Cantonment Man Charged With Burglary Of An Occupied Dwelling
March 27, 2025
A Cantonment man has been charged with breaking into a residence, stealing a wallet, and damaging property before fleeing in a truck.
Roderick Ezell Purifoy, 35, was charged with unarmed burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft and criminal mischief with property damage.
The incident occurred on January 5, 2025, at a home on Woodbury Circle. According to the victim, he was startled awake around 10:30 a.m. to find a man standing over his bed after breaking in through a bedroom window. The victim recognized the suspect, who allegedly claimed he was there to collect a debt. Purifoy told the victim that he still owed $300 for transmission repairs made on a truck belonging to the victim’s dad, according to arrest report.
The suspect then reportedly took the victim’s wallet, which contained $100 in cash, an ID, a Social Security card, and a debit card, totaling $170 in value. Additionally, the break-in caused an estimated $350 in damage to a bedroom window, the victim reported. According to the report, the suspect was seen leaving through the same window and driving off in a dark-tinted Dodge pickup truck, allegedly causing an additional $500 in lawn damage.
Law enforcement officers responded to the scene around and later attempted to contact the Purifoy, who initially denied entering the home. However, Purifoy later admitted to being in the area and insisted that the victim still owed him $300, according to the arrest report.
The suspect reportedly hung up on investigators and turned off his phone when questioned further.
Purifoy was recently arrested on an outstanding warrant for the incident and released from jail this week on a $15,000 bond.
Sunshine For Thursday And Friday; Rain Becoming Likely Saturday
March 27, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 74. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.