Gulf1 - Reg - Santa Rosa County Florida

Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office Veteran Nominated for America's Most Wanted All-Star Contest

America's Most Wanted is currently hosting a contest entitled "America's Most Wanted All Star".

A Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office veteran has been nominated in the competition. The contest honors first responders, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, EMT's, and others, who go above and beyond to keep our communities safe every day of the year.

Lt. Larry Bryant is the nominee.

Bryant is a 30-year veteran and is currently nominated for a pending award as 2007 Law Enforcement Supervisor of the Year.

In the nomination, he is noted for working well with children and his extraordinary ability to gain information during interviews of all types of suspects. Bryant has appeared several times on "America's Most Wanted," and according to the nomination, he is known for solving even the most complex cold cases quickly.

Bryant also received a commendation from the Columbia County Georgia Sheriff for solving a murder for hire case in just four hours. Bryant inspired an author to write a book, entitled, "Specific Intent" by O'Neill Denoux.

Bryant was awarded the New Orleans Sheriff's Department-Jefferson Parish for this same case.

Bryant has undergone six brain-eye surgeries in the past year and still continues to work at the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. He is also a current member of the Santa Rosa County Florida Sheriff's Disaster Response Team.

The public can vote for Bryant once a day by going to the America's Most Wanted website.  The Website address for the contest is www.amw.com/allstar. 

Santa Rosa County Delegation Reschedules Public Hearing

CRESTVIEW - Members of Santa Rosa County's state legislative delegation have rescheduled a public hearing for Wednesday, February 27, 2008, from 6 pm until 7:30 pm at the Santa Rosa County Administrative Complex, 6495 Caroline St, Milton.  This will be the only legislative delegation meeting in Santa Rosa County prior to the beginning of the 2008 Regular Session.

Public comments will be heard on proposals for the 2008 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature.  To be placed on the agenda, all interested parties should contact Sen. Peaden's Crestview office at (850) 689-0556 by 5 pm on Monday, February 25, 2008.

The Santa Rosa County legislative delegation consists of Representatives Greg Evers, Clay Ford and Speaker Designate Ray Sansom, along with Senators Durell Peaden and Don Gaetz.

Santa Rosa Deputies Arrest Suspects During Fourth Burglary of the Same Business

On 02/23/2008 at approximately 0130 hours, midnight shift deputies patrolling the Pace District foiled a burglary that was occurring at Cici's Pizza located at 5070 Highway 90. 

This was the fourth burglary that had occurred at Cici's Pizza within the past four months.  In the previous two burglaries, the suspects had climbed onto the roof and entered through the roof by prying a hole into the roof. 

While deputies were patrolling on the night of February 23, 2008, they observed a subject on top of the roof of Cici's Pizza. 

When deputies approached, the suspect tried to escape off of the roof.  Deputies were able to apprehend him by ordering him to climb down a ladder that had been placed there by the suspect. 

The suspect tossed a backpack down to deputies prior to climbing down. He was identified as Christopher Windau (17 years old). 

Deputies then located a second suspect that was already inside the business that had gained access through the roof. 

The second suspect refused to obey the commands of deputies on scene and a Taser was deployed to take him into custody. 

The second suspect was identified as Joshua Lutz (16 years old). 

Deputies found that the suspects had parked their vehicle on a nearby side street prior to walking to Cici's to commit the burglary. 

It was also found that the suspects had unscrewed bolts that were securing the metal roof and then lowered themselves down inside the business after breaking through the ceiling tiles. 

The suspects were in possession of numerous tools, including wire cutters, socket wrenches, and rope. 

They were both dressed in black outfits with hoods.  A ski mask was located inside the business. 

Interviews of the two suspects yielded confessions and evidence to clear all of the other Cici's pizza burglary cases.

Windau was found to have particpated in all four burglaries. 

Lutz was found to have participated in two of the burgalries. 

Another suspect, Matthew June (26 years old) was found to have participated in the first two burgalries with Windau. 

June was arrested on February 25, 2008 for his participation in the prior offenses.

All suspects were arrested and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail. The two juveniles were then transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice. 

