At the end of a two-hour hearing Monday, James Marcelin was sentenced to 40 years in Florida State Prison.
James Marcelin walks into the courtroom on Monday afternoon for his sentencing hearing. Judge Roddenbery handed down a 40-year sentence following Marcelin’s March conviction of DUI manslaughter.
Marcelin, 27, was convicted by a jury on March 22 of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, two counts of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of driving while license suspended or revoked, and one count each of grand theft of a motor vehicle and burglary of a conveyance.
Assistant State Attorney Amy Smith argued that Marcelin should be sentenced to the max because “he is a danger to society.”
Marcelin had been partying all day on April 16, 2015, when he made the decision to drive three of his friends to Haines City. The four men started the day in Winter Haven, where they drank alcohol, smoked marijuana, and did drugs.
They went to a second party in Orlando, where they continued to drink and smoke. When they ran out of marijuana, Marcelin got behind the wheel of the van and attempted to drive them to another party in Haines City.
At about 11:15 p.m., while traveling at least 20 MPH over the speed limit, Marcelin drifted off the road way and lost control, braking for 88 feet before crashing head-on into a tree. The collision killed 19-year-old Andrew Valdez and critically injured Jose Almanzar and James Richards.
Valdez was thrown from the front passenger seat and into the windshield, where he was entrapped. He lost consciousness and never regained it.
He died on May 14, 2015.
Almanzar had a broken spine and a brain bleed. Richards had a cracked skull, which required 22 staples.
Both men were unconscious after the collision.
Marcelin had his right leg broken in two spots and a broken left arm, broken pelvis, sternum, and ribs. Multiple witnesses saw him in the driver’s seat and said he was the only occupant still conscious.
Assistant State Attorney Amy Smith (right) stands in front of Judge Roddenbery during James Marcelin’s sentencing hearing Monday afternoon. Smith argued that Marcelin should be sentenced to the max because “he is a danger to society.”
Judge Roddenbery agreed with Smith’s argument that Marcelin is a danger, and he was designated a habitual offender.
Roddenbery handed down a 40-year prison sentence, and at the defense’s objection to the lengthy sentence, the judge reminded him that it was because Marcelin’s reckless actions seriously injured two people and killed another.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Marcelin_sentencing.jpg27163802Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-06-25 16:32:002018-06-25 16:33:01SENTENCING UPDATE: Marcelin sentenced to 40 years for DUI manslaughter
Johnathan Sharon forced his victim to perform sexual acts on him for 9 years.
Johnathan Sharon, 24, of Mulberry.
A jury deliberated for less than two hours Thursday before finding Sharon, 24, guilty of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12 while the defendant is under the age of 18, lewd molestation, and committing an unnatural and lascivious act.
He is facing life in prison and will be sentenced July 11.
Assistant State Attorney Randi Daugustinis told the jury that Sharon started forcing himself on the victim when she was 6. He would pull her into a room, lock the door and punch or choke her until she cooperated.
The victim told her mother that Sharon was sexually abusing her, but she didn’t believe her. Sharon continued to force the victim into sexual acts until she was 14, and she reported it two years later.
On a controlled phone call with law enforcement, the victim confronted Sharon about the abuse. He told her, “I cannot remember much of anything before I turned 18.”
When the girl told him she was looking for closure, Sharon became angry and told her he didn’t “have time for this.”
The defense argued that others in the home would have heard the physical abuse when it happened.
Daugustinis reminded jurors that other witnesses testified the television in the house was always on. People were always going in and out of the home, making a lot of noise and drowning out what was happening.
Assistant State Attorney Randi Daugustinis addresses jurors during closing arguments Thursday, showing them how the defendant choked his victim. Jurors deliberated less than two hours before finding Sharon guilty.
The victim testified during trial that she didn’t yell or scream to alert anyone because she was afraid of Sharon. And it wasn’t until she was older that she found the strength to start fighting back.
Sharon testified in court Thursday, telling the jury that he never touched the girl in a sexual manner and that they had never been alone together.
But he also told jurors that when law enforcement interviewed him about the incidents, he believed that they would let him go back to work if he said they were just kids and were messing around.
