Bowl of chili used to fend off robbers in Claiborne County

By Rebecca Ferrar

Knoxville News Sentinel
Thursday, May 14, 2009

 

Samuel Partin

 

Tommy Wayne Garrett

 

Fabian Moore

When two men broke into her home, Wanda Bray defended herself with what she had - a bowl of chili and some household objects.

"The woman fought them off," said Capt. David Honeycutt of the Claiborne County Sheriff's Department, of the 58-year-old Bray. "She threw a bowl of homemade chili and got after them with a broom."

Authorities later arrested three men in connection with the home-invasion robbery, and two of them were also charged with a convenience store heist.

The robbery occurred at about 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Arthur community of Claiborne County.

After Bray threw "household objects" at the robbery suspects, they fled the scene, a Sheriff's Department press release states.

The victim told deputies the robbers ran into her home and demanded her medication.

"They probably got away with some blood pressure pills," Honeycutt said.

Claiborne County Sheriff David Ray said that while Honeycutt was investigating the home-invasion robbery, his investigation took him to a location where authorities discovered a vehicle used in another robbery last week of the Tiger Ma

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Police: Convicted bank robber returns
to scene for second failed crime

By JOHN GALLAS
Staff Writer

If at first you don't succeed, rob the same bank again.

But Shawn Carl Bullock failed -- again, Ormond Beach police said Tuesday.

Bullock, 35, already served 3 1/2 years in prison for robbing the Bank of America at 299 N. Nova Road in Ormond Beach in 2003. Police say he presented a note to a teller at that same bank on March 6. The note implied he had a gun and he got away with cash -- just as he did six years ago.

The next day during a traffic stop, Daytona Beach police found $1,000 in 50- and 100-dollar bills along with drugs on Bullock, police said. But it was Bullock's family who recognized him from bank surveillance photos police released, and on Monday he was charged with the bank heist.

Bullock of Ormond Beach was charged with robbery and grand theft, and was held Tuesday at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $52,000 bail.

Internet ad leads cops to stolen property

PATRICIO G. BALONA
May 12, 2009

DELAND -- An Internet ad for GPS units police say were stolen attracted more than customers for a DeBary man accused of burglarizing cars.

A DeLand detective checking out Web sites selling stolen merchandise tracked down the navigating systems, too.

But before DeLand police could pick up Timothy Mulroney for the 4 a.m. April 16 car burglaries, he was arrested by sheriff's deputies four days later for breaking into several mailboxes and a van in a DeBary neighborhood, according to a Sheriff's Office charging affidavit.

On Thursday, DeLand police interviewed the jailed Mulroney, 18, and charged him with burglary of a conveyance, dealing in stolen property and grand theft, DeLand police Sgt. John Anderson said.

On April 16, DeLand police responded to reports of three cars broken into in the neighborhood of Bent Oaks Boulevard. Three cars in the subdivision had the driver's side windows smashed and GPS instruments were removed from the cars, a DeLand police report states.

According to the report, a crime-scene analyst for DeLand police found an ad for the stolen satellite gadgets on craigslist.com. The person advertising left a number for a cell phone. Police called Mulroney and tried to set up an undercover purchase, but Mulroney did not call back.

And then, on April 20, deputies arrested Mulroney and two others, Jared Toledo, 20, and Majin Toledo, 22, addresses unknown, when a neighbor called to complain that someone had broken his mailbox.

Jared Toledo told deputies Mulroney kicked down about 10 mailboxes while driving through the Glen Abbey subdivision looking for cars to break into, a sheriff's charging affidavit states. The trio left after getting into an unlocked van and stealing a stereo, the affidavit states.

The Toledos and Mulroney were arrested and charged with felony unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure/conveyance for the April 20 incident.

When DeLand police spoke to Mulroney in jail Thursday, he admitted committing the burglaries and assisted detectives in recovering the stolen goods, Anderson said. The GPS units were in a bedroom closet in the DeBary home of Mulroney's mother, the DeLand police report states.

Port Orange man calls 9-1-1 to report robbery of drug money

By JULIE MURPHY
Staff Writer

The men even called 9-1-1 to have deputies help them recover the money.

"Yeah I was scared," said Wesley Fehl of Port Orange. "I had two guns pointed at my head."

Fehl, 22, said Tuesday by phone that he and Kenneth Jones, 20, South Daytona, drove to a house on Sunset Boulevard near Holly Hill about 6:30 p.m. Monday to buy marijuana from two acquaintances of Jones.

"They invited me inside the house so they could do this," he said. "They both jumped me. My buddy had walked outside. When he came back in they threw him to the ground."

By then, Fehl had already been relieved of the $12,000, his wallet, and cell phone. Jones' acquaintances ran out of the house and drove off.

Fehl and Jones jumped into their own vehicle, drove after their assailants and called 9-1-1 to report the robbery, sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said in a written report.

"I was just held at gunpoint trying to buy drugs. We're following the dude right now," the caller told a Sheriff's Office dispatcher

The dispatcher urged the men not to follow the car and put themselves in further danger, Davidson said.

"But he's got my money," the caller said. "I don't want him to get away with my money."

Fehl still feels that way.

"I don't think police have gone back to the house yet," he said. "As far as they know, they aren't in trouble. And, I want my money back."

But investigators followed up, Davidson said. Suspects were identified and after warrants were issued for their arrest, the home was raided.

Craig Anthony Williams, 34, who lives in the house, was arrested and charged with one count of armed robbery. He was being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail with no bail allowed Tuesday night.

Investigators continue to look for Lavarus Peterkin, 29, Daytona Beach. He is described as about 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on his right hand.

Because the investigation is ongoing, Davidson would not say if deputies found marijuana in the house when it was searched. He didn't know if the guns had been recovered.

