A South Florida man was repeatedly stabbed and pretended to be dead so he could make his getaway. Now a suspect is being sought in connection with the stabbing.

Brandon L. Wilson, 25, is accused of stabbing Mark Gougeon, 57, in the neck after they got into an argument Tuesday morning at a home on Northwest 10th Avenue in Pompano Beach.

Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gina Carter said deputies arrived and found Gougeon sitting outside on a bench, bleeding profusely from a stab wound to his beck. Gougeon told deputies that Wilson locked the door.

The SWAT team was called and entered the home, but Wilson was gone.

Carter said a witness claimed that Wilson had lured Gougeon into the bathroom, where Wilson grabbed Gougeon from behind and tried to slash his throat. Wilson continued to stab Gougeon until he collapsed in the bathroom and acted as though he was dead.

It was only when Wilson became distracted that Gougeon ran out. Gougeon was taken to Broward Health North, where he was listed in stable condition.

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A new reward of up to $400,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the unsolved 2007 killings of a mother and daughter outside an upscale South Florida mall.

The FBI and Boca Raton police announced during a Tuesday afternoon news conference that they believe the killer of Nancy Bochicchio, 47, and her 7-year-old daughter, Joey Bochicchio, has ties to the Miami area.

Their bodies were found in their still-running sport utility vehicle in the parking lot of the Town Center at Boca Raton on Dec. 12, 2007. Both had been bound and fatally shot.

"Let's be candid -- this is personal," Boca Raton Police Chief Daniel Alexander said. "We care about them. We care about Nancy and Joey. We care about achieving justice for both of them."

Boca Raton police believe the victims were abducted and taken to an ATM, where they were forced to withdraw $500. A 911 call from Bochicchio's cellphone was received by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, but it was disconnected before dispatchers could answer.

No one has been arrested, but Boca Raton police believe the killings are linked to an August 2007 carjacking in which the victim survived. That victim provided information that led to a sketch of the man believed to be responsible.

Investigators believe that the plastic ties and duct tape found at the crime scene were purchased from a major home-improvement store in Miami-Dade County.

Authorities also said Nancy Bochicchio's cellphone and credit cards were found in the county.

"It's about putting a new set of eyes on this older investigation and not forgetting the two people who were murdered that day," FBI Special Agent Michael D'Alonzo said.

While Bochicchio's sister and brother-in-law, JoAnn and Stan Bruno, were at the news conference Tuesday, they did not speak.

The FBI has contributed $50,000 to the $350,000 already being offered by the city of Boca Raton.

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Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who spent six days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, met privately with Pope Francis last week during his visit to the United States, her legal team said.

The meeting took place Thursday at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, according to the statement on the Liberty Council website.

Mat Staver, the lawyer for Davis, said the session lasted 10 minutes and was just between the pope, his client and her husband. He said pictures were taken and will be released at some point. He didn't say when or why they weren't being released immediately.

"I was humbled to meet Pope Francis. Of all people, why me?" Davis said in the statement. "Pope Francis was kind, genuinely caring, and very personable. He even asked me to pray for him. Pope Francis thanked me for my courage and told me to 'stay strong.'"

The Vatican has said little about the statement by the Liberty Council.

"We do not confirm nor deny the story. There will be no statement," according to Ciro Benedettini, a Vatican spokesman.

But on Sunday, during a news conference on his flight from Philadelphia to Rome, Francis was asked a question about public officials refusing to carry out their duties as a matter conscience.

No direct mention of Davis was made.

"I can say the conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right. It is a right," Francis said. "Conscientious objection must enter into every juridical structure because it is a right, a human right."

A federal judge ordered Davis to jail earlier this month over her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the Kentucky county where she's clerk. Before being ordered to jail, Davis also refused to allow clerks in her office to issue licenses. She cited her biblical opposition to same-sex marriage.

Davis spent six days in jail for contempt of federal court. Since her release, Davis has allowed the licenses to be issued, but only with her name and title removed. Each license includes a statement saying it is issued "pursuant to a court order."

A veteran South Miami police detective, who worked as a federal task officer with the Drug Enforcement Agency, was arrested Tuesday on eight counts of possessing child pornography and four counts of serving alcohol to minors, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.

Detective Joseph Mendez, 47, the son of a police officer, has been with the South Miami Police Department since 1995. He was the coordinator of the South Miami Police Explorer Program from 2009 to 2014.