The defense admitted Sharon changed his statements to detectives, claiming that he believed admitting he was messing around was “the lesser of two bad outcomes.”
But Daugustinis argued that the reason Sharon couldn’t keep his story straight when he was questioned was an indication of his consciousness of guilt.
“He (Sharon) blames everyone else. Then he said he couldn’t remember. Then he admitted to touching her,” Daugustinis said, referring to his statement to detectives. “When she confronted him for closure on the controlled call, he said he didn’t remember. An innocent person doesn’t say that he simply doesn’t remember.”
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Johnathan-Sharon.jpg428347Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-06-13 16:33:552018-06-13 16:43:56JURY VERDICT: Mulberry man convicted of sexual battery, faces life in prison
In keeping with the tradition set by State Attorney Brian Haas last year, three law enforcement officers were honored at our annual awards ceremony. These exceptional officers were recognized because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community this past year.
“We are blessed in the tenth circuit to have many wonderful officers and deputies. Each day and night they put on their uniforms to protect us, not knowing if they’ll ever return home,” State Attorney Haas said. “They investigate cases and do not give up until every lead is pursued and every angle is worked.”
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tonya Wright was honored for her work on the Lenard Masten case.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tonya Wright was honored for her work on the Lenard Masten case. At gunpoint, Masten stole $1,000 from an elderly couple and their son, attempted to destroy their cellphones, and forced them into a small closet. Masten was found guilty of three counts of robbery with a firearm, armed kidnapping, two counts of armed false imprisonment, burglary of a dwelling with an assault while armed with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and tampering with a witness and was sentenced to life.
When Bimalkumar Trivedi went home to his elderly parents, Lenard Masten placed a gun against his head and forced his way into their home.
Trivedi’s parents were at the table eating dinner, and Masten took their phones and placed them in the sink under running water. He told Trivedi he needed money while leading him into another room at gunpoint, so Trivedi gave Masten $1,000.
Masten then decided to escort Trivedi and his parents at gunpoint to a closet and force them to lay down. After realizing he may be leaving fingerprints in the residence, Masten picked up a pair of dirty socks and placed them on his hands like gloves.
When Trivedi and his parents wouldn’t all fit in the closet, Masten led them to the garage and then to the bathroom, where he forced them to stand in the shower with the water on as he left the residence. After waiting until he was sure Masten was gone, Trivedi retrieved his phone from the sink – which was still working – and called 911.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Nutter said Detective Tonya Wright did a solid investigation.
Witnesses saw a suspicious Buick near Trivedi’s home the night of the robbery, so Wright used DAVID to pull all registered owners of older model Buicks in Polk County. One of those owners was Masten, who was on probation for robbery.
Wright went to Masten’s job and located the Buick with the damage witnesses saw and items hanging from the rearview matching the witness descriptions. Wright searched the vehicle, where she found clothing matching the description of the robber and a white athletic sock, which he took from hamper of the house to use as gloves.
Wright pulled Google location history on Masten’s cell phone, which showed that a few weeks before the robbery, Masten followed Trivedi from his business to his home.
Through her questioning of Masten, he confessed.
Nutter said Wright spent a lot of time working with Masten and confronting him with all the evidence before he finally broke down and admitted what he did.
“Without that confession, we would not have been able to prove case,” Nutter said. The victim could not ID the defendant. And although DNA and fingerprints were taken, nothing of forensic value came back. With the exception of the confession, it was 100 percent a circumstantial case.”
Masten, 26, was found guilty on March 17 of three counts of robbery with a firearm, armed kidnapping, two counts of armed false imprisonment, burglary of a dwelling with an assault while armed with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and tampering with a witness. He was previously convicted of aggravated assault and robbery, which he was on probation for when he was arrested June 26, 2015.
Masten was sentenced to life in prison.
State Attorney Brian Haas said this case is a great example of hard work and dedication by a determined law enforcement officer. It’s because of Detective Tonya Wright that a dangerous felon is now locked up for life.
“Handling big cases is not a rare occurrence for Detective Wright,” Haas said. “She handles a lot of them, and each time, she approaches the case with the high level of work we have come to know her by.”
