Federal Charges Filed Against Surviving Suspect In ‘Bonnie And Clyde’ Duo
March 31, 2016
A federal grand jury Wednesday returned conspiracy and armed carjacking charges against the surviving member of the Missouri couple dubbed a modern day “Bonnie and Clyde” that was sought for crimes in four states earlier this year before being apprehended in a hail of gunfire in Santa Rosa County in February.
An eight-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Brittany Nicole Harper, 30, of Joplin, Mo., with one count of conspiracy to transport a stolen vehicle across state lines, two counts of transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines, three counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a gun during a crime of violence. Harper remains in the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola on state charges.
The indictment states that the purpose of the conspiracy was for Harper and “her co-conspirator to unlawfully obtain vehicles, by whatever means necessary,” including acts of violence, and then to use the stolen vehicles as transportation between various states. The indictment refers throughout to Harper’s co-conspirator, but does not name him.
Harper was arrested aftera face-off with deputies in which her co-conspirator was shot and killed.
The indictment describes a 10-day, four-state crime spree by Harper and her male companion, Blake Fitzgerald, that began in Webb City, Mo., on Jan. 26, when the couple took a 2009 Cadillac on a test drive from a dealership and never returned. Highlights of the crime spree, as outlined in the indictment, are as follows:
Before arriving in Alabama, the couple burglarized a home in Missouri, where they parked the stolen Cadillac in the garage and stole a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer parked at the home.
The couple’s first crime in Alabama is listed as a theft at the Walmart in Bessemer on Jan. 30, before the couple drove the Trailblazer to Tuscaloosa, where they forced a motel clerk at gunpoint into the backseat of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta he had driven to work. Harper and her companion drove the Jetta to Hoover, where they tried, unsuccessfully, on Jan. 31, to take a Camaro from a McDonald’s employee, and then released the motel clerk in Vestavia Hills.
Soon after releasing the clerk, Fitzgerald entered a home on Monte Vista Drive in Vestavia Hills, where he encountered one of the home owners and his minor children. Fitzgerald put a gun to the man’s neck and began forcing him toward the garage, but the man got free and went for help. Fitzgerald then forced the man’s wife at gunpoint into the homeowners’ 2010 Ford Edge and drove away.
Harper and her companion released the woman near the Grandview Medical Center on Cahaba River Road in Birmingham, and then drove the stolen Ford Edge to Perry County, Ga.
The indictment lists other crimes in Georgia and Florida before Harper’s arrest on Feb. 5 following a high-speed chase through neighborhoods in Santa Rosa County after deputies confronted the couple.
The other crimes listed as part of the conspiracy, but not individually charged in the indictment, include the robbery and kidnapping of a convenience store clerk in Perry, Ga., on Feb. 1, the robbery of Alvin’s Island beach shop in Destin, on Feb. 3, and the robbery of a shoe store and a home invasion and carjacking, all in Pensacola, Fla. on Feb. 4.
Pictured top and bottom: The scene on Garcon Point Road at Saragon Lane, a short distance from where gunfire erupted, killing on member of a couple dubbed a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde by federal authorities. Pictured bottom inset: The home were a chase involving the Missouri couple came to an end on Saragon Lane off Garcon Point Road in Santa Rosa County. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com Publisher Named One Of Area’s Most Influential People
March 31, 2016
The Pensacola Independent News has released their 2016 IN Power List — their ranking of the most the most powerful and influential people in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Only two people that work primarily in the North Escambia area were named to the list — NorthEscambia.com publisher William Reynolds of Walnut Hill and Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry of Cantonment.
Topping this year’s list was Bentina Terry, vice president of customer service and sales for Gulf Power.
To read this year’s Inweekly Power List edition, click here.
Jay Tops Northview; Pace Over Tate
March 31, 2016
BASEBALL
Jay 5, Northview 2
The Jay Royals rallied in the eighth inning Wednesday evening to defeat the Northview Chiefs 5-2.
Northview had a two-run second inning. The Chiefs scored on an RBI double from Jacob Dunsford and on a groundout by Seth Killam. Roman Manning went 3-4 with three singles.
Josh Neese pitched seven and third inning for the Chiefs, allowing three earned runs, six hits and three walks while striking out six.
The Chiefs are set to host Hopkinsville, KY, Thursday. JV plays at 4:00 followed by the varsity at 6:00.
Pace 9, Tate 5
The Tate Aggies were up four runs in the fourth inning but Pace rallied late to take a 9-5 win and earn District 1-7A top spot.
Tate’s Jake Davis had two RBIs on one hit. He homered in the second inning. On the mound, Davis allowed one earned run, no walks an six hits in five innings. The loss went to Trace Penton with no walks, no strikeouts while allowing three runs in one-third of an inning.
