Contact: Lt.

Tim Wood MEDIA RELEASE

Telephone: 850-227-1115
February 5, 2019
Email: twood@gcso.fl.gov

GCSO LAW ENFORCEMENT SUMMARY

JANUARY 28, 2019 – FEBRUARY 3, 2019

On Monday, January 28, Deputy P. Young went to Pine Avenue in Wewahitchka and
located Willard Allen Pitts (50) and took him into custody on a writ of bodily attachment
for failing to pay child support. Pitts was transported to the Gulf County Detention
Facility.

On Monday, January 28, Deputy S. Sheline arrested Melody Renay Robinson-Armstrong

(41) at the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wewahitchka on a violation of
probation warrant out of Calhoun County. After taking Robinson-Armstrong into custody,
Deputy Sheline found that she was in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine
and a glass pipe used in ingest meth. Robinson-Armstrong was additionally charged with
Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On Monday, January 28, Deputy P. Young traveled to the Bay County Jail to arrest William
Earl Barber (28) and transport him to the Gulf County Detention Facility. Barber was
wanted in Gulf County for violating his probation on the original charge of Possession of
a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

On Monday January 28, Deputy P. Young responded to the Express Lane in Wewahitchka
to investigate a report of a vehicle theft. According to the victim, she parked her 2007
Honda Accord at the Express Lane and walked inside, leaving the keys in the vehicle.
When the victim exited the store, she noticed her vehicle was gone. While Deputy Young
was gathering information at the store, Deputy G. Desrosier was dispatched to a traffic
accident on Lake Grove Road near Cox Landing. When Deputy Desrosier arrived, he
noticed that that the vehicle involved in the crash was the stolen vehicle from the Express
Lane. David Bradford Porter (53), from Bay County, was identified as the driver. Porter
was transported to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries and was released to
sheriff’s deputies. Porter was placed under arrest and charged with Grand Theft of an
Automobile. Porter resisted arrest and was additionally charged with Resisting Arrest
without Violence.

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On Tuesday, January 29, School Resource Deputy J. Williams was investigating a report
of marijuana use at Port St. Joe High School. Deputy Williams deployed his K9, Ellie, and
conducted a free air sniff in the boy’s lockers room. Ellie alerted on a back pack indicating
the presence of an odor of illegal narcotics. The back pack was searched and drug
paraphernalia was found with some residual amounts of marijuana. The owner of the back
pack was identified. The 15-year-old student was charged with Possession of Drug
Paraphernalia and given a Notice to Appear in court.

On Tuesday, January 29, Sgt. P. Williams arrested Austin John Humphreys (36) in the 500
block of Marlin Avenue on warrants for Burglary of an Unoccupied Dwelling and Grand
Theft of a Motor Vehicle. The warrants against Humphreys resulted from an investigation
that began on January 14, 2019, when Humphreys and another subject were suspected of
going into a home on Victoria Avenue that was damaged due to Hurricane Michael and
stealing contents from within. The vehicle they were using was reported stolen from St.
Joe Beach earlier that morning. The vehicle has since been recovered, as well as the
property taken from Victoria Avenue. Criminal charges are pending against the co-
defendant as well.

On Tuesday, January 29, Sgt. P. Williams and Deputy P. Young went to the 300 block of
Ward Street in St. Joe Beach and executed an arrest warrant for Robert Leon Brock (27).
Brock, who is registered sex offender, failed to report an address change as required by
Florida Statute. Attempts were made to contact Brock at his registered address on Forest
Street and verify his residential address but the home owner said he did not live there
anymore. The warrant was issued for failing to report a change in his registered address.
Brock was placed under arrest and transported to the Gulf County Detention Facility.

On Wednesday, January 30, Deputy M. Peek and Investigator S. Ferrell conducted a traffic
stop in the area of 2nd Street and Osceola Ave in Wewahitchka. Deputies stopped the
vehicle because the person driving it, Reece Glendon Forehand (26), had a warrant for his
arrest for Trespassing. While they were taking Forehand into custody, in plain view they
noticed a glass pipe with a crystal-like substance in it, sitting on the center console. The
substance was field tested and deputies determined that it was methamphetamine. In
addition to the warrant, Forehand was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Forehand was also charged for driving with a suspended
driver’s license.

