Burglar Shot In The Act Fails To Show For Sentencing Hearing

February 21, 2014

A burglar shot last summer by a Walnut Hill homeowner failed to appear in court Thursday at his sentencing hearing, and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

On January 21, 34-year old Ricky DeWayne Taylor of Century pleaded no contest to the charges against him, including  burglary and grand theft. Judge Michael Allen allowed Taylor to stay free on bond until his February 20 sentencing hearing.

On May 17, 2013, Taylor broke into the victim’s home on Rockaway Creek Road  and began removing items. The victim unexpectedly returned and caught  Taylor and co-defendant Teresa Sunday in the act. Sunday, who was acquainted with the victim, had called him earlier that day to lure him away from the home to meet her at a local pool hall.

The victim held them at gunpoint with a .38 caliber revolver and contacted the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. As the victim was speaking with dispatchers, Taylor lunged toward him. The homeowner fired a .38 caliber revolver, striking Taylor in the leg and grazing Sunday on the left cheek. Taylor was alert and conscious when he was transferred to LifeFlight to be airlifted to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. He was charged with burglary, larceny, criminal mischief property damage and battery.

Sunday, age 35 of Century,  pleaded guilty to charges of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft of a dwelling. In January, she was sentenced by Judge Michael Allen to five years in state prison.

Taylor was also charged with burglary and grand theft on Klondike Road on May 10, 2013.  Deputies say he parked his Lincoln Town Car with Alabama plates near a home in the 8000 block of Klondike. He then allegedly took a duffel bag, five extension cords and a five gallon gas can from a barn and placed them outside, according to an arrest report.

The resident walked outside and confronted Taylor near the duffle bag outside of his barn. Taylor ran and the victim gave chase but was unable to keep up. The victim noticed the out of place Lincoln Town Car in the neighborhood and photographed the tag. After the victim returned home, he drove around in an attempt to located the suspect and passed the Lincoln, being driven by the man he chased from his yard.

Deputies were able to trace the Lincoln to Taylor from the tag photo, and the victim positively identified Taylor from a photo lineup.

Pictured: The scene on May17, 2013, at a burglary victim’s home on Rockaway Creek Road in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

13 Responses to “Burglar Shot In The Act Fails To Show For Sentencing Hearing”

  1. emschick2368 on February 21st, 2014 9:54 pm

    Big surprise? Shouldn’t have been. After all he did make a living stealing and robbing people. No honor in that,no honor to do what is right and appear and take his punishment

  2. David Huie Green on February 21st, 2014 8:50 pm

    Brandy,
    Consider the thief on the cross. He acknowledged his sin. He acknowledged his punishment was just. He repented of his sin. He trusted his soul to Christ.

    Now compare that to this situation. Caught in the act he still denied his guilt and seems to have rejected justice. Come to think of it, there is no comparison.

    And you condemn those who say he done bad. Mighty judgmental of you.

    David for people who DON’T steal from others

  3. dixiebug on February 21st, 2014 6:08 pm

    I`m not worried about him being shot as I am he will be the shooter next time…hope he is caught soon before something happens to a innocent person…

  4. Robert S. on February 21st, 2014 4:27 pm

    Guess just because somebody got to be a “judge” doesn’t mean they are good at assessing folks character. Wonder if Taylor is not far away but was too busy to go to court?

  5. Brandy on February 21st, 2014 3:03 pm

    Never judge a book by its cover. U don’t know his life or what he’s been through. He never plead guilty. Condemning someone is a sin and God will judge is all one day. And remember God saved thw the if and took him to heaven with him. Where do u stand.

  6. jeeperman on February 21st, 2014 2:37 pm

    And no special effort will be made to find him.
    His arrest warrant will go into the system and if he happens to get nabbed elsewhere for something else, maybe he will be arrested again.

  7. madcow on February 21st, 2014 1:19 pm

    Has he no shame? No sense of honor? Oh… he makes his living by breaking into other peoples homes and stealing. So maybe not. I feel sorry for his momma and any who love him, who all must grieve.

  8. centuryresident on February 21st, 2014 11:35 am

    “one day a little boy was with his father in the post office. he looked at all the pictures of people posted on the wall and asked his dad “why do they have pictures of these people posted on the wall”. his dad responded ” son, those are bad people who are wanted by the police. they have escaped and on the run”

    after some thought the little boy replied ” why didn’t they keep them when they took the picture”.?

    what a fantastic idea……

  9. "Chrome" on February 21st, 2014 10:41 am

    Did they really think he would show up … the honor system uh ?

  10. LEO GUY on February 21st, 2014 8:37 am

    It is astonishing at the number of thieves and other criminals that walk away with their freedom after confessing guilt or being convicted. Simple solution, build more prisons and fill them up with the scum, and I don’t mean country clubs either. It must be all those mean spirited, cold hearted republicans that won’t let that happen. Yeah right. :-/

  11. Jane on February 21st, 2014 6:05 am

    And this is a surprise that he didn’t show up? Why do they let these guys out when they have already said they were guilty? Maybe he will be shot again, maybe by someone with very good skills.

  12. c.w. on February 21st, 2014 4:40 am

    The judge never should have allowed this thief to walk the streets. Let the judge serve his sentence until he is caught.

  13. mick on February 21st, 2014 1:04 am

    Time to teach this one a lesson, no respect for the law or other people’s property, time to go to prison…

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News