CHARGES:   Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools, Felony Criminal Mischief, Resisting an Officer without Violence

Suspect #1:
Matthew June
White Male
26 years old
4700 Block of Keyser Lane, Pace. FL
($32,000.00 Bond)

Suspect #2:
Joshua Lutz
White Male
16 years old
900 Block of Ft. Pickens Road
Pensacola Beach, FL

Suspect #3:
Christopher Windau
White Male
17 years old
4700 Block of Keyser Lane, Pace, FL

Sheriff's Office Searching for Pace Man Wanted on Felony Domestic Violence Charges

Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Deputies are currently looking for a Pace man that is wanted on numerous charges stemming from a domestic violence incident. 

Deputies are looking for Lesley Darren Goins (27 years old) after an incident that occurred on January 27, 2008. 

During that incident, Goins forced his way into the home of an ex-girlfriend and began to choke and strike the victim.  The beating caused the victim to briefly lose consciousness. 

Goins then made statements stating that he was going to have to kill the victim because he didn't want to "go back to prison". 

Goins also had duct tape and rope with him.  Goins also removed the phone from the residence so that the victim couldn't call law enforcement.

The victim was able to briefly rationalize with Goins and told him that someone was expecting her to show up for work with an item.  The victim told Goins that people would come to her house looking for her if she didn't bring the item to them. 

Goins then drove the victim to her place of work, at which time the victim was able to jump from the car and run to safety. 

At the time of this incident, there was an active restraining order keeping Goins away from the victim.

Goins fled the scene and has not been able to be located by law enforcement. 

A judge has issued arrest warrants for Goins on the below mentioned charges. 

Goins is considered violent and dangerous.  The Sheriff's Office is requesting the public's help in locating Goins so that he can be taken into custody to face the criminal charges.  Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 437-STOP or 911.

CHARGES:   (NO BOND)
Aggravated Assault, Battery, Kidnapping, Depriving a Means of Communication, Violation of an Injunction for Protection

University of Florida Expert Offers a Program on Palm Care

Palms seem to be gaining in popularity in North Florida landscapes. But not all palms will survive the Northwest Florida growing conditions. And even when suitable palms are selected, they can fail as a result of being planted too deep, fertilized incorrectly or due to an array of pests. 

If you want to know how to select palms appropriate for our area and how to keep your palms healthy, consider attending an upcoming seminar offered by the UF/IFAS Santa Rosa and Okaloosa County Extension Service.    

Dr. Monica Elliott, Plant Pathologist with the University of Florida, will be presenting a program on palms Thursday, February 28, 2008.  The program is scheduled from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and will be held at the Community Life Center, 4115 Soundside Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL. 

The seminar will include a presentation on palm species recommended for Northwest Florida.  Dr. Elliott will cover how to fertilize and maintain your palms, which insects and disease may affect your palms and other interesting facts.

To register for the program, or for more information, please call 850-623-3868.  Cost is $5.

All programs and related activities sponsored for, or assisted by, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are open to all persons with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations.  For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact the Santa Rosa County Extension Service at lease five (5) working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request. 

Pawn Shop Burglarized: 17 Handguns Stolen

On 2/11/2008, Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to Guns and Such Pawn Shop on Stewart Street in Milton in reference to the business being burglarized. 

The burglary occurred sometime over the weekend while the business was closed. 

The owner of the pawn shop stated that entry had been gained to the business during the nighttime hours after an unknown suspect severed the phone lines, disabling the alarm system.  The hinges were then cut off of the rear door with a cutting torch. 

Once inside, the unknown suspect/suspects removed 17 handguns of all different calibers and makes.  A laser sight was also stolen.

No suspect/suspects have been identified and the Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the burglary. 

Anyone with information concerning the burglary or the location of the stolen guns is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 437-STOP.  Anyone providing information that leads to an arrest is eligible for a cash reward of up to $1000.00.

