PANAMA CITY — Police have arrested two teenagers in connection to a string of car burglaries, according to a Panama City Police Department news release.

Joshua Westmoreland, 18, and Solomon B. Tyson, 17, were arrested Friday. Westmoreland with five counts of burglary to a vehicle and one count grand theft. Tyson was charged with one count burglary to a vehicle and one count grand theft, PCPD reported.

In response to a previous request for public assistance, police received a tip identifying the two young men believed responsible for committing several vehicle burglaries on west 11th St. in Panama City. The two are also believed to be responsible for several other Burglaries committed in Lynn Haven and in the unincorporated areas of Bay County, PCDP reported.

Anyone having information in this case is urged to call the Panama City Police Department, 850-872-3100, their local law enforcement agency, or they can report their tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS.

Information is provided by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on people arrested on charges June 17-24. Those arrested can contact The News Herald if charges are dropped or if they are acquitted. Addresses are those given by the defendant during arrest.

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James Lee Rushing, 31, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Amanda Lee (Simpson) Shipman, 24, 448 Honeyhill Road, Wewahitchka, possession of cocaine

Carl Joseph Coronna, 50, 800 Pinehurst Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of cocaine, possession of controlled substance

Bruce Noble Sawyer, 57, 7030 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, felony battery or domestic battery by strangulation

Travis Ashley Beugnot, 39, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Glenn Mitchell Hand, 52, 4136 Marilyn St., Youngstown, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of controlled substance without prescription, possession of weapon or ammunition by a felon

Allie Shawn Lafontaine, 35, 20431 Teeka Lane, Fountain, sexual assault

Robert Lomar Downing, 44, 2501 Minnesota Ave., Lynn Haven, abuse child without great bodily harm

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Greg Michael Gonzales, 29, 1071 Arbours Drive, Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Martin Hampton Flowers, 23, Dothan, Ala., aggravated battery on person 65 years of age or older

Brian Allen Pettis, 25, 6444 Everly St., Youngstown, possession of cocaine

Ryan Edward Bell, 25, 3517 Lark Lane, Springfield, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Meagan Sheree Dudley, 24, Birmingham, Ala., possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Megan Melissa Fischer, 20, 8223 Hwy 22, Wewahitchka, grand theft

Darius Tyrell Middleton, 23, 807 Sherman Ave., Panama City, possession of cocaine

David Earl Jr Robinson, 32, 351 College Ave., Panama City, possession of cocaine

Albert Jr Hickson, 34, 1405 Joe Louis Road, Panama City, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Daniel Morgan Miller, 19, 12342 April Ave., Fountain, burglary with assault or battery

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Ivory Deandre Broxton, 23, 1500 Gainer Ave., Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of weapon or ammunition by a felon, burglary

Ahmad Demitris Bowman, 20, 124 South Gate Road, Callaway, grand theft

Leonard Gleeson Bird, 54, 1528 Arthur Ave., Panama City, grand theft

Charde Alexis Py, 20, 1533 Oak Ave., Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, trafficking controlled substance, producing marijuana

Laezekiel Louise Tyler, 20, Dothan, Ala., grand theft

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Meaghan Elizabeth Wells, 25, Ohatchee, Ala., possession of controlled substance without prescription

Cedrick Leon Jones, 25, 1506 Arkansas Ave., Lynn Haven, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Orlando Ricardo Thompson, 25, 1214 Paddock Club Drive, Panama City Beach, aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability

Kathryn Ann Springer, 49, 655 Malaga Place, Panama City Beach, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

PANAMA CITY BEACH — A serene day on the water can turn tragic in a moment's notice unless boat operators are alert and sober, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials warn.

So as the summer recreational boating season gets into full swing, the FWC is ramping up its efforts the weekend before the Fourth of July as part of a national campaign to stop boating under the influence. While snorkelers swirled in the waters and hundreds of boats amassed off the coast of Shell Island in St. Andrew Bay, FWC officers set out to spread awareness of boating under the influence and prevent as many boating accidents as possible.

FWC spokeswoman Bekah Nelson said FWC’s main tool in doing so would be an additional presence in the bay to look for signs of inebriation.