In keeping with the tradition set by State Attorney Brian Haas last year, three law enforcement officers were honored at our annual awards ceremony. These exceptional officers were recognized because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community this past year.
“We are blessed in the tenth circuit to have many wonderful officers and deputies. Each day and night they put on their uniforms to protect us, not knowing if they’ll ever return home,” State Attorney Haas said. “They investigate cases and do not give up until every lead is pursued and every angle is worked.”
Lake Wales Police Department Detective David Hernandez was honored for his work on the Willie Watson case.
Lake Wales Police Department Detective David Hernandez was honored for his work on the Willie Watson case. Watson fired multiple rounds into a McDonald’s ceiling, demanded employees hand over money, and prevented terrified customers from leaving. Watson was found guilty of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, shooting into a building and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
On a peaceful Sunday morning in Lake Wales, on January 8, 2017, Willie Watson, III, brought terror to the local residents enjoying breakfast at McDonalds. Watson decided he would commit an armed robbery at McDonalds by running in, raising a gun over his head, and firing a shot into the ceiling.
He yelled commands to the employees to hand over money and prevented terrified customers from leaving. Watson then fled the scene.
“Thankfully, Detective David Hernandez was on this case and was determined to track down the person responsible for this crime,” said State Attorney Brian Haas.
Hernandez quickly took action to secure all evidence and take crime scene photos himself.
He recovered surveillance footage of Watson exiting a minivan outside the McDonald’s wearing a dark colored hoodie and a red bandana covering his face. He was also wearing black gloves and was holding a black firearm.
A gunshot residue test was conducted on Watson after he was arrested, and residue particles were found on his hands.
A single black glove was left at the scene, and the DNA on it was a match for Watson. A shell casing was also located at the scene.
When Hernandez searched the minivan Watson was seen exiting on the surveillance footage, he found a firearm. It was a match for the casing.
Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry credited Hernandez’s quick and thorough actions with solving this case.
At the jury trial, Watson was convicted of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, shooting into a building, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 20 years in Florida State Prison.
In keeping with the tradition set by State Attorney Brian Haas last year, three law enforcement officers were honored at our annual awards ceremony. These exceptional officers were recognized because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community this past year.
“We are blessed in the tenth circuit to have many wonderful officers and deputies. Each day and night they put on their uniforms to protect us, not knowing if they’ll ever return home,” State Attorney Haas said. “They investigate cases and do not give up until every lead is pursued and every angle is worked.”
Lakeland Police Department Detective Timothy McDonald was honored for his work on the Tyrone Laster case.
Lakeland Police Department Detective Timothy McDonald was honored for his work on the Tyrone Laster case. Laster shot his friend in the head over a drug deal with a $20 discrepancy, costing the victim use of his arms and legs. Laster was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
When law enforcement found Chauncey Rollins, he was lying in a pool of his own blood.
He’d been shot in the back of the head and was mumbling incoherently. There was a spent shell casing on the ground next to him.
A Lakeland Police officer crouched down next to Rollins and asked who shot him: “Tye. Tye shot me.”
Following the shooting, Rollins was in a coma for two months. As a result of his injuries, he lost the use of his arms and legs and is confined to a wheelchair.
The bullet is still lodged in his head.
The two were known to deal drugs from a drug house Laster ran, where Rollins would frequently deliver the drugs and return the profits to the house. Rollins was late bringing the latest payment to Laster because he was $20 short on the agreed price, so the two planned to meet at the drug house the evening of June 10, 2015, to square up.
Rollins received a few angry phone calls from Laster earlier in the day, where Laster threatened him. Rollins told jurors he didn’t take the threats seriously because the two were good friends.
But when Rollins arrived at the house, Laster was angry. They talked for a few minutes, and Rollins said he wasn’t afraid until Laster left the room and returned with a gun, pointing it at him.
Rollins told jurors during trial. “I didn’t think he would shoot. I thought he was going to calm down, and the next thing I know I was shot.”
When the investigation began, all detectives had was Rollins’ dying declaration that Tye shot him.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Nutter said that a lot of witnesses started pointing to leads that would never pan out, so that’s when Detective Timothy McDonald started hitting the streets to gather intel.