Task Force Expands and Continues to Nab Undocumented Workers

Numerous Arrests at Two Locations

On February 03, 2008, a special Task Force assembled by Sheriff Wendell Hall launched an operation to help curb the issue of undocumented workers in Santa Rosa County.  This effort has continued to operate on a daily basis, acting on citizen generated complaints regarding possible undocumented workers. The existing AIM Task Force (Area Impact Management), comprised of 7 multi-lingual Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office deputies, has joined forces with Walton County Sheriff Ralph Johnson, Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris, and Escambia County Sheriff Ron McNesby to form a four county Task Force in order to curb the problem of undocumented workers in the Florida Panhandle.

This combined effort will continue to operate indefinitely. On today's date, members of the joint task force conducted two business checks at two La Hacienda Restaurants in Santa Rosa County.  One of the locations was located on Caroline Street in Milton, and the other was located on Highway 90 in Pace.  Citizen complaints had been received by the Task Force involving the presence of undocumented workers that were working at both locations. 

A check of records conducted with the business owner, who operates both locations, did reveal that numerous suspected undocumented workers had produced fraudulent social security cards in order to gain employment at the establishments.  As a result of the records check, the following individuals were found to be in the United States illegally and were arrested and charged with Using False Documents to Obtain Employment (3rd degree felony):

THESE NAMES AND ADDRESSES ARE THE NAMES THAT WERE PROVIDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE FRAUDULENT FORMS PROVIDED TO THE EMPLOYER

1. Marcos Vargas, H/M, 4/05/58, 512 Holcombe Road, Milton, FL
2. Ramon Sandoval, H/M, 9/03/83, 6223 Mohawk Trail, Milton, FL
3. Erick Barragan, H/M, 8/24/86, 5193 Hilltop Drive, Milton, FL
4. Ramon Lopez, H/M, 5/07/86, 5171 Hilltop Drive, Milton, FL
5. Rolman Garcia, H/M, 3/14/84, Emerald Sands Inn, Hwy. 90, Milton, FL
6. Eduardo Rodriguez, H/M, 4/21/83, 4581 Davenport Lane Lot 24, Pace, FL
7. Ramon Ramirez, H/M, 1/23/77, 4581 Davenport Lane Lot 24, Pace, FL
8. Emmanuel Hernandez-Paz, H/M, 1/10/86, 4581 Davenport Lane Lot 6, Pace, FL
9. Miguel Sanchez, H/M, 7/03/82, 5688 Reginas Way, Milton, FL
10. Ruben Barragan, H/M, 6/21/83, 8011 Sabra Drive, Pensacola, FL

They are all being held at the Santa Rosa County Jail with no bond. The Sheriff's Office will request that a hold be placed on all of these individuals with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A large amount of information was gathered during interviews with the arrested subjects.  It was found that the subjects had entered the United States illegally, paying unknown suspects between $1700.00 and $5000.00 for assistance in entering the country.  They also stated that they paid anywhere from $50.00 to $200.00 to obtain false social security cards once inside the United States. 

The records check also revealed that the social security numbers that were being used by these individuals were all being used fraudulently, belonging to individuals such as small children, deceased adults, and U.S. citizens that are currently living in places such as Beirut, Lebanon and Mogadishu, Somalia.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office will make every effort to contact the individuals whose social security numbers are being used fraudulently by these undocumented workers. 

All of the information that was gathered relating to the owner of the business and the undocumented workers is being forwarded to State and Federal authorities for further investigation.

The four county Task Force encourages the public to contact the Sheriff's Office with any complaints involving activity surrounding issues involving possible undocumented workers in Santa Rosa County.

Navarre Man Arrested for Armed Home Invasion

Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office investigators have arrested one of the suspects believed to be responsible for a home invasion that occurred in Navarre on Friday.

The incident began on 02/01/08 at approximately 1200 hours, when Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the 1900 block of Catamaran Drive, Navarre, Florida, in reference to an armed home invasion. 

The complainant, an adult female who is not being identified, stated that while she was alone with her newborn baby at the address on Catamaran Drive, some unidentified suspects forced their way into the house at gun point and ransacked the house.  The suspects had already left the scene in a vehicle prior to the deputies arriving at the residence. 

The female victim told deputies that while she was in the living room, she observed a male suspect approach the front door.  The suspect knocked and as the victim opened the door, he pushed the door open and displayed a handgun. 