The Aggies will be at Pace in a district matchup Friday at 6 p.m.
Pictured: Northview’s Jared Aliff splintered a bat during Wednesday evening’s game against Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 15 Years For Robberies
March 31, 2016
An Escambia County man that failed at two of three robbery attempts is headed to prison.
Rodney Jones was sentenced 2016 by Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh to 15 years in state prison to be followed by 10 years of probation. He previously pleaded to charges of attempted robbery by sudden snatching, attempted robbery without a weapon, robbery without a weapon and petty theft.
On June 24, 2015, Rodney Jones went to Sonic on Navy Blvd. When he started to pay for his food, Jones asked the server if she could make change for $100. When she pulled out her money, Jones grabbed the money in her hand but after brief struggle he was unsuccessful in taking the money. Jones then fled the scene.
Shortly after leaving Sonic on Navy Blvd., Jones went to CVS on Ninth Avenue and asked the clerk if she had change for $100. When the clerk opened the drawer, Jones told her to give him the money, and “don’t make me shoot you.” He then fled the scene with approximately $200.
The following day, June 25, 2015, Jones went to Wells Fargo on Fairfield Drive. He approached the counter and gave the teller a note that said “robbery, have a gun on you, all 20’s, quiet”. When the teller opened the drawer and started to collect the money, Jones leaned over the counter and said “all 20’s”. At that time, customers in the bank noticed something strange happening, and Jones fled the scene empty handed.
Rodney Jones was apprehended in the area by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office following the Wells Fargo robbery. Jones admitted to the other two robberies. Prior to these incidents, Jones had previously been convicted of eight prior felonies and numerous misdemeanors.
Concealed Weapons Fees Are Lowered
March 31, 2016
The cost to get concealed-weapons licenses will be reduced under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Rick Scott.
The measure reduces the license fee from $70 to $60 on the initial application and from $60 to $50 for renewals. With nearly 1.5 million concealed-weapons licenses currently issued in Florida, the change is projected to reduce state revenue by $2.99 million next fiscal year, according to a Senate analysis of the bill. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, whose agency oversees concealed-weapons licenses, has said the measure is part of efforts to make the application process “more convenient and affordable.”
by The News Service of Florida
Governor Backs Dozier School For Boys Justice Bill
March 31, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday signed a bill addressing what one lawmaker described as a “dark chapter” in Florida history at a now-shuttered reform school.
The measure (SB 708), one of 14 bills Scott signed into law Wednesday, will allocate money for the reburial of remains removed from the 1,400-acre site of the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. The bill also establishes plans for a memorial at the reform school, which operated from 1900 to 2011 in the Jackson County community of Marianna.
“This law finally ends a tragic chapter in Florida’s history,” Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, a Tampa Democrat who sponsored the bill, said in a prepared statement. “It buries the dead with dignity and establishes a permanent reminder so that the atrocities the children endured at Dozier are neither forgotten nor repeated.”
Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, said the legislative effort is a way to say “we’re sorry.”
“It’s a dark chapter in Florida’s history,” Williams said. “We sent young men there to be reformed. It was a reform school. We didn’t send young men there to die.”
A 168-page report by University of South Florida researchers was presented to Scott and the Cabinet in January on excavations at the site. The report didn’t verify any students were killed by Dozier staff, but outlined 51 sets of remains unearthed from an area known as the Boot Hill Burial Ground.
“There were young men, black and white, went in thinking they were going to be reformed and come back home, and they never made it out,” Williams said.
The law provides up to $7,500 per family for funeral, reburial and grave-marker costs and calls for the creation of a task force that would make recommendations about an appropriate memorial for the site and how to rebury remains that are unidentified or unclaimed.
Rep. Ed Narain, a Tampa Democrat who sponsored the House version of the bill, said in a prepared statement the law is intended to provide “a measure of justice.”
“These boys and these families should not be forgotten, nor should they be further victimized,” Narain said. “This bill, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, represents the right thing to do and will also serve as an ongoing reminder that such injustice should never happen again.”
Three lawmakers — Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, Rep. John Tobia, R-Melbourne Beach, and Rep. John Wood, R-Winter Haven — voted against the proposal. Tobia had sought to reduce the per-family payment to $2,000.
The Dozier funding drew support from former Gov. Bob Martinez and members of the state Cabinet.
During the January Cabinet meeting, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam offered apologies to the generations of boys who suffered hardships at the reform school while saying a new use is needed for the land, whether recreational, educational or even for veterans’ services.
“Those who spent time at Dozier and the loved ones of those who died at Dozier have for far too long had their history cloaked in secrecy,” Putnam said in a prepared statement Wednesday.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Century Correctional Officer Charged With Battery On An Inmate
March 30, 2016
A correctional offir at Century Correctional Institution has been charged with allegedly striking an inmate.
The Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General (OIG) arrested Correctional Officer Sergeant Nanette Black following an OIG criminal investigation. Black was charged with misdemeanor battery and booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $1,000.
Assistant State Attorney John Molchan said Black was accused of striking an inmate at Century Correctional Institution in an incident on January 9 that was at least partially caught on video. She was subsequently questioned by the Department of Correction’s OIG and charges were filed.
Molchan said the inmate did not suffer injuries that required medical attention.
Further details have not been released.
Editor’s note: State law prevents the release of a Department of Corrections employee’s mugshot.
NorthEscambia.com file photos click to enlarge.
Second Round Of Tornado Recovery Funding Available To Nonprofits
March 30, 2016
The United Way has opened the second round of tornado recovery funding . Any local nonprofit can apply for a portion of the $107,540 is that is available in the second round. The deadline to apply is April 15, and priority will be given to applications that clearly demonstrate how they will assist survivors’ long-term recovery needs.
Recovery efforts for the families impacted by the two EF3 tornados that destroyed or damaged 408 properties across Escambia County remain an on-going, top priority. Through the support of many local nonprofits, organizations and individuals, these families have begun to rebuild. Recognizing the extreme need for continued support, the United Way of Escambia County Board of Directors is accepting applications for the second round of disaster funding. In the first round of funding, United Way released $136,085.71 in funds to eight partners.
United Way’s Board of Directors will review all applications and make funding recommendations based on the information presented. Priority consideration will be given to applications that clearly demonstrate how they will assist tornado survivors in their long-term recovery from the February 15 and 23 EF-3 tornadoes. Nonprofits that received awards during the first round can apply for additional funds during each of the three rounds. Each organization that receives funding will sign a contract by which they agree to provide weekly and quarterly reports on how the funds are used to support survivors.
As of March 28, United Way had received cash donations of $243,626, all of which will be disbursed to aid recovery. $142,160 in additional pledges will be awarded once those funds are received. Additionally, United Way collected in-kind items valued at $55,446 from generous community donations. Survivors who need access to those supplies should visit the United Way “Store” located at 1301 W. Government Street in Pensacola or Healthy Start located at 501 Church Street in Century. United Way is accepting second visits from residents impacted by the tornadoes. Dial 2-1-1 for more information.
Each of the eight funded partners from the first allocation plays an essential role in the survivor’s recovery. The assistance provided to survivors includes payments for electrical boxes, insurance/utility deposits, utility transfer fees, construction supplies, housing, prescription refills for lost medication and counseling assistance. Consequently, no duplication of systems or services is necessary. One funded organization, Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE), used $4,827 of directed funding from Gulf Power Company to reinstall electrical boxes in 10 Century homes. In addition, BRACE will use $28,571 of funding from United Way to equip volunteer teams with the building supplies they need in order to rebuild survivors’ homes.
Executive Director of BRACE, Greg Strader, says, “Were it not for the support of United Way, many of the families that survived the tornadoes would never recover. The disaster funding provided by United Way has allowed BRACE to recruit volunteer teams that specialize in recovery to restore hope and homes, as it did after United Way provided funding following the 2014 Flood.”
Any nonprofit organization wishing to apply for funding should contact United Way’s Partnership Manager, Stephanie Crandall, at stephanie@unitedwayescambia.org or call (850)444-7140 to receive application instructions.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Kindergarten Registration Underway In Escambia County
March 30, 2016
Children who will be five-years old on or before September 1, 2016, are eligible to register for kindergarten for the 2016-2017 school year. New kindergarten students enrolling in the Escambia County School District may register now at the school which serves their residential area during the regular school year.
To local your child’s school, click here. For more information, contact the School Choice Office at (850) 469-5580.
At the time of registration, parents will need:
- Child’s birth certificate
- Child’s social security card
- Proof of residence, such as a recent electric bill or rent receipt (Telephone and cable bills are not acceptable)
- Immunization Record (DH form 680)
- Physical form (DH form 3040, or other comparable form)
Kindergarten Expos are being planned for May 14 and 21. The events will be held in the morning and will give parents and children a chance to experience a taste kindergarten. Locations to be announced soon.
Atmore Man Facing Drug, Weapons Charges After Traffic Stop
March 30, 2016
An Atmore man has been arrested on drug and weapons charges by the Atmore Police Department.
Roy Donta James, 35, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, altering a firearm, and possession of a concealed weapon without a permit. He was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton.
According to Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks, Office Buddy Traweek was on routine patrol on Liberty Street when he observed a vehicle being driven erratically and running off the side of the road. Traweek initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver as James.
During the traffic stop investigation, officer reported finding drug paraphernalia, scale, a clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine, a plastic bag containing concaine, a silver .380 handgun and several syringes.