McDonald learned that a woman by the name of Angela Walker was a key witness to the shooting. After five days of countless interviews to figure out where Angela was and who Tye was, McDonald found her.
Walker also identified Laster as the shooter from a photo pack.
McDonald interviewed Laster, who claimed he was at Burger King in Plant City at the time of the attempted murder. But McDonald tracked down security footage to disprove Laster’s alibi, forcing him to go with an accidental discharge defense.
Nutter said that when Rollins woke up from his coma, he did not have any memory of the shooting.
“Without tracking witnesses down, we would not have had a case or known what happened,” Nutter said. “None of these people were particularly cooperative, but McDonald did a lot of hard work tracking down witnesses and getting them to talk.”
The first time this case was tried, the jury was hung. Nutter said McDonald did an excellent job testifying at both trials.
A jury found 43-year-old Tyrone Laster guilty of attempted second-degree murder. Jurors also found that during the commission of the offense Laster was in actual possession of a firearm, and he discharged the firearm, resulting in great bodily harm to Chauncey Rollins.
He was sentenced to life.
“Some may say that violence between drug dealers doesn’t matter, but that’s just not the way it is,” Haas said. “If Laster would shoot Rollins, he would shoot any of us or any other citizen.”
Haas said that Detective McDonald showed an amazing amount of determination in solving this crime. Others may have given up, but he did not.
Without his hard work and dedication, Haas said, this crime would not have been solved, and this dangerous violent felon would still be out on our streets.
“This case is not an exception for McDonald, it fits with the reputation he has earned during his career serving our citizens,” Haas said. “Timothy McDonald is a role model for other officers and for all of us.”
A Highlands County Grand Jury indicted Joseph Ables, 69, of Lake Placid, Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Ables was arrested May 6 and was charged with the fatal shooting of Highlands County Deputy William J. Gentry two days later.
Following today’s indictment, Tenth Circuit State Attorney Brian Haas announced he will be seeking the death penalty against Ables.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Ables.jpg476382Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-05-29 14:02:502018-05-29 14:02:50State Attorney seeking death against Highlands man who murdered deputy
SENTENCING UPDATE: Marcelin sentenced to 40 years for DUI manslaughter
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonAt the end of a two-hour hearing Monday, James Marcelin was sentenced to 40 years in Florida State Prison.
James Marcelin walks into the courtroom on Monday afternoon for his sentencing hearing. Judge Roddenbery handed down a 40-year sentence following Marcelin’s March conviction of DUI manslaughter.
Marcelin, 27, was convicted by a jury on March 22 of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, two counts of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of driving while license suspended or revoked, and one count each of grand theft of a motor vehicle and burglary of a conveyance.
Assistant State Attorney Amy Smith argued that Marcelin should be sentenced to the max because “he is a danger to society.”
Marcelin had been partying all day on April 16, 2015, when he made the decision to drive three of his friends to Haines City. The four men started the day in Winter Haven, where they drank alcohol, smoked marijuana, and did drugs.
They went to a second party in Orlando, where they continued to drink and smoke. When they ran out of marijuana, Marcelin got behind the wheel of the van and attempted to drive them to another party in Haines City.
At about 11:15 p.m., while traveling at least 20 MPH over the speed limit, Marcelin drifted off the road way and lost control, braking for 88 feet before crashing head-on into a tree. The collision killed 19-year-old Andrew Valdez and critically injured Jose Almanzar and James Richards.
Valdez was thrown from the front passenger seat and into the windshield, where he was entrapped. He lost consciousness and never regained it.
He died on May 14, 2015.
Almanzar had a broken spine and a brain bleed. Richards had a cracked skull, which required 22 staples.
Both men were unconscious after the collision.
Marcelin had his right leg broken in two spots and a broken left arm, broken pelvis, sternum, and ribs. Multiple witnesses saw him in the driver’s seat and said he was the only occupant still conscious.
Assistant State Attorney Amy Smith (right) stands in front of Judge Roddenbery during James Marcelin’s sentencing hearing Monday afternoon. Smith argued that Marcelin should be sentenced to the max because “he is a danger to society.”