The victim's baby was crying, and the suspect made the victim take her baby into the bathroom. The suspect closed the door leaving it ajar so he could watch the female victim.  The victim then heard the suspect speak to another male inside the residence. The door was then closed completely and the victim heard conversation that made her believe that there were more suspects inside the residence.

The victim heard noises which sounded like things being thrown about the house for 5-10 minutes and then things got quiet. 

The victim waited approximately five minutes before exiting the bathroom and discovered that the suspects had departed.

The victim was able to give a description of the one suspect to investigators. A witness in the neighborhood told investigators that they had observed a vehicle that was parked near the victim's residence during the time of the robbery. 

The witness also observed three subjects running from the direction of the incident, then jump into the vehicle and speed away.

After following different leads, investigators identified one of the possible suspects as being Armando Rodriguez. 

It was determined that Rodriguez was the alleged suspect that came into the house brandishing the handgun. 

During the early morning hours of 2/05/08, investigators located Rodriguez at his residence on Deer Lane, Navarre, FL.  It was at that time that investigators arrested Rodriguez and transported him to the Santa Rosa County Jail. 

The other suspects have not yet been identified.  The investigation is ongoing. 

SUSPECT:
Armando Rodriguez
Hispanic Male Date of Birth:  10/3/1988
9036 Deer Lane
Navarre, FL

CHARGES:
Home Invasion Robbery with a Firearm, 1st degree felony
Petit Theft, 2nd degree misdemeanor

NO BOND

Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office Task Force AIMS to Curb Undocumented Workers: First Day Yields 13 Arrests

On February 04, 2008, a special Task Force assembled by Sheriff Wendell Hall launched an operation to help curb the issued of undocumented workers in Santa Rosa County. 

At approximately 1300 hours, the AIM Unit (Area Impact Management), a 7 member multi-lingual task force dealing specifically with citizen complaints of undocumented workers, conducted a business check at Panhandle Growers located at 5975 South Ridge Road in the Allentown community of Santa Rosa County. 

Complaints had been received involving the presence of undocumented workers that were working at that location.  A check of records conducted with the business owner did reveal that numerous suspected undocumented workers had produced fraudulent social security cards in order to gain employment.  As a result of this check, the following individuals were found to be in the United States illegally and were arrested and charged with Using False Documents to Obtain Employment (3rd degree felony):

THESE NAMES AND ADDRESSES ARE THE NAMES THAT WERE PROVIDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE FRAUDULENT FORMS PROVIDED TO THE EMPLOYER

1. Generosa B. Guzman, H/F, 10/6/85, 7000 Block of Milton Road, Milton, FL

2. Eden D. Cagal, H/M, 4/17/84, 7000 Block of Milton Road, Milton, FL

3. Andres Cobaxin, H/M, 11/10/53, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

4. Jaime H. Colorado, H/M, 4/30/61, 300 Block of Ballard St., Brewton, AL

5. Antonio M. Conteras, H/M, 7/13/81, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

6. Francisco S. Lopez, H/M, 11/19/76, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

7. Alfonso P. Gomez, H/M, 1/23/59, 300 Block of Ballard St., Brewton, AL

8. Magaleno Ibanez, H/M, 6/26/87, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

9. Baltazar T. Tehuintte, H/M, 1/6/88, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

10. Rene Salguero, H/M, 8/20/74, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

11. Jose Pacheco, H/M, 10/12/79, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

12. Bernardo Pacheco, H/M, 12/04/59, 800 Block of Trawick Lane, Milton, FL

13. Rey D. Alarcon, 1/06/78, 200 Block of Dauphin St., Brewton, AL

They are all being held at the Santa Rosa County Jail with no bond. The Sheriff's Office will request that a hold be placed on all of these individuals with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Because these individuals did produce the proper documents to Panhandle Growers, the company is also being considered a victim and will not be cited, as they did not knowingly hire undocumented workers to conduct work at their facility.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office will make every effort to contact the individuals whose social security numbers are being used fraudulently by these undocumented workers. 

The task force will continue to operate on a daily basis, indefinitely. Sheriff Wendell Hall encourages the public to contact the Sheriff's Office with any complaints involving activity surrounding issues involving possible undocumented workers in Santa Rosa County.