#HMBlog: Florida Wingstop manger charged for throwing hot grease at customer

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Wingstop manager in Port St. Lucie got a little too saucy on Jan. 28, allegedly chucking hot grease and ranch dressing at customers like it was the secret sauce to good service.

Nineteen-year-old Carnael Irene was caught on video spritzing the goods at some rowdy patrons, who fired back with their own counter-toss. Not one to leave a food fight half-baked, Irene grabbed some hot grease and let it rip. She later told cops the customers were loud and rude—because who hasn’t wanted to dump a vat of scolding hot grease on a noisy table?

Now, Irene’s facing aggravated child abuse and battery charges, proving that in Florida, even your wings are dangerous. Check out the video of the incident below:

#HMBlog: Stolen Polk County Swans found & returned to Polk county (probably against their will)

LAKELAND, Fla. - In a plot twist that could only happen in the Sunshine State, two black swans named "Sterling" and "Luna"—along with their unhatched little ones—have taken a detour from their luxurious lifestyle at the Highland Village Mobile Home Park to the glamorous streets of Cutler Bay, Miami.

Here's the scoop: Imagine this: Sterling and Luna, the Brad and Angelina of the bird world, chilling in their nest when suddenly, two clowns, Jordan Montoya and Alfredo Casanova, show up with nets and a bucket. They probably thought they were going fishing for goldfish or meth. Instead, they nabbed these feathered celebrities right from under the community's nose, leaving everyone in the park more devastated than watching the last episode of RAW on Netflix.

"Today is probably the best day of my life," said Property Manager, Lynda Eddlemon. "We got our swans back thanks to Polk County Sheriff, the media and the news and everything that went out there." 

The heist was caught on camera, showing our would-be birdnappers taking a leisurely 30 minutes to commit their crime.

The swans, safe and sound, were located through a twist straight out of a telenovela. CJ Webber, a local swan enthusiast, got a surprise visit from one of the suspects who probably watched a FOX 13 report and thought, "Hey, I can be the hero here!" Instead of selling the swans on the black market, they decided to return them via Webber, who must've felt like he was in a bizarre episode of "Pawn Stars."

Webber also mentioned that the other three swans dropped off with Sterling and Luna were apparently stolen from a retirement center in Pompano Beach.

"They decided they wanted to return the swans, and they were remorseful for what they did so they decided to use me as a third party to get the swans back to the rightful owners," said Webber. 

#HMBlog: USF President Rhea Law Steps Down—But Promises Not to Take the Football Stadium With Her

TAMPA, Fla. — University of South Florida President Rhea Law has decided to call it a career—but don’t worry, she’s not ghosting us just yet.

In a move that shocked absolutely no one (except maybe the person who just finished embroidering "President Law" on a fancy office chair), Law announced she’ll be stepping down once the university finds someone brave enough to fill her shoes.

Law initially took on the interim role in August 2021 before making it official in March 2022. She always planned to be a bridge to the next leader, but now that the bridge is looking more like a high-speed expressway, she’s ready to pass the baton.

USF took a moment to flex Law’s biggest wins, like breaking ground on an on-campus football stadium (finally!), opening a shiny new Honors College and wellness center, and getting USF into the elite Association of American Universities—something no Florida public university had done in decades.

The search for the next USF president is officially on and I’m around. I’ll do it. LMK.

#HMBlog: Polk County woman accused of attacking man with garden hoe after plans to 'hang out' fell through

FROSTPROOF, Fla. – A Polk County woman took rejection way too personally after her plans to "hang out" got canceled—by attacking the guy with a garden hoe.

Authorities say 47-year-old Melanie Davis wasn’t thrilled when the victim called off their plans, so naturally, she did what any totally rational person would do: she showed up at his Frostproof home at 3 a.m. and started screaming at him from outside. Because nothing says "Let's talk this out" like a middle-of-the-night fence-climbing session.

According to investigators, Davis didn’t stop at yelling—she scaled the fence, barged through his door, and started swinging (literally, with her fists at first). Then, for reasons known only to her, she upgraded her attack weapon to a garden hoe, leaving the victim with a nasty cut on his arm. Gardening tools: not just for weeds anymore.

Charges:

• Armed burglary with battery (because breaking and entering just wasn’t enough)

• Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (yes, a hoe counts)

• Simple battery (probably the least of his worries)

• Criminal mischief (as if the rest wasn’t mischievous enough)

Fun Fact:

According to Polk County inmate records, Davis has been arrested 28 times in 28 years—keeping the drive alive.