A federal law enforcement source told Local 10 News that Mendez's father, Joe Mendez Sr., was also on a federal drug task force and was terminated for having "relations" with female maintenance workers. A source close to the family said the elder Mendez was forced to retire after signing off on the workers' overtime.

Agents said the younger Mendez had child pornography on his cellphone and gave alcohol to underage girls.

"He told us he was having some marital issues, and that's why he spent so much time with those kids," a close acquaintance told Local 10 News. 

The FDLE said it has been investigating Mendez since June 2014, when it received a complaint of misconduct by a fellow South Miami police adviser in the Explorers Program. Agents said the complaint alleged that Mendez had inappropriate interactions with multiple underage female cadets, some of which were sexual in nature.

Mendez was known to pick up participants of the program from their homes and often traveled with them to competitions. 

According to an arrest report, Mendez picked up one of the female cadets from her home and  told her he wanted to play a game called "dare double dare." He then dared her to "flash her breasts," the report said.

The girl claimed she told Mendez that she was not comfortable doing that, and he told her that she would have to drink alcohol then. She claimed that Mendez also showed her naked photos of a female and asked her to guess her age.

The report said Mendez dared another girl to allow him to slap her buttocks and eventually kissed her while drinking beer.

Mendez told agents that he bought the girls alcohol to loosen up and get "fresh ideas" for the Explorer competitions, the report said.

Agents said several thousand images of undressed males and females were found on Mendez's personal cellphone, eight of which depicted sexual performances by children.

South Miami Mayor Phil Stoddard said he was shocked by the news and said the Explorers had won various awards under Mendez's leadership.

"Obviously we look to find people who are good with kids and have integrity and a lot of sense," Stoddard said. "(I'm) still pretty stunned by this and extremely disappointed that one of our police officers violated the basic principles of his responsibilities to the public."

Mendez was taken Tuesday to the Broward County Jail, where he was booked on a $42,000 bond. 

Agents believe that there may be additional victims. Anyone with further information about Mendez is asked to call the FDLE Miami Regional Operations Center at 800-226-3023.

Mendez has been suspended without pay pending the resolution of the case.

Local 10 News reporter Amy Viteri contributed to this report.

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Former University of Miami president Donna Shalala is recovering after a stroke Tuesday night.

Shalala, 74, is currently the president of the Clinton Foundation. She was admitted to a hospital after an event for the Clinton Global Initiative. Former President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, released a statement confirming her medical emergency.

"As some of you may have heard, Donna suffered a stroke this evening after CGI. Fortunately, she was with colleagues at the time and taken to the hospital for treatment. Initial reports are very encouraging.

We will continue to share updates as we know more. Please join Hillary, Chelsea and me in keeping Donna in your thoughts and prayers."

Shalala stepped down from her post at the University of Miami following the 2014 school year. She previously served as the Secretary of Health and Human Services during the Clinton administration. 

Watch Local 10 News and refresh Local10.com for updates on this story. 

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Miami-Dade police are investigating a shooting that left one man dead early Wednesday morning.

The shooting happened after 2:30 a.m. at the Valero gas station located at Northwest 103rd Street and Northwest 12th Avenue. 

Police say two men were sitting at the gas station and were approached by a gunman who opened fire then ran away.

They say the victim who died was in his 40s and was pronounced dead on the scene. The second victim was taken to Ryder Trauma in stable condition.

There are no other details provided at this time.

Stay with Local10.com for the latest information.

Tropical Storm Joaquin strengthened to a hurricane Wednesday morning as it nears the Bahamas.

A hurricane warning has been issued for the central Bahamas as the storm approaches.

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Hurricane Joaquin's maximum sustained winds increased to 75 mph. It was moving southwest at 6 mph.

Joaquin's center is expected to pass over or near the central Bahamas by Wednesday night or Thursday. It was located 245 miles east-northeast of the central Bahamas.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Joaquin is expected to strengthen over the next two days.

Joaquin's forecast track has it making landfall anywhere from North Carolina to the northeast by Sunday or Monday. It is not a threat to South Florida at this time.

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Wondering which celebrities will be partying on your special day this month? Click on to discover which stars share your October birthday.

Those who wish to participate in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's 2016 Python Challenge can begin registering on Thursday.

Participants will compete to see who can harvest the longest or most Burmese pythons to win grand prizes of $5,000 in a team category and $3,500 in the individual category.

