Page 34 - Florida Sentinel 2-23-18

Crime
Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested
Man Admits Beating Girlfriend To Death Over ‘Voodoo’ Book
In Fort Myers
A man was arrested and charged with the death of his live-in girlfriend. He told po- lice she was reading a “voodoo” book to his son.
Detectives arrested 22- year-old Deandre Coffer, of Winter Haven, and charged him with one count of second-degree murder.
Coffer and the victim, 32-year-old Kiara Butler, lived together at 213 Summer View Drive. He told deputies he punched and choked Ms. Butler after a disagreement.
According to the affidavit, around 9:11 p.m., Coffer called 9-1-1 for deputies to respond to their home. Cof- fer told deputies that Ms. Butler was reading a “voodoo” book to his son, and he did not agree with her decision.
He also told deputies that he asked his son to leave the room, and Ms. Butler and Coffer began fighting. He said he began choking and punching her.
Detectives have learned the identity of a man they be- lieve robbed a bank last week. He has since been taken into custody in another jurisdic- tion.
According to detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, on February 13th, around 2 p.m., a man en- tered the Wells Fargo Bank, 12233 N. Florida Avenue.
He approached a teller, implied that he had a weapon, and demanded cash. The teller complied and the man fled the scene on foot.
After police released the man’s description, tips began pouring into Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay. Based on infor- mation received, police have
WARREN MAXWELL
identified the man as 38-year- old Warren Latis Maxwell. A warrant was is- sued for his arrest and he was taken into custody by the Fort Myers Police Department. He is currently being held in the Lee County Jail.
DEANDRE COFFER ... Charged with murder
After he believed she be- came unconscious he called 9-1-1 to report the incident and walked to a neighbor’s home with their two children and waited for deputies to ar- rive, the affidavit stated.
Coffer told deputies he smoked marijuana prior to the incident. Ms. Butler was declared deceased on- scene.
Deputies searched the home and did not find any “voodoo” books.
Sheriff Grady Judd
said, “What a senseless act.
MS. KIARA BUTLER
Ms. Butler was brutally beat to death by someone she trusted. There is no excuse. Coffer admitted to smoking marijuana prior to his violent attack and made up a bizarre story about voodoo. He will have plenty of time in prison to think about the pain he has caused others.”
Coffer suffered injuries on his right hand consistent with continuous punching and received treatment at Bartow Regional Medical Center before he was booked into the Polk County Jail.
Burglary Suspect
Charged With
Gang Member With AK-47 Arrested
Attempted Murder
The Pinellas Park Police Department has arrested a teenager and charged him with attempted murder. He is accused of shooting the owner of a car he was bur- glarizing.
Police said 17-year-old Brandon Roman was in the area of 62nd Street and 106th Avenue, North, looking for unlocked cars to break into. He reportedly located one car and took a handgun from it.
Roman then went into the 6229 106th Avenue, where he was entering an- other vehicle. This time the owner of the vehicle, identi- fied as Alexander Weaver, observed the teenager enter- ing his car, police said.
Weaver confronted Roman and began chasing Roman down the street. While being chased, Roman is alleged to have pulled the gun taken from the other car
BRANDON ROMAN
and began shooting at Weaver. Weaver was struck one time in the arm.
Roman was located and arrested. He was charged with attempted murder, ag- gravated assault with a firearm, 2 counts of armed burglary, violation of proba- tion, and being a delinquent in possession of a firearm.
Detectives said the hand- gun has not been recovered and the investigation is con- tinuing.
RAUL GARCIA, JR.
A 21-year-old man was arrested and is facing several charges. He was taken into custody after police were alerted to a man walking around with a gun.
The incident took place around 6 p.m., Sunday near Lenfred Drive and Palmetto Road, in Wimauma. When deputies arrived, they spoke with neighbors and learned that an armed Hispanic man was standing in the street yelling at passing cars to stop. The man was also jumping in front of cars try- ing to make them stop as well.
Deputies quickly located the man, later identified as Raul Garcia, Jr., carrying a black and brown rifle in his hands while walking near a
AK-47 in Garcia’s possession at the time of his arrest.
truck. As deputies ap- proached Garcia, they or- dered him to stop and drop the rifle. Garcia refused and ran into a nearby wooded area.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and K-9 units were called in to search the wooded area. They found a Norinko SKS AK-47 rifle and later found a green bag Garcia had been observed carrying. When deputies searched the bag, they discovered three small baggies of a white crystal substance. The substance tested positive for metham- phetamine. They also found 4 methamphetamine pipes and 5 live .38 caliber rounds in the bag.
However, they did not
find Garcia. The search continued. Garcia was lo- cated and arrested at 118420 Highway 301 South, Tuesday morning. Police said Garcia is a certified member of the MS-13 gang.
Garcia was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail, where he was charged with possession of a con- trolled substance; 4 counts of unlawful advertisement of drug paraphernalia; im- proper exhibition of a dan- gerous weapon; loitering and prowling; 3 counts of re- sisting an officer without vi- olence; and being a felon in possession of a firearm as a juvenile.
The rifle had not been re- ported stolen, and the inves- tigation is continuing.
UNCLE SANDY
One good thing 4, 14, 56, 58 about music, 7, 20, 22, 60 when it hits you, 1, 17, 19, 21 you feel no pain. 9, 33, 35, 40.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-A