Two charged in fatal bonfire fight

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has made two arrests in the bonfire fight that claimed the life of 19-year-old Ryan Scott Ford of St. Augustine.

Christopher Hoffman, 25, of Jacksonville was arrested Saturday and charged with manslaughter.

Robert Lloyd Cline II, 22, of Jacksonville was also arrested Saturday and charged with battery.

A JSO report says after several fights started at the bonfire in the woods at the 14500 block of Old St. Augustine Road, a witness observed Cline punching the victim.

The report also says witnesses saw Hoffman punching Ford several times until he fell to the ground.

Police say Cline admitted to punching the victim.

First Coast News tried to speak to him Sunday afternoon, but family members said they had no comment.

Ford was unconscious and taken to a nearby hospital, but later died from his injuries.

Community Sponsors

Police still trying to identify people involved in deadly bonfire fight


JACKSONVILLE, Fla---The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is still trying to identify several people involved in the bonfire fight that claimed the life of a 19-year-old high school student from St. Augustine.

Ryan Scott Ford was a senior at Pedro Menendez High School and one of his friends tells First Coast News he was a good kid, and hung out in the woods almost every weekend with his friends, but on Friday, a casual bonfire turned deadly.

At around 1 a.m. Saturday Jacksonville Police Officers responded to the 14500 block of Old St. Augustine Road. About 50 people were in the woods at a bonfire when a large fight started, and then several smaller fights.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says Ford was not involved, but was caught in the middle and punched several times until he fell unconscious. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but later died from the injuries.

Girls Soccer: Fletcher 3, Mandarin 1

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Fletcher avenged a loss in last week's district championship game by defeating Mandarin 3-1 in the girls soccer playoffs on Saturday night.

With the win, the Lady Senators advance to the regional finals on Tuesday against Oviedo.

Game of the Week coverage from Mandarin

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The girls soccer playoff game between University and Mandarin was voted as our game of the week, but it might end up being our game of the year.

The Lady Mustangs fell behind 2-0 early.  Although they played much better in the second half, it took quite a while before they could find the back of the net.  After several shots on goal were off the mark, Rosie Lindo fired a free kick towards the near post.  The University goalkeeper stopped the ball but didn't catch it.  Morgan Meltzer was there make sure the ball got past the keeper.

A few minutes later, Lindo lofted one over the keeper's head to tie the score at 2 with 7 and a half minutes remaining in the game.

After two scoreless overtime periods, the game went into penalty kicks.  After Hunter Talley scored to put the Mustangs up 2-1, Kaitlyn Romero make a kick save which gave Mandarin an advantage.

JSO homicide unit responds to Mandarin

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office homicide unit responded to the 4000 block of Sunbeam Road on Monday morning.

According to JSO at the scene, a man in his 60s died of natural causes.

No further information was available.

Celebrate Inauguration Day with Washington D.C. delicacy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With all of the hoopla going on in Washington D.C. as President Obama is sworn in for a second term, a Mandarin restaurant is hoping to cash in by serving up the "fat dog."

The fat dog has long been a District of Columbia tradition and Steamin', an East Coast casual themed eatery, wants to share it with the First Coast.

In Washington the dish is better known as the "half-smoke" which is a half-pork and half-beef sausage, served with mix of herbs, onion and chili sauce.

Jay Davis and Vasha Carter grew up in the District of Columbia area and opened Steamin' about three weeks ago in Mandarin.

Sen. Marco Rubio holds town hall in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - United States Senator Marco Rubio is in Jacksonville to attend a town hall style meeting at the Firehouse Subs Headquarters in Mandarin.

Rubio and Firehouse employees discussed obstacles facing the middle class and what Washington policymakers can do to promote job creation.

The meeting comes a day after USA TODAY, which is owned by the parent company of First Coast News, published an op-ed piece by Rubio on the debt ceiling.

Rubio wrote, "Before we consider raising the debt limit, the American people deserve a real debate about how to ensure we don't have to keep raising it. The mountain of debt we are accumulating is mortgaging our children's future."

READ: Sen. Marco Rubio: Stop Washington's reckless spending