“We’re making people aware because we want to deter people from boating under the influence,” she said. “Alcohol is the leading factor in boating fatalities, and by cracking down on boating under the influence, we hope to prevent boating fatalities.”

FWC has participated in Operation Dry Bay, a nationwide effort to curb drunken boating, for several years. Officer Travis Basford said almost every year drunken boating leads to a tragedy for all parties involved.

“It’s bad all around,” he said. “Everybody involved loses.”

While Basford said he hasn’t responded to a boating fatality in Bay County, on his previous beat in Palm Beach one incident stuck out as particularly tragic. A family outing took a horrible turn when the father, who Basford said was intoxicated, decided to jump off a moving vessel at about 40 or 45 mph. The mother and children were still on the boat as authorities searched for signs of his body in the water, Basford said.

Lifeless, he emerged the next day, he said.

“Nobody in their right mind would do that,” Basford said. “But that’s what alcohol can do to your decision-making faculties.

Basford and several other FWC officers will be on the water in the coming weeks to spot anyone displaying drunken characteristics, he said.

On the water it can be tricky without lanes to tell whether someone is swerving, but anyone speeding or not obeying navigation guidelines could be subject to an FWC stop. Officers also have the option to stop anyone at any time to perform a safety check, and being caught while boating under the influence can result in jail time and a possible restriction of boating privileges.

Florida has the most registered boaters in the country and the most boating crashes. In 2014, FWC officers reported 685 crashes, exceeding even California, which reported 426 crashes. Bay County has 18,057 registered boats and 2,286 personal watercrafts, according to FWC reports.

While Bay County did not rank on the statewide boating accident charts, it did make it on the board as one of the top 12 counties with personal watercraft crashes in 2014, FWC reported.

Florida also held the record for most boating-related fatalities in the country.

“We want to reduce that number,” Basford said. “We want to reduce all boating accidents, period. But we really want to reduce boating injuries and fatalities.”

The best way to do so, officers say, is don’t drink and boat. Always have someone sober on board to operate the boat and know the navigation rules. Maintain a safe speed, keep a proper lookout for others at all times and take action to avoid collisions, Basford said.

“You have to multitask on a boat,” he added. “If your reaction time is slowed, that’s dangerous.”

MALONE, N.Y. (AP) — The second of two convicted murderers who staged a brazen escape three weeks ago from a maximum-security prison in northern New York was shot and captured near the Canadian border on Sunday, two days after his fellow inmate was killed in a confrontation with law enforcement, authorities said.

"The nightmare is finally over," Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared at a news conference.

A state police sergeant shot David Sweat in the town of Constable, about 1½ miles south of the Canadian border and 30 miles northwest of the prison, after spotting him walking along a road and recognizing him, Cuomo said. Sweat fled and Sgt. Jay Cook opened fire when he couldn't catch him on foot and noticed the fugitive heading toward a line of trees, state police said.

Sweat was struck twice in the torso and taken to a hospital in stable condition, Cuomo said.

His capture came two days after his escape partner, Richard Matt, was shot and killed by authorities. The men had been on the loose since June 6, when they cut their way out of a maximum-security prison about 30 miles away using power tools.

State police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico said the men may have used pepper to mask their trail; he said Sweat's DNA was recovered from pepper shakers found at one camp where the fugitives may have spent time.

"We did have difficulty tracking so, you know, it was fairly effective in that respect," D'Amico said.

Cuomo said many questions remained unanswered.

"We have already started a full investigation," he said. "But today ends with good news. These were dangerous, dangerous men."

Matt and Sweat used power tools to saw through a steel cell wall and several steel steam pipes, bashed a hole through a 2-foot-thick brick wall, squirmed through pipes and emerged from a manhole outside the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora.

Sweat was serving a sentence of life without parole in the killing of a sheriff's deputy in Broome County in 2002. Matt was serving 25 years to life for the killing and dismembering of his former boss. They were added to the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted fugitives list two weeks after getting away.