While all of the men have criminal records, Fehl's is the longest and includes drug-related arrests, according to court records.

Pending the completion of the investigation, charges could be filed against the victims -- including a third man, Patrick Marsh, 22, Lake Helen, who was not with Fehl and Jones but reportedly supplied the money, Davidson said.

"We're still evaluating everyone's actions," he said Tuesday.

THIEF CAN'T HIT ESCAPE KEY IN Bronx

Woman arrested for drug paraphernalia - including a Brillo pad

It's a jungle out there - would-be robber slips up

Two subdue him, but he disposes of evidence

Dan Galindo

Journal Reporter

Published: May 16, 2009

If he had thought about it, Bobby Ray Mabe probably wouldn't have attacked the man trying to rob his store early Thursday.

But when a man holding something under his shirt asked for a Mountain Dew, then demanded money, Mabe and a patron grabbed the man.

"If he had had a gun he would've shot me," Mabe said yesterday. "But he had a banana."

Mabe owns 109 Biz Center off Thomasville Road, a computer cafe that features sweepstakes games. Patrons buy sweepstakes cards, and then find out on a computer whether they have won a cash prize.

When a man came in just after 1 and asked for the Mountain Dew, Mabe had just paid out $2,000 to a winner. Now someone was trying to take what little money he had left.

"It just flew all over me, and before I knew it, I had my hands on him," he said.

Mabe and the patron held the robber in a chair while they waited for Forsyth County sheriff's deputies to arrive. Meanwhile, the would-be robber ate the banana.

"And the deputy said, ‘Aha! He ate the evidence,'" Mabe said. "But we had the banana peel, and they took a picture of it."

John Steven Szwalla, 17, of 340 Yukon Trail, Wallburg, was charged with one count of attempted armed robbery.

Deputies joked about charging him with destroying evidence, said Major Brad Stanley, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.

Szwalla is in the Forsyth County Jail, with bond set at $50,000. He also was charged yesterday with common-law robbery by the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.

Maj. Brian Grubb of the sheriff's office said that the robbery was at the Kangaroo Express on Hickory Tree Road and happened just before the attempted robbery at Mabe's store.

Grubb said he had no other details about the incident.

Sheriff's office: Man tries to rob store using a banana

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office

John Steven Szwalla, 17, was charged with common-law robbery after he tried to rob a store using a banana tucked under his shirt to look like a gun, according to the sheriff's office.

Attorney gets arrested at courthouse for possession of marijuana

Deputies say they found pot and pipe in her bag

06:08 PM CDT on Friday, May 15, 2009

Attorney gets arrested for having pot and pipe in court - An attorney was arrested heading into the Bexar County Courthouse after deputies found marijuana and a pipe in her purse. She claimed it wasn't hers, but it didn't matter.

Amanda Stanzilis, Reporter

Attorney Regina Criswell was arrested at the Bexar County Courthouse after deputies say they discovered two ounces of marijuana and a chrome-colored marijuana pipe in her bag.

Deputies say Criswell was heading into the Courthouse to go to work. As is standard, security guards went through everyone's bags including Criswell's. That's when they say they found the baggie and pipe. Deputies were called over, and questioned Criswell. The 50 year old woman admitted she knew the drugs were in her bag, but said they belonged to a client.

Deputy Ino Badillo said, "It doesn't matter who you are. You can't be in possession of narcotics. Period."

Badillo says this is the first time he can remember an attorney being arrested for drug possesion at the Courthouse.

Video Link:

http://www.kens5.com/latestnews/stories/KENS20090515-ATTORNEYPOTARREST.7e6a12a.html

Link To Photo  Of Bad Hair Bandit and Slide Show:

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/northeastvalley/scottsdale/story/MCSO-Deputys-actions-foiled-Bad-Hair-Day-Bandits/lrnR-GCxekS0J79MSc37EQ.cspx

TAMPA, FL -- A Tampa woman refused to be a carjacking victimn said she was approached by an armed man who jumped into her car on Thursday.  The woman, who only wants to be identified as Adrianna, pulled out her own gun.  "I just leaned forward and punched him in the forehead with my gun," she said.  The man "screamed like a girl and almost dropped his gun" as he ran away, she added. Tampa Police have arrested one suspect so far in what they see as a pattern of carjackings.  A-Keem Carr was arrested on related charges, but two others are believed to be preying on motorists in the Westshore area. So far, two carjackings and four attempted carjackings have occurred over the last two weeks.   In one case, a man from Land O' Lakes was pumping gas when an armed suspect approached demanding the car keys.  The man refused because his 6-month-old son was still in his car seat and the suspect took off. Another incident involved a woman who was closing her business when she was approached by an armed man who took her van.  Her credit cards were used at a business in St. Petersburg and the van was found later along 39th Street in St. Petersburg.  A. Keem Carr was charged in that crime. Other carjacking attempts included a woman standing next to her car in the Regency Apartments when she was approached but she screamed and scared off the bandit.  Adrianna was pulling into the International Mall when the armed man jumped in her car.  She talked about defending herself.  "I didn't want to have to shoot...anyway over a car.  But if it was going to be him or me..." Tampa Police warn the suspects are becoming more aggressive and may be prone to violence

Link to Video Slide Show and Photo of Robber:

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Tampa-woman-stops-armed-carjacker-with-her-own-gun/lzk5OlbYpkC5occGcyQP_w.cspx

http://www.kontraband.co.uk/pics/17508/Mugshot-Tattoos-Madness/

10 Things You Didn't Know About You

The human body is a great, sweaty, fluid-filled machine, moving and mixing chemicals with precision and coordination, making everything from memories to mucus. Here we explore some of the complex, beautiful or just plain gross mysteries of how you function.

Start Here:

http://www.livescience.com/health/top_10_about_you.html