Thread: System Fails Murdered Fort Myers Police Officer

System Fails Murdered Fort Myers Police Officer

Posted: July 19, 2008 06:49 PM EDT


Fort Myers police officer Andrew Widman, 30


An arrest history released today by the Fort Myers Police Department shows that the suspect in the shooting death of Fort Myers Police Officer Andrew Widman should have been deported. A criminal records list compiled by Fort Myers Police detectives says Abel Arango is a Cuban native and was convicted of an aggravated felony in September of 2000. The next month, the court ordered that he be deported. Arango appealed, but the appeal was denied. Then when he was released from Krom Detention Center in Miami in July of 2004, he was placed on supervised release. Today's arrest history from the Fort Myers Police says Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, the agency responsible for Arango's release, doesn't have probation officers or supervisory employees. According to the Fort Myers police, this means Arango was set free.

Man Accused in Police Officer's Murder has History of Arrests

http://www.fox4now.com/Global/story.asp?S=8701379

Fort Myers Police Major Doug Baker provided some insight as to what might have been going through the mind of 26-year old accused guman, Abel Arango, "the defendant victim in the case made the comments, and I may miss this but, that he was going to go out Miami style and he was going to take an officer with him."

Officers shot and killed Arango after they say he fatally shot police Officer Andrew Widman in the face.


Arango is no stranger to authorities and violence. His arrest reports date back to his teen years for armed robbery, grand theft, burglary and weapons charges. The Florida Department of Corrections website shows Arango spent 6 years in a state prison plus was put on 15 years state probation. But after his release he slipped off the radar and cops issued a warrant for his arrest.

His latest mug shot comes from the Lee County Sheriff's Office where deputies arrested for having and selling cocaine.

In Collier County, deputies had a warrant out for him for a probation violation.

There were only barking dogs at the San Carlos Park home Arango shared with his girlfriend Crystal Turcotte, the woman Arango argued with before the deadly shooting. Turcotte also has a rap sheet in Lee County for cocaine possession, battery and disturbing the peace.

Neighbors next door tell Fox 4 News they saw the couple yesterday and heard men yelling in the backyard. "It was some pretty hardcore arguing," says Dixon Cleaves, "it was pretty intense. You knew something was going to happen. It was in their voice it was like they were about to fight. "

Fox 4 News spoke with Crystal's lawyer, Jean-Paul Galasson, over the phone. She wants to express her condolences to Officer Widman's family because she believes he took a bullet that was meant to kill her. Galasson also said he did not know what sparked the argument outside the club.

Other friends Fox 4 News spoke with who knew the couple said the two argued a lot because there was a lot of jealously between them.

Turcotte and Arango have a young daughter together.

Police: East Naples man who shot Fort Myers officer vowed to 'go out Miami-style'

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jul ... -suspect-/

FORT MYERS — A 30-year-old former missionary who began his career as a Fort Myers police officer a year ago was gunned down Friday by an East Naples man who has a lengthy criminal record and had bragged to bystanders that he would shoot a police officer, authorities said.

The 26-year-old East Naples man with a history of committing crimes in Collier and Lee counties was shot to death by police early Friday after he killed the officer.

In an emotional press conference at City Hall, Fort Myers police and city officials identified Andrew Widman as the slain officer.

They also suggested that the suspect, Abel Arango, vowed to take out an officer.

“He was going to go out Miami-style, and he was going to take an officer with him,â€

this is all over the news down here... thanks for posting and be safe.

This was a bad person . Some are just born that way imo . So sad about the young officer

It’s long past time for talk about doing something and time to drop the PC/permissive policies. We have repeatedly warned of this and now it has happened. Now its time for action and accountability This officers blood is on the hand of the Feds, this State, and its local officials. This is what happens when you turn your back to a problem.

Officer Andrew Widman - am so gravely sorry for family's loss.
So sorry

I am hopefull this young gentle mans death will wake up our police and maybe they will deport these IA villains instead of releasing them back into our commuinity repeatedly.

This is the second time in the last few years a rookie cop has been killed by an IA.The last time it was a young woman rookie who was hit and killed by a drunk IA.

If you go to the Lee county sheriffs site you will see a large number of those arrested are hispanics drug dealers who are moving here from Miami yet they are able to bond out instead of being handed over to ICE.

Widman leaves behind a wife and three young children — an infant, a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, Baker said.

That got me more than anything. Another death that should not have happened.