The search for the escaped killers was initially concentrated around the prison and a rural community where search dogs had caught the scent of both men. The search had since been expanded to neighboring counties, and, while authorities said there was no evidence the men had gotten out of the general area, they conceded they could have been almost anywhere.

"It's a little unnerving, him being so close," Constable resident Trevor Buchanan said Sunday. "I'm just glad it's over."

In nearby Malone, Cathy Leffler cheered outside Alice Hyde Medical Center as an ambulance transporting Sweat left the hospital escorted by police vehicles. Jeffrey Gordon, a spokesman for Albany Medical Center, said Sweat was being transferred there for further treatment.

"I feel like I can sleep tonight," Leffler said. "Life can go back to normal. It's over now."

She said she had to come to the hospital to "see it through."

"This has been going on for three weeks and our town was in an uproar and we haven't been able to sleep. This is a relief for the town of Malone."

The manhunt broke open Friday afternoon when a person towing a camper heard a loud noise and thought a tire had blown. Finding there was no flat, the driver drove eight miles before looking again and finding a bullet hole in the trailer. A tactical team responding to the scene of the shot smelled gunpowder inside a cabin and saw evidence that someone had fled out the back door.

A noise — perhaps a cough — ultimately did Matt in. A border patrol team discovered Matt, who was shot after failing to heed a command to raise his hands. He was shot three times in the head, according to an autopsy.

A coroner who attended the autopsy said Matt was clean, well-fed and dressed for the elements at the time he was killed.

A pair of prison workers has been charged in connection with the inmates' escape.

Prosecutors said Joyce Mitchell, a prison tailoring shop instructor who got close to the men while working with them, had agreed to be their getaway driver but backed out because she felt guilty for participating. Authorities also said Mitchell had discussed killing her husband, Lyle Mitchell, as part of the plot.

Joyce Mitchell pleaded not guilty June 15 to charges including felony promoting prison contraband, which authorities said included hacksaw blades and chisels.

Authorities said the men had filled their beds in their adjacent cells with clothes to make it appear they were sleeping when guards made overnight rounds. On a cut steam pipe, the prisoners left a taunting note containing a crude caricature of an Asian face and the words "Have a nice day."

Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie said the inmates apparently used tools stored by prison contractors, taking care to return them to their toolboxes after each night's work.

On June 24, authorities charged Clinton correction officer Gene Palmer with promoting prison contraband, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct. Officials said he gave the two prisoners the frozen hamburger meat Joyce Mitchell had used to hide the tools she smuggled to Sweat and Matt. Palmer's attorney said he had no knowledge that the meat contained hacksaw blades, a bit and a screwdriver.

Associated Press writers Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York, and Deepti Hajela in New York City contributed to this report.

PANAMA CITY — Inexpensive and readily available, laser pointers can end up costing much more than they are worth if pointed at U.S. Coast Guard aircrafts or vessels.

So the U.S. Coast Guard is alerting the public to the dangers of pointing handheld lasers at Coast Guard boat and aircrews after a recent incident.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Station Panama City received a report Sunday evening at 6:48 p.m. of a disabled 15-foot Jon Boat with four people on board, a 50-year-old father and his three children, who had lost communications with his wife on shore. The operator of the boat was attempting to paddle four miles back in to shore toward Lake Powell, according to official reports.

Coast Guard crews launched a 45-foot response boat but could not locate the stranded vessel. While attempting to conduct the search, the response boat crew reported multiple laser strikes in the vicinity of the search area, all originating from shore, from at least two different sources, officials said.
The laser strikes derailed the search effort.

Two members of the boat crew were struck directly in the eyes from the lasers and had to seek medical attention following the incident. The father and three children on the Jon boat were able to paddle back to shore and made it back safely.

Laser strikes can be seriously damaging to the victims, which is why they are not taken lightly by authorities.

Pilots affected by laser strikes regularly report temporary effects in vision, including: afterimage, flash blindness and temporary loss of night vision. In some cases, a laser strike can result in permanent damage to a person’s eye sight. If a crewmember is lased it severely compromises their ability to effectively respond and safely operate the aircraft or vessel, ultimately endangering the safety and lives of crewmembers aboard and the general public.

