Police News — Salvation Army arsonist convicted; FDLE arrests Kissimmee man found with child pornography

Man who burned down Salvation Army center sentenced

The man who admitted to burning down the Salvation Army assistance center near downtown Kissimmee pleaded no contest to arson and burglary charges in court Thursday.

Cordearo Lee Mable, 37, was sentenced to seven years in prison, with credit for the nearly seven months he has already served, and an additional 10 years of parole for his role in the ministry center fire from Union Street on the night of November 1st. 6, 2023.

According to police reports, Mable caused a disturbance that morning and had to be removed from the establishment. He told a staff member he was “going to burn the place down” and allegedly did so that evening. Everything inside, including the iconic red kettles seen in stores for donations during the holidays, was destroyed.

Capt. Ken Chapman, of the Salvation Army's Orlando Area Command, which includes Osceola County, said the organization is working with local officials to build an emergency resource center, which would be a one-stop shop for those in need of food, clothing and comfort. . They collected donations from Osceola County and the commissioners totaling millions, and Chapman said the Salvation Army would raise money to match the county's donations to build the center.

FDLE arrests Kissimmee man found with child pornography on devices

An 18-year-old Kissimmee man was arrested after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they found multiple FDLE arrestees Alexander Tehrani-Mercedes, 18, of Kissimmee on Tuesday, and charged him with 10 counts charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. He was booked into the Osceola County Jail and made his first appearance before a judge Wednesday. Jail records show he was released Thursday.

The FDLE said its investigation began after the Osceola County Sheriff's Office provided officers with a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user had downloaded several files of material sexual abuse of children. Investigators found information that identified Tehrani-Mercedes as the account owner.

On Tuesday, agents executed a search warrant at Tehrani-Mercedes' home and seized several electronic devices containing several images and videos depicting sexual abuse of children, some as young as 3 years old.

The FDLE said the case remains active. Additional charges are possible pending further forensic analysis.