A Mount Vernon police officer was taken into custody in Florida after a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigation found probable cause in a stalking case involving a steady stream of anonymous messages to one of its employees.
According to investigators, the probe focused on hundreds of texts and calls over a period of months, all sent from disguised numbers to a sheriff’s office staffer. Some of the late-night pings were simply strange or rambling, others were openly insulting, and together they helped trigger an arrest that lands right in the middle of a rough stretch for the Mount Vernon Police Department.
As reported by Daily Voice, detectives obtained subpoenas and pulled digital records from providers including TextNow and Verizon, ultimately tying the accounts to Officer Frank A. Lucadamo. The outlet notes that many of the messages followed a repetitive, riddle-like pattern, with phrases such as “Dottie is the messenger; pup chick is the monitor” and the recurring “Whoa, Nelly.” Some texts took a sharper turn and allegedly called the victim a “punk-a** b***h” while accusing him of faking a disability. Authorities determined on Feb. 11 that there was probable cause to charge Lucadamo under Florida’s stalking laws, according to that report.
Department at center of recent controversies
The arrest lands at a time when the Mount Vernon Police Department is already under the microscope for separate high-profile cases involving its officers.
In early April, Westchester County prosecutors arrested Officer Brandon Hunter-Carney and accused him of stealing more than $800,000 in a check-fraud scheme. The department suspended him without pay, as reported by Patch. Weeks before that, Detective Kyren Braunskill was indicted on allegations that he supplied firearms to a Long Island gang, according to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Mount Vernon response
City officials have stressed that the alleged misconduct in those earlier criminal cases involving Hunter-Carney and Braunskill occurred before the officers were hired. They have also said they are reviewing hiring practices and internal procedures in light of the recent headlines, Daily Voice reports. The department has repeatedly maintained that it holds officers to high professional standards and will act when serious allegations come to light.
Legal implications
Investigators in St. Johns County say they found probable cause to charge Lucadamo with stalking. The status of any formal court filings was not publicly available at the time of publication.
Under Florida law, stalking and cyberstalking are addressed in Chapter 784 of the state statutes. Aggravated stalking, such as cases involving threats or violations of certain court orders, is categorized as a third-degree felony that can carry a sentence of up to five years in prison, according to the Florida Senate.
Public payroll records list a Frank A. Lucadamo as a Mount Vernon police officer, which lines up with the identity cited in local coverage. Those records are available through GovSalaries.
The investigation remains open. Prosecutors or the sheriff’s office could release additional records, file formal charges, or outline further steps as their review continues. Any administrative discipline or employment decisions involving Lucadamo would be handled separately by Mount Vernon officials. This story will be updated as new documents or official statements become available.