The Coast Guard asks anyone witnessing this crime to report it to local law enforcement. And punishments for violating federal laws against laser strikes are not light.

Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime and a felony offense that could cost up to $250,000 and a prison sentence of up to five years. Pointing a laser at a vessel demands a steeper punishment of up to 20 years in prison. If the laser strike causes a death, and depending on the cargo of the vessel, the defendant could face even more jail time.
 

PANAMA CITY — Drivers can expect several road closures in Downtown Panama City Saturday leading up to the Fourth of July “Salute to Freedom” celebration, according to a Panama City Police Department news release.

No vehicular traffic will be allowed in the designated event area (Panama City Marina) beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday and will not re-open until approximately 4 a.m. Sunday.

The boat ramp at the marina will be closed at midnight Friday through about 10 p.m. Saturday. Limited public parking will be allowed in the lot north of the Civic Center.

Beach Drive west of Harrison to the intersection of Beach Drive and West 6th Street and Beach Drive east of Harrison to Cherry Street will be closed to vehicular traffic at about 6 p.m. Saturday. This will reopen to vehicular traffic after the fireworks show once it is deemed safe.

Motorists traveling east and west crossing Grace, Jenks and Harrison Avenue should expect delays due to the heavy flow of traffic from those leaving the downtown area after the event.

PANAMA CITY — Police are advising the public to be cautious if contacted by someone threatening incarceration for unpaid IRS debts, according to a Panama City Police Department news release.

PCPD received several complaints from people in the local community saying they’ve been targeted in the scam. The victim(s) are contacted by someone claiming to represent the FBI who informs them they have a large sum of money due them. The caller then has someone else call the victim, claiming to be from local law enforcement to confirm the legitimacy of the scam, PCPD reported.

Police reported the caller may even use an officer’s name. Others may call claiming to represent U.S. Customs.

Officials said citizens should be aware no law enforcement agency would ask for banking information or money from a citizen in order to “return” money to them.

If you are contacted by someone claiming to represent a law enforcement agency in this manner, call the number listed in the phone book for the law enforcement agency and make a report.

Anyone having information in this case is urged to call the Panama City Police Department at 850-872-3100 or they can report their tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS (8477).

PANAMA CITY — A Tennessee man is facing charges of intoxicated driving after allegedly speeding past the Port Panama City front gate and into St. Andrew Bay, according to a Panama City Police Department news release.

Brett J. Mitchell, 29, was charged with trespassing and disorderly intoxication after police received calls of a 2009 Nissan Altima driving past the Port’s front-gate security at a high rate of speed and then off the dock into the bay. Mitchell also faces a charge of making a false report to law enforcement following the incident, PCPD reported.

Mitchell was initially elusive when police questioned him after being pulled from the water Sunday morning at about 1 a.m., officers reported. He eventually told the officers he’d earlier left the Gold Nugget, 3901 U.S. 98, after contacting a ride-sharing service, police said.

Mitchell claimed he was the passenger and that “he got into a vehicle with an unidentified Indian male and the next thing he remembered was being pulled from the vehicle,” PCPD reported.

Crew members aboard a tugboat that had just docked at the port heard a call over the radio about the crash. Just outside they could see Mitchell and the car slowly submerging, according to one boater who pulled Mitchell from the sinking car.

“He was pretty-well chilling in the driver-side,” said David Ruggirello, one of the crew members. “He obviously didn’t register what was going on. He was just sitting in there smoking an e-cigarette.”

Ruggirello said no one else was inside the car. And after he was able to get Mitchell’s attention, he was able to pull him from the open driver-side window moments before the car submerged and a cadre of police arrived.

PCPD reported that Mitchell did not damage any property upon entering the Port. Bay County Sheriff’s Officers with the dive unit were able to locate the car and did not find any occupants in or around the vehicle, PCPD reported.

Officers did find documents belonging to Mitchell’s wife within the vehicle, and the car was pulled from the water at about 6 a.m. As police sought to locate his wife, Mitchell made a spontaneous request at the Bay County Jail.

“Please don’t tell my wife what I did to her car,” officers quoted Mitchell as saying.