"We are providing training opportunities to teach people how to properly identify and safely capture Burmese pythons in the wild," said FWC Commissioner "Alligator Ron" Bergeron. "Non-native species are a problem for Florida -- especially the one-of-a-kind Everglades ecosystem. The Python Challenge is empowering people to be part of the solution to this problem."

The Python Challenge begins at noon Jan. 16 and ends at 7 p.m. Feb. 14.

The first 200 people to sign up for the competition online will receive a free 2016 Python Challenge T-shirt.

All participants are required to take online training that includes a hands-on component in which they will practice handling and capturing pythons.

Anyone can sign up for in-person training, whether they are participating in the competition or not, beginning Thursday.

Click here for more information and to sign up for the Python Challenge.

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Three people have been arrested in connection with a bank robbery Tuesday in Lighthouse Point, the FBI announced Wednesday.

Ashley Carrington, 20, Matthew Taylor, 31, and Chester Robinson, 28, were taken into custody with the help of the Riviera Beach Police Department.

Agents said the three suspects robbed a Capital Bank branch at 4820 N. Federal Highway.

They each made their initial appearances in Fort Lauderdale Federal Court on Wednesday.

No other details were immediately released.

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High tides are causing flooding problems for a third day in South Florida.

Vehicles that were stuck in water were towed from Miami Beach to Fort Lauderdale as South Florida's coastline continues to deal with the effects of Sunday's supermoon.

The supermoon led to tidal flooding for the past three days. Some people who were headed to work near Las Olas Boulevard Wednesday morning had to take off their shoes to trek through the water.

Several residents in the area told Local 10 News that they believe the flooding is worse than in past years. But they said there isn't much they can do other than move their cars around every year around the same time.

"That's the situation. I mean, there is not much you can do," one resident said. "You can move the car and put it on the other side, but there's nothing else we can do…. we could get a kayak."

Miami Beach

Flooding was also reported Wednesday morning along Indian Creek Drive in Miami Beach as water crept up over the sea wall and into the road.

Police were forced to close Indian Creek Drive between 29th and 40th streets during the periods of high tide.

Drivers were detoured to Pine Creek Drive or Alton Road.

The city of Miami Beach has installed pumps in areas where there is low elevation, but residents said the pumps can’t fight Mother Nature.

"I don't know. I don't see think we can fix nothing with this stuff," Miguel Gonzalez said. "You know, when the moon rises, it's going to be the same."

Local 10 News Senior Digital Editor Amanda Batchelor contributed to this report.

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While Energizer batteries had the "Energizer Bunny" and Geico had the "Geico Pig," a South Florida-based roofing company has "Jake, The Best Roofing Mascot."

"Roof! Roof!" Get it? The boxer dog has a few more friends. They call themselves "Team Best Roofing." And they have an Instagram account. Kathleen Lowe, the company's marketing vice president, came up with the idea.

ROOF GRAM

The dog, now an advertising character and social media accessory, is on everything from signs to company uniforms.

"Let' put Jake on a business card or let's put Jake on the side of the truck," Gregg Wallick, of Best Roofing. " And before I knew it, Jake was like on the side of everything."

At the company's office, 4995 NW 77th Ave., in the Doral neighborhood, the safety signs read "Don't Blow Up Jake."

Marketing expert John Condon told Forbes that highly-recognizable characters can help engage customers and help the company stand out in a crowded market place.

"When you have an iconic character, it makes what can be a difficult transition for a brand that much easier," he said in the 2008 Forbes interview. "Wrapped in that icon is the point of view, the purpose and the values of the brand all short-handed in an easy and familiar way."

Zachary Wallick, vice president of Best Roofing, said half-jokingly that he attributes increases in revenue mostly to Jake. And despite that, Jake has yet to ask him to re-negotiate his contract.

"I'd give Jake about 80 percent of that," the company vice-president said. "And I'll take 20 of it."

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The FBI is searching for the person responsible for robbing a Chase Bank Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m.

Authorities said the man entered the bank at 801 SW 27th Ave. and demanded money from an employee.

The robber got away with an undisclosed amount of money.

Officials said there were customers in the bank at the time of the robbery, but no injuries were reported.

Anyone with any information on the robbery is asked to contact the FBI at 754-703-2000.

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A brother and sister were pulled from a canal Wednesday afternoon in Coral Springs, fire rescue officials said.

Authorities were called to the 8500 block of Northwest 40th Street shortly before 1 p.m.

