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Suspect Says He’s Not Guilty Of Robbing Tom Thumb, Stealing Tires, Escape
October 12, 2009
The Century man accused of robbing the Molino Tom Thumb, stealing tires to fix a flat on the getaway car and then escaping from deputies after he was arrested, has told a judge that he didn’t do it.
Antonio Demetrius Ewing , 19, of West Highway 4, Century, pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery, larceny, criminal mischief property damage, burglary and escape. Ewing was due in court on an earlier concealed weapons charge at the exact day and hour he was arrested to for trying to steal the tires; he also pleaded not guilty to failing to appear in court.
Ewing remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond. His jury trial is set for January.
Surveillance video from the Tom Thumb (click here to watch) shows the 10 second robbery. Two people entered the front door, pushed a customer out the way, grabbed the entire case register and leave. One of the suspects is shown wearing a dark colored shirt, white socks on his hands and a camouflage bandanna around his face.
About three hours later, Escambia County deputies were called to a reported suspicious person and a possible burglary on Alger Road in Century. When they arrived, they found a Pontiac Firebird with no tag in the parking lot of the Gospel Light Temple on Alger Road in Century.
That is where they found Ewing, with a flat tire. He had apparently stolen several tires and tools from a nearby shed in order to try fix his flat. According to deputies, the juvenile that was with Ewing had been given a ride by a passerby and was not with the car when they arrived.
While deputies were questioning Ewing about the stolen tires in Century, a deputy that was not in Century at the time realized he had read a comment on NorthEscambia.com’s story about the Tom Thumb robbery. The comment posted by someone with the name “me” mentioned a teal green Firebird with no tag being seen off the road on Sunshine Hill Road shortly after the robbery.
The deputy called Sheriff’s dispatchers on the the telephone, and dispatchers talked on the phone with deputies in Century — alerting them that they possibly had the Tom Thumb robber in custody. In the meantime, NorthEscambia.com was able to provide contact phone numbers for the poster “me” to deputies in Century. Deputies spoke to the poster’s husband in Molino, and he exactly described the car in that deputies had found in Century.
When deputies searched the location provided by the NorthEscambia.com reader on Sunshine Hill Road at Cedar Springs Road, they found the cash register from Monday morning’s robbery of the Tom Thumb, parts of the vehicle where the suspects had apparently hit a stump and money. White socks were also located in some brush.
Inside the car, investigators discovered a camouflage shirt that appeared to match the one used in the robbery.
Ewing was taken into custody and transported to the Century Precinct of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for questioning about the tire theft and about the Tom Thumb robbery. When deputies walked Ewing out of the Century Precinct to place him a cruiser to take him to jail, he ran. Deputies said Ewing ran across Highway 29 toward Century Woods Apartments where he lives. After a brief foot chase, Ewing was taken back into custody.
A 15-year old juvenile has also been charged in connection with the incident.
Pictured top: Investigator Frank Way discovered camouflage clothing in the back of a car in Century. A camouflage bandanna was used earlier that morning in the robbery of the Molino Tom Thumb. Pictured top inset: Ewing in the back of a deputy’s car in Century. Pictured bottom inset: The cash register recovered on Sunshine Hill Road at Cedar Springs Road. Pictured below: The September 14 Tom Thumb robbery scene in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
7 Responses to “Suspect Says He’s Not Guilty Of Robbing Tom Thumb, Stealing Tires, Escape”
Maybe the time difference in convicition could be split. Let’s say it will take somewhere around 4min. and 45sec. That should be sufficient time to come back and say “GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS!!!!” (just a suggestion)LOL
REGARDING:
“It wouldn’t take me 10 seconds to convict this guy”
If you could convict him in ten seconds, that would be because you’ve already made up your mind. Some people make up their minds the other way and also won’t look at evidence. That is the good of a jury trial: all you need is one to say NOPE.
David for taking at least ten minutes
This guy is so royally screwed, he should have just admitted it and took a plea, now he is for sure going to get the max. Its more than enough evidence as it is.
It wouldn’t take me 10 seconds to convict this guy
I agree with the others. He is stupid and there is really no good place on this planet for someone like him. With all the evidence that proves his guilt the deputies had to have been “profiling” and that is why they caught him. Just ask him…im sure he will tell you.
Is it my imagination or do we seem to have an abundance of “Darwin Challenged” criminals here in Escambia County?
Let’s give a pay raise to ECSD patrol people for having to deal with dummies on a regular basis.
Seriously though. The constitution guarantees “Forest Gump’s” right to an attorney and due process. He will get regular meals in the County Jail. Maybe somebody will wise him up while he is there.
Sharp eyes there, “Me.”
Judge..”I’m sorry that you were unable to find a sufficient mode of transportation for your court appointment. I’m sure your attempt to secure proper wheels for your car was in the best of intentions, as you were obviously trying to increase your mobility. I am also aware that parts of your car may have been left at the scene of another supposed crime, with pieces of the cash register from the hiest of the Tom Thumb store, but it is complete conjecture regarding if the two were on the scene at the same time despite the eye witness evidence that your car was there around that time. I also refuse to believe the deputies that questioned you regarding these incidents from whom you ran on the day in question. I’m sure they had consumed too much coffee and KK’s to have all of their faculties about them….”
Judge should be the next contestant on the Comedy Channel
“I’m not guilty of not being in court, your honor. I was busy stealing tires for my car so I could get there, and these pesky deputies busted me. They caught me with the tires, but I did not steal them. I found them. And that camo thing in the back of my car they guy wearing that in that store video was not me. It just looked like me because it was a guy with the same build wearing the exact same clothes. Those cops are just harassig me.”