Mitchell of Jonesboro, Tennessee, could face additional charges, police reported.

The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Panama City Fire and Rescue also responded to the crash. Since the incident happened at Port Panama City, federal code could apply as well as additional state and municipal charges, according to police.

PANAMA CITY — The case of a local man who allegedly shot and killed his 6-year-old daughter by accident is now being investigated by prosecutors to determine whether charges will follow the incident, officials reported Monday.

Charges have not been brought against Evan Hernandez, 29, in connection with the May 3 shooting death of 6-year-old Izabella Votta, his daughter. However, the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) announced Monday a prosecutor will be reviewing the Panama City Police Department’s investigation into the incident to determine appropriate charges, according to a news release from the SAO.

Details of the incident remain unclear. The SAO said the case file will be made public when a decision on charges is made.

PCPD reported the agency received a 911 call May 3 at about 10:30 a.m. reporting a child had been shot at the Andrews Place Apartments, 1914 Frankford Ave. Upon arrival, PCPD officers found the girl had been struck in the head by a bullet her father fired from a handgun, according to police.

The child was taken to Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart, where she later died, police said. PCPD reported “it appears the shooting was accidental,” according to a press release. PCPD initially reported no other details of the incident.

Court documents, filed on the part of Hernandez, reported he was “practicing form” when the gun discharged. The bullet went through the mirror and into another room before fatally injuring the 6-year-old, court documents indicated.

PANAMA CITY — As a 9-year-old watching the headressed “Chief Osceola” plunge a flaming spear into the midfield turf of Florida State University’s stadium, Caleb Joshua Halley dreamed of one day being outfitted as the school’s mascot, family members said Monday.

Halley, who was known to family and friends as Josh, achieved his dream and rode bareback atop Renegade, the Seminole chief’s horse, longer than most others; but his life came to an abrupt end last week after being stabbed at a local seafood market, allegedly following an argument over gumbo seasoning, according to police reports.

Family members remembered Halley, a Panama City native, as an avid outdoorsman and survivalist with an inviting smile and a big heart — a large part of which was dedicated to FSU and the mascot program.

--- MORE: HALLEY'S OBITUARY»»

“He wanted to be Chief Osceola since he was 9 years old,” said Stephanie Halley, Josh Halley’s stepmother. “We’d go to the paddock to watch them put makeup on the chief, and, at 10, he met with the director who said he definitely looked the part.”

Josh Halley felt an immense sense of pride in preceding every FSU home game, partly due to his Creek and Seminole heritage, family members said. He was one of only 17 FSU students to embody the historical Chief Osceola and was tied with one other student as the second-longest to hold the position of Chief Osceola, his term spanning the 2004-2007 football seasons.

“Josh just loved the tradition and physicality of the mascot program,” said Gene Halley, his father. “He loved being in the Osceola program working with horses and training them.”

Josh Halley was particularly proud of helping reinitiate the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity that his father started while the elder attended FSU.

Josh Halley coached a youth football team, was the first president of Washington County SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) group and was awarded the Lawton Chiles Youth Advocacy Award while he was a student at Chipley High School. He also loved nature and could regularly be found with friends in and around the Chipola River, family members said.

“Everywhere he went he made friendships around him,” Stephanie Halley said. “People just held him in high regard, and he had the most charming, prettiest smile.”

Halley, 33, died two days after his co-worker, 26-year-old Orlando Thompson, allegedly stabbed him at about 4 p.m. Tuesday behind Buddy’s Seafood Market, 111 S. State 79, according to Panama City Beach Police Department reports.

Police said an argument about how much seasoning to put in the restaurant’s gumbo escalated into an armed confrontation. Video from the business shows the argument subsiding before Thompson went back inside. He returned with a 15-inch blade and began slicing and lunging at Halley, police reported.

Halley suffered three lacerations, including one from which his intestines protruded, according to PCBPD records. He died two days later.

--- MORE: HALLEY'S OBITUARY»»

The charge against Thompson was then upgraded from aggravated battery with a deadly weapon to manslaughter. He is being held on a $75,000 bond. Thompson declined to comment for this article.

