which welcomes millions of visitors annually, guests should remain cautious.