GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) –
No. 1: Deadly Tubing Accident on Star Lake
This summer, a child was killed, and two others were hurt during a tubing accident on a lake near Hawthorne.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissioners say three children, all under the age of twelve, were on a tube being pulled by a Sea-Doo jet ski on Star Lake when the tube hit a dock.
The youngest child, Andrew Boch, 9, was killed in the crash. According to a gofundme, a 10-year-old boy was hospitalized with serious injuries.
The operator of the jet ski, a 75-year-old man, wasn’t hurt. Everyone was wearing a lifejacket at the time of the crash.
RELATED: Tubing accident involving jet ski kills 8-year-old, injures 2 other children: ‘It really hurts’
A child is dead in what’s being described as a personal watercraft incident near the Putnam-Alachua County lineNo. 2: 17-year-old Fakes Kidnapping in Marion County
A 17-year-old in Marion County faced criminal charges after an alleged kidnapping resulting in an overnight search, and an Amber Alert was discovered to be a hoax.
Authorities say Caden Speight disappeared on Sept. 25 after sending a text message to his mother claiming four Hispanic men shot at him.
Search teams spent the night looking for Speight, and he was located near Williston.
Investigators determined Speight made the whole story up, leaving the scene on a bicycle and hiding out. To keep up the ruse, he shot himself in the leg.
Speight pleaded no contest to charges related to the hoax and was sentenced to a year of house arrest and to pay restitution.
RELATED: Missing 17-year-old from Marion County found safe; no abduction occurred
Officials say initial claims about a Caden being shot and abducted were unfounded.No. 3: Susan Lorincz interviewed from behind bars
TV20’s Robert Bradfield interviewed Susan Lorincz, the woman convicted of manslaughter for shooting her neighbor, as she serves a 25-year sentence in state prison.
He questioned her about the moments before she pulled the trigger, firing a shot through her front door that struck Ajike AJ Owens, a mother of four.
Lorincz was convicted in August 2024; however, her case received renewed attention in October 2025 when Netflix released a documentary titled “The Perfect Neighbor.”
RELATED: TV20 Exclusive: Susan Lorincz interviewed behind bars on killing of AJ Owens; ‘I can’t take it back’
No. 4: 21 Horses Die in Barn Fire on WEC Owners’ Property
In April, 21 horses perished in a fire at a horse barn in Marion County owned by a prominent family in the equestrian community.
Authorities say a barn on Northwest 118th Street in Reddick was on fire, with horses trapped inside.
The barn belonged to the Roberts Corporation, the owners of the World Equestrian Center.
RELATED: 21 horses die after barn catches fire in Marion County
An investigation is underway into the deaths of 21 during a barn fire at a property owned by a prominent family in the equestrian community.No. 5: Baby and Toddler Die in Gainesville Crash
In July, a baby and a toddler were both killed when a car collided with an electrician’s can in Gainesville.
The crash happened on Southwest Williston Road near the Interstate 75 on-ramp.
Investigators determined the children weren’t in any restraints at the time of the crash.
In October, officers recommended charges of negligent aggravated manslaughter to be filed against the mother, Christina Gordan, 29. Court records show no update in the case.
RELATED: Baby, toddler killed in Williston Road wreck in Gainesville near I-75 exit: ‘I saw blood’
TV20 spoke with a couple who witnessed the crash and rushed over to help
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