Repeat Robber Gets Life For Tom Thumb Holdup

March 14, 2012

An Escambia County man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for the armed robbery of a Tom Thumb.

Andrew Fountain III was sentenced to life in prison today by Circuit Court Judge Rasmussen. Fountain was convicted last month by an Escambia County Jury of two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon.

The robbery that Fountain was sentenced for today occurred just four months after Fountain’s last release from prison for another robbery charge.

On September 11, 2010, Fountain entered the Tom Thumb gas station at the intersection of Blue Angel Parkway and Mobile Highway, produced a butcher knife, and demanded
money. After taking money from two clerks working at the gas station, Fountain ran out of the store and fled in silver car.

A passerby saw the commotion and followed Fountain down Blue Angel Parkway. Fountain then stopped in the Springfield Meadows subdivision and exited the car to remove the clothing he wore to commit the robbery. At that time he was seen and identified by the citizen who had followed him. Fountain was also identified by one of the clerks who was robbed.

Comments

6 Responses to “Repeat Robber Gets Life For Tom Thumb Holdup”

  1. No Excuses on March 16th, 2012 3:09 pm

    Oh! And the mandatory minimum applies to ALL federal inmates, so I don’t see where the use of a mandatory minimum (life in this case) in a Florida courtroom was inappropriate. The idea is deterrence. It won’t work if it’s not enforced and upheld. It’s like saying, “Don’t do that or……” and then letting the kid get away with doing whatever and not discipling them for it. They’ll keep doing it!

  2. No Excuses on March 16th, 2012 3:07 pm

    Alice, I guess he should have taken advantage of any opportunity to rehabilitate himself on his first trip to the slammer. Then, he should have had the decency and good sense (hear the sarcasm?) to refrain from robbing, terrifying and threatening innocent, hardworking employees and others on his last crime spree. He wanted something he did not have a right to, and was not interested in rehabilitation. Now, he’s got the rest of his life to think about it and we’re safe from him if we chose to visit a convenience store. I am a regular visitor at the one he robbed.

  3. me on March 15th, 2012 9:50 am

    GOOD! Hopefully all potential robbers will see this and think twice. The people that work in the convienence stores work odd hours and are away from their families just like any other worker and they deserve to be safe at thier jobs!

  4. idunno on March 14th, 2012 9:55 pm

    Shucks……let me get my hanky out…….

  5. Alice Harris on March 14th, 2012 7:06 pm

    Regardless of how anyone views the justice of this sentence, it should be known that, once the state decided to seek enhanced sentencing under the Prison Releasee Reoffender law & the jury convicted him of a felony punishable by life, the judge was required to impose a life sentence. There is no discretion. This sentence means that this young man will die a prisoner of Florida.

  6. David Huie Green on March 14th, 2012 6:02 pm

    good