According to police, the children's mother bathed the siblings before taking a shower herself. When she got out of the shower, her children were gone and the front door of their home was open.

Police said the mother went outside to look for the children and saw her 2-year-old daughter partially submerged in a canal. Her 3-year-old son was nowhere to be found.

"I just see her drop to the floor saying, 'My baby, my baby,' so I ran," witness Seleena Aranguin said.

Authorities said the boy, who neighbors said was named Michael Combronne, was pulled from the canal by Coral Springs Fire Rescue.

"The cops show up and five of them pulled up, went in and brought the little boy from the bottom," witness Cam Jones said.

Both of the children were taken to Broward Health Coral Springs, where the boy was pronounced dead. The girl was also taken to the hospital to be checked out but is doing fine. 

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Miami Fire Rescue responded Wednesday afternoon to an accident involving multiple vehicles that injured more than a dozen people and left one man dead.

Sky 10 was above the scene at Northwest Seventh Street and 35th Avenue just before 1 p.m. as one of the SUVs involved in the crash was on its side.

Miami police spokesman Freddie Cruz said a van carrying eight high school students was heading east when it was cut off by a Nissan Sentra making a left turn, which was carrying an elderly man and his wife.

Other vehicles were hit during the collision involving the two vehicles. Cruz said everyone involved in the crash suffered injuries.

A group of students who also attend Green Springs High School, and were on their lunch break, witnessed the crash and rushed over to help the victims.

"We looked to the side and we saw the van already flipping so we started running over there," Jesus Abreau told Local 10 News.

"We were communicating the whole way, like he was telling me break the window, I got him…You know we just worked as a team," Alexei Marquez said.

Cruz said the elderly man was taken to a hospital after the crash and died from his injuries.

The students involved in the crash range in age from 17 to 19 years old, authorities said.

The extent of the other victims' injuries were not immediately released.

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A South Florida homeless burglary suspect got his bond reduced this week thanks to his long-lost family members who he hasn't seen in decades.

Jose Perez last saw his father and siblings when he was just 9 months old before his mother took him away.

"We were always looking for him, always," Perez's sister, Bertha Solorzano, said. "We were always encouraged to go online and try to find him. We just didn't know where."

Forty-two years later, Perez's sister and father got their wish after searching an online people finder website.

"I called my dad and I said, 'You know what? I got him. This has to be him,' and they were surprised to hear that he was in Florida. We never had any idea he was in Florida – never," Solorzano said.

The Perez family flew from their home in Charlottesville, Virginia, Wednesday to a Fort Lauderdale courtroom to finally meet Jose Perez.

"(It was) very emotional to see him handcuffed, but I'm very happy," Solorzano said.

Perez, who has been in and out of jail over the past two decades, is homeless. He has been jailed since January when he was accused of trying to steal a bicycle out of a Coral Springs garage.

"Under the circumstances that we found him, they're not the best, but you know what, no one's going to judge him," Solorzano said. "We're going to help him get out of that ditch."

Perez's family told a judge that they're more than willing to take him in, so Judge Edward Merrigan reduced Perez's bond from $50,000 to $6,000.

"People sometimes only get one opportunity in life to really make a difference and to change the course of their future, and here is his opportunity," attorney Ken Padowitz said. "His family has finally found him after searching for him for 42 years."

Follow Terrell Forney on Twitter @TVTerrell

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Miami Beach police said a man and woman were found dead in a home Wednesday evening following a call from a man saying he needed police.

The call was received by police at about 5:50 p.m. When officers arrived at the home at 1200 West Ave. they found the bodies of the man and woman.

Police said a gun was found at the scene and they are now calling the incident a death investigation.

The Miami Beach Police Department said it is not currently looking for any subjects in relation to the deaths.

Watch Local 10 News and refresh Local10.com for updates on this story.

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An attempted robber has been shot by a security guard in Miami, according to police.

The shooting happened Thursday morning at the Price Choice Market along NE 2nd Ave.

The suspected robber was shot in the forearm by the guard and was taken to the hospital. Police say he is in fair condition and is expected to recover.

The events leading up to the shooting are still unclear.

Charles Darwin returns home, Gandhi is born, "Peanuts" is published for the first time, Thurgood Marshall becomes the first black justice on the Supreme Court, and the Beltway sniper attacks begin, all on this day.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pay attention to these cancer symptoms you are most likely to ignore, and get yourself to a doctor if they persist.