Officials searching for missing North Palm Beach woman in the Florida Keys
ONLINE WHEN WE LEARN MORE. NEW. TONIGHT, THE MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING A SCARY INCIDENT AT THE STEWART CHRISTMAS PARADE. AUTHORITIES SAY A MAN WAS ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY WHILE WALKING TOO CLOSELY TO CONGRESSMAN BRIAN MAST. AND THEY SAY WHEN HE WAS EVENTUALLY STOPPED BY DEPUTIES, THE SITUATION BECAME EVEN MORE CONCERNING. REPORTER RACHEL PERRY IS IN STUDIO TONIGHT WITH WHAT AUTHORITIES FOUND ON THE MAN AND HOW THE SHERIFF IS REACTING TO THE CHRISTMAS PARADE SCARE. AS HUNDREDS LINED THE STREETS FOR STEWART’S CHRISTMAS PARADE, OFFICIALS ZEROED IN ON THIS MAN. THEY LOOK SUSPICIOUS. SUSPICIOUS? MEANING? A HAT PULLED DOWN, A HEAVY JACKET. AND IT WAS HOT LAST NIGHT FOR FLORIDA AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF JOHN BOONE SAYS HE APPEARED TO BE FOLLOWING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CONGRESSMAN BRIAN MAST, AND THEY COULD SEE SOME TYPE OF APPARATUS UNDER HIM, WHICH ENDED UP BEING A RIFLE RATED BULLETPROOF VEST. AND LET ME PUT THAT IN CONTEXT. OUR DEPUTIES WEAR SOFT BODY ARMOR. THEY’RE NOT RIFLE RATED BODY ARMOR. THIS IS LEGIT RIFLE RATED BODY ARMOR. IT’S A HIGHER LEVEL THAN NORMAL BODY ARMOR. WITH THAT, HE HAD A DAGGER TUCKED DOWN IN HIS PANTS, AND HE HAD A HANDGUN ON HIS HIP. DESPITE BEING QUESTIONED BY BOTH LOCAL AND FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS, NO CHARGES WERE FILED. NOW, THAT’S BECAUSE THE SHERIFF SAYS TECHNICALLY HE DIDN’T COMMIT A CRIME. THIS IS A CONCERNING CASE FOR US BECAUSE IT’S KIND OF A TRICK BAG. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ARREST HIM LAST NIGHT BECAUSE LEGALLY, TECHNICALLY, HE’S ALLOWED TO CARRY A FIREARM ON THAT ROUTE. A SEARCH OF HIS PHONE DIDN’T REVEAL ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS, AND THEY AREN’T SURE OF HIS INTENTIONS, BUT THEY DO BELIEVE HE MAY HAVE BEEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE. OUR DETECTIVES ARE WORKING ON WHAT WE CALL A RISK PROTECTION ORDER TO TRY TO PROHIBIT HIM FROM HAVING A GUN UNTIL HE CAN GET WHATEVER’S GOING ON, MENTALLY OR WITH CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES SQUARED AWAY. THE SHERIFF NOW SAYING THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY LAW ENFORCEMENT PREPARES FOR THESE EVENTS. OUR SWAT GUYS ARE OUT HERE. WE’RE FLYING ALL THE ROOFTOPS OF ANY HIGHER ELEVATED PERCH. WE ARE. WE HAVE UNDERCOVERS IN THE CROWD. WE HAVE BLOCKADES TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DRIVING DOWN THE ROUTES. WE’RE LIVING IN A DAY AND AGE WHERE WE HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL. IN MARTIN COUNTY. RACHEL PERRY, WPBF 25 NEWS. AND CONGRESSMAN BRIAN MAST POSTED ON X ABOUT THE INCIDENT, THANKING THE MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY LAST NIGHT. IN PART, THE CONGRESSMAN SAID, QUOTE, MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES WERE ON IT LAST NIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE LIVE IN A WORLD
Officials searching for missing North Palm Beach woman in the Florida Keys
Updated: 1:09 PM EST Dec 7, 2025
Video above: Christmas parade scare: Suspicious man detained, found armed with gun and daggerLaw enforcement officials in the Florida Keys are searching for a missing woman. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, 79-year-old Ellen Ruth Domb of North Palm Beach was reported missing while diving on the Vandenberg wreck off Key West on Friday and into Saturday.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsThe sheriff’s office said Domb was last seen by a dive partner at 11 a.m. Friday. According to the sheriff’s office, Domb became separated from her dive buddy in strong current within two to three minutes after entering the water.Domb is a White woman listed at 5-foot-6. The sheriff’s office said it along with the U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Key West Police Department are searching for Domb.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Anyone with information about Domb’s whereabouts is asked to contact 911 or the U.S. Coast Guard via marine VHF channel 16 or at 305-292-8727.
KEY WEST, Fla. —
Video above: Christmas parade scare: Suspicious man detained, found armed with gun and dagger
Law enforcement officials in the Florida Keys are searching for a missing woman. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, 79-year-old Ellen Ruth Domb of North Palm Beach was reported missing while diving on the Vandenberg wreck off Key West on Friday and into Saturday.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
The sheriff’s office said Domb was last seen by a dive partner at 11 a.m. Friday. According to the sheriff’s office, Domb became separated from her dive buddy in strong current within two to three minutes after entering the water.
Domb is a White woman listed at 5-foot-6. The sheriff’s office said it along with the U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Key West Police Department are searching for Domb.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Anyone with information about Domb’s whereabouts is asked to contact 911 or the U.S. Coast Guard via marine VHF channel 16 or at 305-292-8727.