Judge Roddenbery agreed with Smith’s argument that Marcelin is a danger, and he was designated a habitual offender.
Roddenbery handed down a 40-year prison sentence, and at the defense’s objection to the lengthy sentence, the judge reminded him that it was because Marcelin’s reckless actions seriously injured two people and killed another.
JURY VERDICT: Mulberry man convicted of sexual battery, faces life in prison
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonJohnathan Sharon forced his victim to perform sexual acts on him for 9 years.
Johnathan Sharon, 24, of Mulberry.
A jury deliberated for less than two hours Thursday before finding Sharon, 24, guilty of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12 while the defendant is under the age of 18, lewd molestation, and committing an unnatural and lascivious act.
He is facing life in prison and will be sentenced July 11.
Assistant State Attorney Randi Daugustinis told the jury that Sharon started forcing himself on the victim when she was 6. He would pull her into a room, lock the door and punch or choke her until she cooperated.
The victim told her mother that Sharon was sexually abusing her, but she didn’t believe her. Sharon continued to force the victim into sexual acts until she was 14, and she reported it two years later.
On a controlled phone call with law enforcement, the victim confronted Sharon about the abuse. He told her, “I cannot remember much of anything before I turned 18.”
When the girl told him she was looking for closure, Sharon became angry and told her he didn’t “have time for this.”
The defense argued that others in the home would have heard the physical abuse when it happened.
Daugustinis reminded jurors that other witnesses testified the television in the house was always on. People were always going in and out of the home, making a lot of noise and drowning out what was happening.
Assistant State Attorney Randi Daugustinis addresses jurors during closing arguments Thursday, showing them how the defendant choked his victim. Jurors deliberated less than two hours before finding Sharon guilty.
The victim testified during trial that she didn’t yell or scream to alert anyone because she was afraid of Sharon. And it wasn’t until she was older that she found the strength to start fighting back.
Sharon testified in court Thursday, telling the jury that he never touched the girl in a sexual manner and that they had never been alone together.
But he also told jurors that when law enforcement interviewed him about the incidents, he believed that they would let him go back to work if he said they were just kids and were messing around.
The defense admitted Sharon changed his statements to detectives, claiming that he believed admitting he was messing around was “the lesser of two bad outcomes.”
But Daugustinis argued that the reason Sharon couldn’t keep his story straight when he was questioned was an indication of his consciousness of guilt.
“He (Sharon) blames everyone else. Then he said he couldn’t remember. Then he admitted to touching her,” Daugustinis said, referring to his statement to detectives. “When she confronted him for closure on the controlled call, he said he didn’t remember. An innocent person doesn’t say that he simply doesn’t remember.”
State Attorney honors PCSO Detective Tonya Wright
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonIn keeping with the tradition set by State Attorney Brian Haas last year, three law enforcement officers were honored at our annual awards ceremony. These exceptional officers were recognized because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community this past year.
“We are blessed in the tenth circuit to have many wonderful officers and deputies. Each day and night they put on their uniforms to protect us, not knowing if they’ll ever return home,” State Attorney Haas said. “They investigate cases and do not give up until every lead is pursued and every angle is worked.”
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tonya Wright was honored for her work on the Lenard Masten case.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tonya Wright was honored for her work on the Lenard Masten case. At gunpoint, Masten stole $1,000 from an elderly couple and their son, attempted to destroy their cellphones, and forced them into a small closet. Masten was found guilty of three counts of robbery with a firearm, armed kidnapping, two counts of armed false imprisonment, burglary of a dwelling with an assault while armed with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and tampering with a witness and was sentenced to life.
When Bimalkumar Trivedi went home to his elderly parents, Lenard Masten placed a gun against his head and forced his way into their home.
Trivedi’s parents were at the table eating dinner, and Masten took their phones and placed them in the sink under running water. He told Trivedi he needed money while leading him into another room at gunpoint, so Trivedi gave Masten $1,000.
Masten then decided to escort Trivedi and his parents at gunpoint to a closet and force them to lay down. After realizing he may be leaving fingerprints in the residence, Masten picked up a pair of dirty socks and placed them on his hands like gloves.
