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Your Florida Daily: FBI releases Florida crime stats, couple gets caught in takedown of Uber driver

Plus, decaying remains of an old truck stop mascot

On the night of October 24th, at around 9:37pm, Elijah was Ubering a couple from the United Kingdom. The couple, Marc and Rhiannon are in Polk County to attend a wedding next week—theirs. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)

The FBI has released its 2022 data for violent crime in the state of Florida.

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According to those stats, Florida’s rate of violent crime, which includes homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and sexual battery, was well below the national average.

Some of the trends that emerged in the data are where the most violent crimes happen, which stats show is usually in a person’s home.

Victims and offenders were typically strangers, data shows.

Read more Central Florida data here.

Stock image of a raw oyster (Canva)

The FDA is warning certain oysters shipped to restaurants and food stores in Florida and nine other states could be contaminated with salmonella and E. coli.

The oysters came from Future Seafoods, Inc., in Canada.

The FDA advises anyone with these oysters to throw them away.

On the night of October 24th, at around 9:37pm, Elijah was Ubering a couple from the United Kingdom. The couple, Marc and Rhiannon are in Polk County to attend a wedding next week—theirs. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)

A couple from the UK — who were in Florida to get married — end up caught in the middle of a takedown after their Uber driver is pulled over and arrested.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the couple was getting an ride from Elijah Mills, 27, when deputies boxed in his SUV and forced it to stop.

Turns out, a rental company in Orange County reported the SUV stolen because Mills stopped making payments on it.

In order to prevent the company from shutting down the car remotely, Mills told deputies he kept the SUV running for three straight weeks!

Deputies gave the couple a ride to where they were staying.

They were in good spirits — even snapping a selfie with the deputies.

Random Florida Fact

Big Bend Travel Plaza is the oldest independent truck stop still in operation.

It is also the home of a curious roadside figure known locally as “Johnny Donutseed.”

It was a 10- or 12-foot-tall statue of a Johnny Appleseed-type fiberglass figure, except he held a mug of coffee and a large doughnut.

If you stop off I-10 at Exit 217, Johnny’s still there, though he’s falling apart and has a missing arm.