Week in review: Double license plates, taxpayer travel bill, sex offender murder suspect

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) -- This week’s top stories feature significant developments in Florida, including potential changes to vehicle regulations aimed at enhancing safety on the roads. State lawmakers are proposing SB 92, which mandates a front license plate for cars. This initiative is designed to help identify hit-and-run drivers, a serious issue in Florida where over 100,000 such incidents occurred in 2023, leading to nearly 300 fatalities. Senator Joe Gruters, the bill's sponsor, highlighted the importance of two license plates in aiding surveillance cameras during emergencies.

In a tragic incident in Riviera Beach, a 5-year-old child died after ingesting methamphetamine while left alone in a hotel room by their mother, Heather Opsincs. Police responded to reports of an unresponsive child at the Sands Hotel & Resort, but despite medical intervention, the child was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital. The investigation revealed that the child accessed and consumed the drug while unsupervised.

In another alarming event, a former student of Santaluces Community High School, 17-year-old Teddy K. Joachim, was arrested for attempted first-degree murder. Surveillance footage captured him firing nine shots at a group of teenagers outside a home in Palm Beach County earlier this year. Joachim's violent act underscores ongoing concerns about youth violence in the community.

Florida's Republican lawmakers are also investigating questionable travel spending by state employees living outside Florida. Reports reveal that four analysts from the Department of Management Services incurred over $56,000 in travel expenses for daily commutes. House Budget Subcommittee Chair Vicki Lopez expressed concern over the significant taxpayer money being spent on such travel.

In a separate case, police in Port St. Lucie apprehended a registered sex offender, Carlos Tito Caban, in connection with the murder of Toni-Lynn Trabb, who was found dead at a Best Western hotel. Caban was arrested while driving the victim’s vehicle and is now facing serious charges as the investigation into the circumstances of Trabb's death continues.