The Top Five ‘Florida Man’ Headlines Of 2019 So Far


Every now and again, a wacky news story will pop up — and folks will clamor to check to see if it somehow involves the famed “Florida Man.” The moniker, one which is used to describe a resident of the Sunshine State who participates in some sort of tomfoolery, mostly illegal, has dedicated social media accounts — including a Twitter page — which highlight some of the more peculiar headlines.

In just the second week of 2019, a few “Florida Men” — and one woman — have made waves, causing a stir on social media for their antics. The top five headlines from this year, so far, follow.

1. Wesley Scott

During a strip search at the Pinellas County Jail, Wesley Scott, 40, pulled three syringes from his rectum and handed them to deputies. After the exchange, Scott told the deputies that the syringes in question weren’t his, and that he had no clue how they had gotten there.

Scott was being booked following an arrest warrant for a previous drug charge, and has now tacked on additional charges of introducing contraband into a correctional facility — which is a felony, as the Smoking Gun reported. Scott now faces additional jail time, and is being held on $5,000 bond.

2. Joseph Lagana

Lagana, a Port Richey man, was arrested following a physical altercation over the type of bread he requested on his cheese-steak. He was at the Gunn Highway Flea Market when he engaged in a scuffle with the cashier of a food cart over receiving a sesame seed bun with his sandwich.

Deputies brought in to diffuse the situation described Lagana, 27, as being loud and disruptive, as well as heavily intoxicated. He was booked on a misdemeanor charge, as Local 10 reported.

3. Robert Thomas Houston

Houston, 33, found out that his father helped deliver him on the day of his birth — and promptly whacked him in the face with a scalding hot slice of pizza. After sharing the sentimental story of his son’s birth, his father went for an evening stroll while Houston waited for the pizza delivery. When his father returned, Houston held him down in a chair and slammed the slice into his face while screaming at him.

“The victim began to flail around, trying to get the defendant off of him, at which point the defendant went outside and awaited law enforcement,” a report of the incident stated, as WSB-TV revealed. Law enforcement officials said that they found the slice of pizza on a chair, with cheese and sauce being strewn about the room.

4. Deana Seltzer

Not one to let the guys have all the glory, Deana Seltzer of Palm Beach was arrested after allegedly attacking her parents for refusing to take her to Outback Steakhouse. As Fox News reported, Seltzer became so enraged over their denial to take her to dinner that she started turning over furniture, smashing through glass, and punched her mother in the chest and arms.

When her father attempted to break up the scuffle, Seltzer picked up a knife and started chasing — and threatening to kill — her parents. She was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic battery, and battery of a person 65 or older. She currently awaits a mental health evaluation.

5. Daniel Taylor

St. Petersburg resident Daniel Taylor, 41, was arrested following a videotaped altercation between himself and a McDonald’s employee — after not being handed a straw with his beverage. A new law in St. Petersburg prohibits restaurants from having straws out in the open, but customers can receive one if they request it.

“He was yelling and walking toward the counter and the young lady behind the counter told him that it’s the law now that we’re not allowed to have straws in the lobby,” eye witness Brenda Biandudi told ABC Action News. Following a verbal confrontation, Biandudi caught a video of Taylor reaching over the counter to grab at the young employee, Yasmine James.

James fought off her attacker by throwing several punches before being pulled away from the man by her co-workers. Taylor was arrested, and was charged with two counts of simple battery.

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