Santa Rosa Sheriff Covers Child Abuse Arrest, Fallen Officer Memorial and More

Santa Rosa County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson joined Pensacola Morning News Monday morning with a range of updates — including a child abuse arrest involving a state corrections officer and a tribute to a fallen deputy.

Corrections Officer Arrested for Child Abuse

A Florida Department of Corrections officer is facing child abuse charges after allegedly mistreating children she was caring for while their parent was incarcerated. Sheriff Johnson identified the suspect as Dinesha Blunt and says DCF and his office both responded after the abuse came to light. Johnson clarified that Blunt was a state DOC employee — not affiliated with the Santa Rosa County jail — and says the state will handle any employment decisions separately from criminal proceedings.

School Bookkeeper Arrested for Embezzlement

A bookkeeper at Holland and Varner Intermediate School was arrested after allegedly stealing roughly $15,000 from the school over a two-year period. Johnson says the scheme was discovered through routine financial oversight and says embezzlers almost always get caught because there are no new ways to hide the money.

Fallen Officer Memorial

Johnson says Sergeant Dale Bayerian will be added to the agency's fallen officer memorial at an upcoming ceremony. Bayerian died of a heart attack last year after stopping to help a stranded motorist — a death classified as a line of duty death under Florida law, which recognizes heart-related deaths of active officers given the cardiovascular toll the profession takes. Johnson says studies show 70 to 75 percent of retired law enforcement officers develop heart problems.

Helping a Felon Makes You One

Johnson echoed a message from Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons — warning residents that helping a felon escape, hide, or avoid consequences makes you a felon yourself, regardless of your relationship to the person involved.