Family members said friends and relatives from Blountstown and beyond will amass for Josh Halley’s funeral Tuesday at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Chipley.

“We are all devastated,” Stephanie Halley said. “There is a big hole in all our lives.”

MARIANNA — A 21-year-old Jackson County woman died early Monday morning after a single-vehicle crash on Hill Farm Road, according to Florida Highway Patrol reports.

Erica Nicole Jackson, of Marianna, was driving a 1997 Chevrolet Blazer east on Hill Farm Road at 9:30 a.m. Monday. About a half-mile east of State 286, Hill Farm Road curved to the left, but Jackson failed to negotiate the curve, FHP reported.

Jackson traveled straight, leaving the roadway and entering the property of 7951 Hill Farm Road. The Blazer continued and careened into a barn support beam and some farm equipment, officers reported.

According to FHP, Jackson was not wearing a seat belt at the time. She was later pronounced dead.

CALLAWAY — A Callaway woman is in jail on charges that she stabbed a man in the chest with a screwdriver, according to court documents.

Faith Joyce Bergh, 21, was arrested Monday on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after a 6 a.m. altercation at a Sims Avenue home left 39-year-old Bruce Baxter with a screwdriver wound in his chest, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Baxter and Bergh had apparently been in a drunken argument the night before that became physical. Baxter allegedly began choking Bergh in front of a guest and a child at one point until the guests intervened, BCSO reported. Officers said the two were separated for a significant amount of time before Bergh asked the guests to leave.

BCSO said the argument reignited and Bergh armed herself with a screwdriver as she began packing up her belongings. At one point, she began to leave out the front door when Baxter grabbed her by the arm and she plunged the screwdriver into his chest, BCSO reported.

Officers said Bergh had plenty of time to leave the residence or call the police before the situation escalated.

Bergh was charged with aggravated battery. She is being held on a $25,000 bond. Bergh previously faced charges from a 2014 domestic aggravated battery. Those charges were dropped, according to court records.

Baxter underwent surgery on his injuries in a local hospital. His condition was unclear as of Tuesday.

GRACEVILLE — The death of a Graceville Correctional Facility prisoner is under investigation after what authorities are calling an “inmate on inmate altercation,” officials confirmed Tuesday.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Department of Corrections (DOC) have taken over investigations into the incident. So far, limited details have been released; it is believed, however, that the death occurred during an “inmate on inmate altercation,” according to officials in the FDLE communications department.

DOC officials reported the victim of the altercation was 51-year-old John H. Anderson, who was serving a life sentence. The name or names of others involved in the incident had not been released Tuesday afternoon, and no charges had been filed as of Tuesday evening in Jackson County in connection with the incident.

Graceville Correctional Warden Mark Henry declined to discuss details surrounding the incident.

“This is an ongoing investigation,” he said, “and FDLE has taken the lead.”

According to FDLE officials, the department’s investigators and crime scene analysts responded to Graceville Correctional on Sunday at about 1:30 p.m. to investigate an inmate death at the facility. The death was a result of an inmate-on inmate-altercation, and the investigation remained active Tuesday, officials reported.

No further details were released Tuesday.

Graceville Correctional Facility is a private prison. The Florida Department of Management Services monitors and regulates most day-to-day matters involving employees hired to run the prison. Since the incident involves a criminal investigation, FDLE has taken the lead with assistance of DOC’s inspector general, according to Natalee Singleton, Communications Director for the Department of Management Services.

Henderson was in prison facing a life sentence for charges from 1998 in Alachua County. He was convicted of two counts of armed robbery with a gun, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and carjacking with a deadly weapon, according to DOC records.

PANAMA CITY — A victim of a Craigslist advertisement turned armed robbery said he was certain the charges against two Panama City men fit the crime of attempting to kill a person.

Patrick Tipton, one the robbery victims, said he wasn’t traumatized by the experience; he was more angered by the way events unfolded.

“The thing that gets me is someone coming up from behind and hitting you,” he said, “but they should be charged with attempted murder. I saw it in their eyes. They were killers.”

