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Ads July 202020NE SUNDAY JULY 26 2020NEIGHBORSMIAMIHERALD.COM An off-duty police officer from Auburndale in Polk County in Central Florida was arrested in the Keys Wednesday morning on aggravated battery and kidnapping charges. He is accused of attacking his pregnant girlfriend and refusing to let her leave the Cheeca Lodge hotel room where they were vacation- ing. Officer Dane Alexander Henwood is being held in Plantation Key jail, with no bond in- formation immediately available. The sheriff’s office did not provide his age on the arrest report. His girl- friend, who FLKeysNews/ Miami Herald is not naming because she is an alleged domestic abuse victim, told Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies that she and Henwood argued late Tues- day night because she was angry he was drunk. They were lying in bed when he rolled on top of her, placing pressure on her pregnant torso, she told deputies, according to the arrest report. She said he then grabbed both of her arms. During the argument, before it became physical, she said Henwood placed his gun on the bedside ta- ble, “but only because he heard someone at the ice machine outside,” Deputy Anfernee Hernandez wrote in his report. The woman told deputies that when Henwood drinks, he becomes controlling with her, “usually grabbing her in such a manner that it makes it difficult for her to move or get away,” Rodri- guez wrote. The woman said Hen- wood fell asleep, and she began gathering her be- longings to leave. She went to the bathroom, and when she got out, Henwood was awake and had her car keys in his pocket, according to the report. The woman then called 911. The emergency oper- ator who took the call could hear a man in the back- ground telling the woman “do not do that the police are going to come,” accord- ing to the report. Deputies arrived at the Islamorada hotel around 12:30 a.m. Henwood told Rodriguez that he did not touch the woman or prevent her from leaving. Rodriguez said Henwood appeared intoxicated. There was a “huge” empty bottle of alcohol in the trash can and another near- ly empty bottle on the ta- ble, according to the report. Deputies found a loaded Taurus semi-automatic pistol, which was legally registered to Henwood, inside a duffel bag, accord- ing to the report. Chief Andy Ray of the Auburndale Police Department said in an email Wednesday after- noon that Henwood “has been summarily relieved of duty pending the outcome of an administrative in- vestigation by this depart- ment.” “We received a copy of the offense report and we have reviewed it,” Ray said. According to the depart- ment’s Facebook page, Henwood was sworn in as an officer in May 2019. David Goodhue: 305-923-9728, @DavidGoodhue DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Auburndale officer arrested in Cheeca Lodge incident BY DAVID GOODHUE dgoodhue@flkeysnews.com Dane Henwood 18NE SUNDAY JULY 19 2020NEIGHBORSMIAMIHERALD.COM A veteran Monroe County sheriff’s deputy turned him- self in Tuesday on charges that he illegally accessed the Florida driver’s license data- base, as well as another state crime database, to conduct thousands of background checks for security personnel at an exclusive gated commu- nity in Key Largo, according to his arrest report. Specifically, Lt. Thomas Kiffney is accused of running people’s names through the state Driver and Vehicle In- formation Database — or DAVID — in connection with his full-time job at Ocean Reef resort,an ultra-wealthy en- clave located at the northern end of Key Largo, his warrant states. At the time, Kiffney had retired from his full-time job as a deputy, but was still on the department as a reserve officer, which gave him access to law enforcement databases. Along with the DAVID system, Kiffney is also ac- cused of illegally accessing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement-maintained Florida Crime Information Center, or FCIC, as many as 1,368 times over a two-year period, according to the Mon- roe County Sheriff’s Office arrest warrant obtained by the Miami Herald. He was arrested on 30 counts of accessing a comput- er electronic device without authorization, according to the warrant, which states he ac- cessed DAVID 2,923 times between January 2018 and April 17, 2020. Ocean Reef fired Kiffney earlier this year. A source familiar with the investigation said the majority of the background searches Kiffney is accused of con- ducting were for visiting dayworkers and vendors to resort. Kiffney, 53, retired from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in 2018, but signed back on as a reserve deputy in January. The same month, he was hired to command Ocean Reef’s security staff. As a reserve deputy, he still had access to the DAVID system, sources said.Howev- er, it is only legal to access the system for law enforcement purposes — not for the benefit of a private client such as Ocean Reef to check on the backgrounds of visitors. Kiffney is well known not only as a law enforcement officer in the Keys communi- ty, but also as the owner of a firearms and indoor gun range on the Overseas Highway in Key Largo. Kiffney’s lawyer, John Ja- bro, said Tuesday afternoon that he just received a copy of the warrant, but at first glance, he said it does not appear his client broke the law. “I don’t think there’s any violation of the law here,” Jabro said. “I don’t know what’s motivating this.” As of Tuesday afternoon, Kiffney was being held in county jail on a $75,000 bond. Monroe County State At- torney Dennis Ward also declined to comment. The sheriff’s office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began investi- gating the case in April, ac- cording to the warrant. Ac- cording to a sheriff’s office press release