On Thursday, January 31, at approximately 1:50 AM, Deputy M. Manley was patrolling in
the Cape San Blas in the area of Flamingo Drive when he observed a suspicious van
operating in a peculiar manner as it did not appear to have a clear destination. Deputy
Manley stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Jonathan Edmond Stripling (40),
of Marion County, Florida. As Deputy Manley conversed with Stripling about his
activities, he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Deputy
Manley searched the vehicle and found marijuana and a glass pipe with methamphetamine
residue under the driver seat. A further search revealed approximately one and a half grams
of meth in Stripling’s shave kit. Stripling was placed under arrest and charged with

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Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug
Paraphernalia.

On Thursday, January 31, Deputy M. Peek and Investigator S. Ferrell served an arrest
warrant on East Orange Avenue, in Wewahitchka, by arresting Colton Lee Mullinax (23).
Mullinax was wanted for violating conditions of his probation. He was on probation for
Felony DWLSR (Driving While License Suspended or Revoked).

On Thursday, January 31, Deputy M. Peek and Investigator S. Ferrell conducted a traffic
stop at the intersection of Hwy 71 and West River Road in Wewahitchka. The vehicle was
occupied by James Robert Wright (57) and Anthony Thomas Hysmith (36). While
deputies were speaking with driver (Wright) the deputies could smell an odor of marijuana
emitting from inside the vehicle. Following a K-9 deployment, a probable cause search of
the vehicle ensued revealing methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Wright
was placed under arrest and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of
Drug Paraphernalia and Attaching Registration Plate Not Assigned. Hysmith was also
placed under arrest and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of
Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On Friday, February 1, Deputy S. Sheline was dispatched to the 200 block of Timberlane
Road in reference to a burglary of a shed. It was reported that someone had broken into a
shed and stole three chain saws. Deputy Sheline spoke to the neighbors and found one
who stated that two vehicles were seen on the property of the theft the weekend prior. The
witness described the vehicles as an older model white truck and dark colored truck. The
victim did not recognize the vehicles as anyone authorized to be on the property.

On Friday, February 1, Deputy G. Desrosier conducted a traffic stop on Hwy 71 near the
intersection of Doc Whitfield Road. While explaining to the driver the reason for the traffic
stop, Deputy Desrosier detected an odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.
When questioned about the odor, the passenger, Joshua Gene Brown (23), told Deputy
Desrosier that he had drugs hidden under his seat. Deputy Desrosier recovered a bag under
Brown’s seat that contained approximately 17.1 grams of marijuana, 11.9 grams of THC
extract and 1.3 grams of cocaine. Brown was taken into custody and charged with
Possession of Marijuana, Possession of THC Extract and Possession of Cocaine.

On Saturday, February 2, Sgt. D. Sanders was dispatched to the Gulf Correctional

Institution Forestry Camp on Doc Whitfield Road in regards to a visitor who had been
caught introducing contraband into the facility. Ella Nora Lang (62) of Bunnell, Florida,
was found to be concealing a marijuana cigarette in her undergarment while attempting to
enter to visit with an inmate. Sgt. Sanders took Lang into custody and charged her with
Introduction of Contraband into a State Correctional Facility.

On Sunday, February 3, Deputy G. Desrosier responded to a report of a domestic

disturbance in the 400 block of West Creekview Drive. David Patrick Skipper (30) was
arrested after it was determined that Skipper, who was intoxicated, acted as the aggressor

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toward a co-inhabitant. The victim required no medical attention. Skipper was transported
to the Gulf County Detention Facility and booked for Domestic Battery.

If you have any information regarding the aforementioned cases, please contact the Gulf
County Sheriff’s Office at 850-227-1115, 850-639-5717, or remain anonymous by calling
Crime Stoppers at 850-785-TIPS.

Prepared by: Lt. Tim Wood

Approved by: Sheriff Mike Harrison

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