Three other people have been arrested in connection with what investigators said was an orchestrated, broad-daylight robbery of two unsuspecting people who were expecting to retrieve a sectional couch advertised on Craigslist. Most recently, police arrested the men they believe carried out the robbery: Detonio “Black Boy” Dixon, 26, and Keith “K-dog” McCray, 23. The men face several charges, including armed robbery and attempted felony murder, the Panama City Police Department reported.

PCPD responded to 716 W. 13th St. at about 3:30 p.m. Friday for a call about an armed robbery. Officers said Dixon and McCray laid in wait behind the corner of a building after the two victims had paid $800 for the couch and began loading it onto a truck.

Tipton said he’d bent over to pick up the last piece of the couch when he felt the butt of a pistol come down on his head. He fell to the ground and two men armed with pistols — one also with a baseball bat, the other with a machete — encircled him and his female friend he’d offered to help pick up the couch, he said.

“But when he hit me, it must’ve jarred the trigger mechanism, so it couldn’t fire,” Tipton said. “Both times he pointed it at me the clip kept falling out.”

Police reported McCray pulled the trigger twice, but the gun did not discharge. Both men demanded money and cellphones from the victims. McCray ordered Dixon to shoot Tipton while he searched the female victim’s pockets and bra for money, police reported.

Tipton said he threw the little money in his pockets on the ground at their feet, but the female victim already had given all her money up for the couch. He said while one man searched the truck for other property, he was trying to divert the other’s attention long enough to gain an advantage.

“I wanted to get the gun away from him and get them away from her,” Tipton said.

All the while, Tipton saw five other residents in the area come outside to find out what was going on. No one rendered help, though, he said.

Three other people have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said. PCPD reported the arrests of Heather Mae Bytell, 25, and Kayla Marie Crowder, 25, for allegedly planning the sale of the couch. The two women also enlisted the two men to carry out the robbery, police said.

In addition, the two women were charged with dealing in stolen property, since the couch itself had been reported stolen.

Ivory De’Andre Broxton, 25, also was charged with accessory after the fact to armed robbery, police reported.

Dixon is being held on a $175,000 bond in the Bay County Jail. McCray is being held without bond for the numerous charges against him.

Tipton said he suffered a concussion and received several staples to his head injury. He’s also had to miss work following the incident, he said.

PANAMA CITY — A local man has been arrested for allegedly hitting his 4-year-old son in the forehead with the brush part of a broom, according to arrest records.

Angel O. Santos, 30, was arrested Monday after a domestic dispute at the family’s Chaucer Cirle home, according to Bay County Sheriff’s Office reports. Officers said Santos was in an argument with the child’s mother over a cell phone when he began punching holes in the wall of the home. The 4-year-old allegedly told Santos he “was a punk” for abusing his mother, BCSO reported.

Santos then allegedly hit the child in the head with the brush end of a broom. The force of the broom caused a “clear raised red mark” on the child’s forhead, officers reported.

Deputies arrested Santos on a charge of cruelty toward a child and aggravated abuse. His bond was set at $50,000.

PANAMA CITY — The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is urging everyone to be diligent and check activity on credit card accounts, according to a news release.

BCSO is working another case of the fraudulent use of credit card information after a complaint was made by a local woman who discovered her card had been used to make over $400 in purchases without her knowledge.

On June 23, the victim realized that although she still had her credit card in her possession, the information on it had been encoded on to a counterfeit card and used to make purchases in Bay County.

--- VIDEO: SUSPECTS ON FILM»»

Video of these transactions revealed the suspects are two males, one Hispanic and the other black. The men are below average height, medium build, in their late 20’s or early 30’s.

Anyone with information about these suspects is asked to contact the Bay County Sheriff’s Office at 747-4700 or Crime Stoppers at 785-TIPS.

PANAMA CITY — Police have arrested three women over the past few days in connection with prostitution stings, according to arrest records.

Since Monday, PCPD officers have arrested three women in Panama City for recurring solicitation for prostitution charges, PCPD reported.

