Osceola County

Sheriff: Osceola County deputy fired after helping cousin run from deputies

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — An Osceola County deputy is without a job after the sheriff said the department found out he was helping his cousin run from deputies.

Now-former deputy Kevin Encarnacion was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with accessory after the fact and official misconduct, both third-degree felonies.

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Sheriff Marcos Lopez said he is angry and disappointed about what happened.

Encarnacion, who worked as a tactical flight officer in aviation, has been with the sheriff’s office since 2017. He was suspended back in October as the sheriff’s office investigated the incident.

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“Anybody in a uniform who conducts themselves in this manner is going to be held accountable,” Lopez said.

Lopez said Encarnacion was helping his cousin Enrique Davis run from deputies. He said Encarnacion’s cousin was involved in a domestic violence incident in early October. Investigators said Davis left the scene and Encarnacion gave him information to help him evade arrest.

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Lopez said Encarnacion told his cousin not to answer any calls in case it was deputies.

“He told mr davis location of personnel in relation to where he was which is really dangerous putting our deputies in danger,” Lopez said.

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Lopez said Davis left his Apple watch at the scene and the victim was seeing the messages coming in from Encarnacion and she called the sheriff’s office to report it.

“We have a victim of domestic violence calling for our help and now we have a guy that’s in my uniform using my equipment trying to help his family get away with a crime,” Lopez said.

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Encarnacion was not successful in helping his cousin get away. Lopez said deputies arrested Davis shortly after the domestic violence incident in early October.

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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