When Trivedi and his parents wouldn’t all fit in the closet, Masten led them to the garage and then to the bathroom, where he forced them to stand in the shower with the water on as he left the residence. After waiting until he was sure Masten was gone, Trivedi retrieved his phone from the sink – which was still working – and called 911.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Nutter said Detective Tonya Wright did a solid investigation.
Witnesses saw a suspicious Buick near Trivedi’s home the night of the robbery, so Wright used DAVID to pull all registered owners of older model Buicks in Polk County. One of those owners was Masten, who was on probation for robbery.
Wright went to Masten’s job and located the Buick with the damage witnesses saw and items hanging from the rearview matching the witness descriptions. Wright searched the vehicle, where she found clothing matching the description of the robber and a white athletic sock, which he took from hamper of the house to use as gloves.
Wright pulled Google location history on Masten’s cell phone, which showed that a few weeks before the robbery, Masten followed Trivedi from his business to his home.
Through her questioning of Masten, he confessed.
Nutter said Wright spent a lot of time working with Masten and confronting him with all the evidence before he finally broke down and admitted what he did.
“Without that confession, we would not have been able to prove case,” Nutter said. The victim could not ID the defendant. And although DNA and fingerprints were taken, nothing of forensic value came back. With the exception of the confession, it was 100 percent a circumstantial case.”
Masten, 26, was found guilty on March 17 of three counts of robbery with a firearm, armed kidnapping, two counts of armed false imprisonment, burglary of a dwelling with an assault while armed with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and tampering with a witness. He was previously convicted of aggravated assault and robbery, which he was on probation for when he was arrested June 26, 2015.
Masten was sentenced to life in prison.
State Attorney Brian Haas said this case is a great example of hard work and dedication by a determined law enforcement officer. It’s because of Detective Tonya Wright that a dangerous felon is now locked up for life.
“Handling big cases is not a rare occurrence for Detective Wright,” Haas said. “She handles a lot of them, and each time, she approaches the case with the high level of work we have come to know her by.”
State Attorney honors LWPD Detective David Hernandez
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonIn keeping with the tradition set by State Attorney Brian Haas last year, three law enforcement officers were honored at our annual awards ceremony. These exceptional officers were recognized because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community this past year.
“We are blessed in the tenth circuit to have many wonderful officers and deputies. Each day and night they put on their uniforms to protect us, not knowing if they’ll ever return home,” State Attorney Haas said. “They investigate cases and do not give up until every lead is pursued and every angle is worked.”
Lake Wales Police Department Detective David Hernandez was honored for his work on the Willie Watson case.
Lake Wales Police Department Detective David Hernandez was honored for his work on the Willie Watson case. Watson fired multiple rounds into a McDonald’s ceiling, demanded employees hand over money, and prevented terrified customers from leaving. Watson was found guilty of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, shooting into a building and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
On a peaceful Sunday morning in Lake Wales, on January 8, 2017, Willie Watson, III, brought terror to the local residents enjoying breakfast at McDonalds. Watson decided he would commit an armed robbery at McDonalds by running in, raising a gun over his head, and firing a shot into the ceiling.
He yelled commands to the employees to hand over money and prevented terrified customers from leaving. Watson then fled the scene.
“Thankfully, Detective David Hernandez was on this case and was determined to track down the person responsible for this crime,” said State Attorney Brian Haas.
Hernandez quickly took action to secure all evidence and take crime scene photos himself.
He recovered surveillance footage of Watson exiting a minivan outside the McDonald’s wearing a dark colored hoodie and a red bandana covering his face. He was also wearing black gloves and was holding a black firearm.
A gunshot residue test was conducted on Watson after he was arrested, and residue particles were found on his hands.
A single black glove was left at the scene, and the DNA on it was a match for Watson. A shell casing was also located at the scene.
When Hernandez searched the minivan Watson was seen exiting on the surveillance footage, he found a firearm. It was a match for the casing.
Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry credited Hernandez’s quick and thorough actions with solving this case.
At the jury trial, Watson was convicted of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, shooting into a building, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 20 years in Florida State Prison.