issued Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Rick Ram- say ordered the investigation after Ocean Reef came to him with concerns that Kiffney could be illegally using the datatbases for his back- ground checks. “Though I am saddened to see a law enforcement officer end their career this way, I will always work to hold those who break the law accountable, especially when it means policing our own,” Ramsay said in a statement. Ocean Reef did not imme- diately return a request for comment. Kiffney served full time at the sheriff’s office from April 1992 to January 2018. His salary when he retired was $93,562.27, according to the sheriff’s office. He signed back on as a reserve deputy in January. That job ended June 13, ac- cording to the sheriff’s office. According to the warrant, the Ocean Reef Community Association, which runs Ocean Reef, hired Kiffney as its public safety security com- mander in January 2018. He soon found out that the asso- ciation was looking for a company to conduct back- ground checks on people who enter Ocean Reef, the report states. Kiffney told his bosses he knew of one called Back- ground Executive BG, LLC, owned by a man named Travis Phillips. ORCA staff soon discov- ered Kiffney’s name was also on Background Executive BG’s articles of incorporation filed in May 2018. Kiffney told his bosses that was an over- sight by his accountant, and he removed his name and filed a resignation letter from the limited liability company. Phillips was then listed as the main contact person, accord- ing to the warrant. Sheriff’s office Detective Bernardo Barrios wrote in the report that “It should be noted” that KIffney and Phillips shared the same residential address in Home- stead, and one of Phillips’ cars was listed to a residential address in Springfield, Ten- nessee, where Kiffney also owns a home. The sheriff’s office discov- ered that from May 2018 to March 2020, Kiffney used his department-issued laptop to access DAVID and FCIC for Background Executive BG, Barrios wrote. “Kiffney was misusing the law enforcement databases, DAVID/FCIC, to perform local checks when individuals would enter Ocean Reef to obtain a driver’s license inquiry and or wanted person checks,” Barrios stated. “The information would then be provided to E/B, the back- ground company that provid- ed a service to Ocean Reef.” This went on for about two years, according to the war- rant, before ORCA fired Kiffney “for his actions” in March. Soon after, the sheriff’s office told him he was under investigation and he resigned from the department in June. Speaking to deputies, Phil- lips denied to detectives that he knew Kiffney was running background checks on people linked to Background Exec- utive BG. He said he met Kiffney about five years ago, and that Kiffney helped him get his business started. Phillips, who could not be immediately reached for comment, generated 23 invoices from Ocean Reef from May 2018 to March 2020 totaling $131,916, ac- cording to the warrant. Miami Herald staff writer Charles Rabin contributed to this report. MONROE COUNTY Veteran Florida Keys deputy arrested BY DAVID GOODHUE AND JAY WEAVER dgoodhue@flkeysnews.com jweaver@miamiherald.com Thomas Kiffney 12NE SUNDAY JULY 12 2020NEIGHBORSMIAMIHERALD.COM If you’re looking for kid-friendly entertainment in a place with no humidity and nary a mosquito, Frost Science Museum has you covered. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami recently opened its new permanent exhibit. Titled “Power of Science” and the first new perma- nent exhibit since the mu- seum opened three years ago, the exhibit displays the potential of science using new technology, completely transforming the Ocean Gallery space on the museum’s ground floor. Also, there is air condi- tioning. Do you need to know more? Developed in a part- nership with the University of Miami, “Power of Sci- ence” offers interactive exhibits and rare speci- mens in four areas: Our Oceans, Our Environment, Our Bodies and Our Universe. Speaking of oceans, giant grouper stans can have a blast at the museum, too. Here are some of the other exhibits on display: “Worlds Beyond Earth”:The new Frost Planetarium show opens today and is narrated by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. “Rarely Seen”: The new National Geographic photo show runs through Sept. 7. “Goliah Grouper Aquarium Exhibit”: Learn about a really big fish — really big and the role it plays in Florida’s ecosystem. “Sharks: On Assign- ment with Brian Skerry”: More National Geographic photos from award-win- ning photographer Brian Skerry (through Aug. 9). “Solar System & Be- yond”:Check out the museum’s north wing for this journey through the solar system. Yeah, we kinda wish we were out there right about now, too. For admission to mu- seum, you must have a reservation and ticket for a specific time. PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE Where:1101 Biscayne Blvd., Miami Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. “Power of Science” exhibit opens:Friday Admission:$22 for adults and children 3 and up; kids under 2 and mem- bers free. Must reserve a ticket online at https://www.frostscience.org/ plan-your-day/ Connie Ogle: 305-376-3649, @OgleConnie MUSEUMS Frost Science Museum’s new science exhibit will take you to new world BY CONNIE OGLE cogle@miamiherald.com BRIAN SKERRY Brian Skerry “SHARKS: On Assignment with Brian Skerry” open at Museum through August 9. BENCE MÁTÉ National Geographic, Costa Rica A green-crowned brilliant hummingbird and a green pit viper look eye to eye. The snake hangs delicately from a branch as the hummingbird hovers midair in attack. The showdown captures an eternal dance between predator and prey. 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