Michelle Andrea Ayotte, 52, of Panama City; Amy Patricia Hammett, 49, of Panama City; and Linda Marie Sobolewski, 50, of Louisiana, were arrested in connection with the sting. Each arrest was part of a PCPD undercover sting where they allegedly offered sexual favors in exchange for money, officers reported. A prostitution charge is a misdemeanor.

PANAMA CITY — Hiding drugs in your pants won’t make them disappear, as one Georgia woman has learned, according to a Bay County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Amanda Upchurch, 35, and Donald Wachsmann, 56, were arrested Tuesday on numerous drug-related charges following a traffic stop in which officers discovered significant amounts of illegal narcotics and money in their pants and a Dodge Ram the two occupied, BCSO reported. Upchurch faced additional charges after officers allegedly discovered she had not only hidden contraband in her pants.

K-9 officers allegedly detected the presence of narcotics during the traffic stop at about 2 p.m. near 18th Street and Isabella Avenue.

When asked to exit the vehicle, Upchurch, the passenger in the truck, allegedly shoved a pink pouch down her pants. When asked about it, she responded in a vulgar, graphic manner and refused to turn the item over, BCSO reported. After a lengthy discussion, a female officer retrieved the pouch, which held ICE methamphetamine, about $300, marijuana and prescription pills, officials said.

A search of the vehicle also allegedly yielded 3 ounces of crystal methamphetamine,14 various prescription pills, a small quantity of marijuana and a syringe among other paraphernalia, BCSO reported.

The duo allegedly were headed back to Georgia from Bay County, officials said. Wachsmann told investigators he drove to Bay County with Upchurch to sell methamphetamine. Combined they had more than $13,000 on them and in the car, investigators reported.

Both were charged with trafficking in more than 14 grams of methamphetamine, possession of an opium derivative with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of prescription pills, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Upchurch additionally was charged with introduction of contraband into Bay County Jail, tampering with evidence and giving the false name of “Ashley Roebuck” to law enforcement. While being booked, officers also discovered Upchurch had inserted a glass pipe containing methamphetamine residue into a bodily cavity, officers reported.

Upchurch, of Ellison, Georgia, has a history with Panama City law enforcement, court records show. She was sentenced to more than a year in prison after violating her probation in 2012 connected with a drug charge, and, according to court records, she stole clothes from a T.J. Maxx and was then pulled over. During the stop, she attempted to hide 11 Soma (carisoprodol) pills from the officers by sitting on them.

Her combined bond from Tuesday’s arrest was set at $106,000, court records indicated. Wachsmann, of Marietta, Georgia, did not have a criminal history in Bay County. His combined bond was set at $93,500.

PANAMA CITY — A dog and three cats died in an afternoon duplex fire before emergency crews could pull the animals from the suffocating smoke.

Panama City Fire Department (PCFD) responded at about 1 p.m. Wednesday to a call of thick smoke emitting from a duplex at 209 W. 12th St. The resident said he left a pot cooking on the stove before absent-mindedly leaving for work. A neighbor called PCFD before the thick plumes of smoke emitting from next door turned into an all-out blaze.

However, a brindle bulldog named Sunday and three cats, Nubby, Bunny and Stash, perished in the fire due to smoke inhalation.

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“It’s all my fault,” said a shaken and visibly upset Michael Tweedy, resident of the home. “I put a pot of boiling chicken on the stove, forgot it was there and went in to work. This is awful.”

Neighbor Mattie Hoffman said she smelled smoke moments earlier and thought her air conditioning had caught fire. She couldn’t find the source of the smell before stepping outside to see smoke seeping from the next-door unit. She called PCFD and Tweedy and sought shelter outside to await fire crews to enter the unit, she said.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” Hoffman said. “What I’m wearing is what I got. Everything I own is in there.”

Hoffman said she had relatives to stay with if the home was uninhabitable.

CHIPLEY — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) is seeking a suspect in connection with the theft of an all-terrain vehicle valued at about $14,000

WCSO reported the ATV was taken from the Crystal Village area in Washington County some time between Sunday at 11 p.m. and Monday at 3 p.m. The suspect or suspects would have required a trailer to transport the ATV. The keys were not taken during the theft, WCSO reported.

Anyone with information about this theft is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 850-638-TIPS (8477).