State Attorney honors LPD Detective Timothy McDonald
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonIn keeping with the tradition set by State Attorney Brian Haas last year, three law enforcement officers were honored at our annual awards ceremony. These exceptional officers were recognized because they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community this past year.
“We are blessed in the tenth circuit to have many wonderful officers and deputies. Each day and night they put on their uniforms to protect us, not knowing if they’ll ever return home,” State Attorney Haas said. “They investigate cases and do not give up until every lead is pursued and every angle is worked.”
Lakeland Police Department Detective Timothy McDonald was honored for his work on the Tyrone Laster case.
Lakeland Police Department Detective Timothy McDonald was honored for his work on the Tyrone Laster case. Laster shot his friend in the head over a drug deal with a $20 discrepancy, costing the victim use of his arms and legs. Laster was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
When law enforcement found Chauncey Rollins, he was lying in a pool of his own blood.
He’d been shot in the back of the head and was mumbling incoherently. There was a spent shell casing on the ground next to him.
A Lakeland Police officer crouched down next to Rollins and asked who shot him: “Tye. Tye shot me.”
Following the shooting, Rollins was in a coma for two months. As a result of his injuries, he lost the use of his arms and legs and is confined to a wheelchair.
The bullet is still lodged in his head.
The two were known to deal drugs from a drug house Laster ran, where Rollins would frequently deliver the drugs and return the profits to the house. Rollins was late bringing the latest payment to Laster because he was $20 short on the agreed price, so the two planned to meet at the drug house the evening of June 10, 2015, to square up.
Rollins received a few angry phone calls from Laster earlier in the day, where Laster threatened him. Rollins told jurors he didn’t take the threats seriously because the two were good friends.
But when Rollins arrived at the house, Laster was angry. They talked for a few minutes, and Rollins said he wasn’t afraid until Laster left the room and returned with a gun, pointing it at him.
Rollins told jurors during trial. “I didn’t think he would shoot. I thought he was going to calm down, and the next thing I know I was shot.”
When the investigation began, all detectives had was Rollins’ dying declaration that Tye shot him.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Nutter said that a lot of witnesses started pointing to leads that would never pan out, so that’s when Detective Timothy McDonald started hitting the streets to gather intel.
McDonald learned that a woman by the name of Angela Walker was a key witness to the shooting. After five days of countless interviews to figure out where Angela was and who Tye was, McDonald found her.
Walker also identified Laster as the shooter from a photo pack.
McDonald interviewed Laster, who claimed he was at Burger King in Plant City at the time of the attempted murder. But McDonald tracked down security footage to disprove Laster’s alibi, forcing him to go with an accidental discharge defense.
Nutter said that when Rollins woke up from his coma, he did not have any memory of the shooting.
“Without tracking witnesses down, we would not have had a case or known what happened,” Nutter said. “None of these people were particularly cooperative, but McDonald did a lot of hard work tracking down witnesses and getting them to talk.”
The first time this case was tried, the jury was hung. Nutter said McDonald did an excellent job testifying at both trials.
A jury found 43-year-old Tyrone Laster guilty of attempted second-degree murder. Jurors also found that during the commission of the offense Laster was in actual possession of a firearm, and he discharged the firearm, resulting in great bodily harm to Chauncey Rollins.
He was sentenced to life.
“Some may say that violence between drug dealers doesn’t matter, but that’s just not the way it is,” Haas said. “If Laster would shoot Rollins, he would shoot any of us or any other citizen.”
Haas said that Detective McDonald showed an amazing amount of determination in solving this crime. Others may have given up, but he did not.
Without his hard work and dedication, Haas said, this crime would not have been solved, and this dangerous violent felon would still be out on our streets.
“This case is not an exception for McDonald, it fits with the reputation he has earned during his career serving our citizens,” Haas said. “Timothy McDonald is a role model for other officers and for all of us.”
State Attorney seeking death against Highlands man who murdered deputy
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonJoseph Ables.
A Highlands County Grand Jury indicted Joseph Ables, 69, of Lake Placid, Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Ables was arrested May 6 and was charged with the fatal shooting of Highlands County Deputy William J. Gentry two days later.
Following today’s indictment, Tenth Circuit State Attorney Brian Haas announced he will be seeking the death penalty against Ables.