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PENSACOLA, FL - The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force spent
Thursday night targeting violent offenders whose suspected crimes all
involved battery charges including sexual battery, assault with weapons and
even a suspect accused of a hate crime. There were about 20 officers working
together out rounding up the wanted felons from FDLE, Escambia, Okaloosa and
Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Offices as well as Ft. Walton Beach and
Pensacola Police Departments who are members of the Marshals Task Force. The
first fugitive to be apprehended by the Task Force was Norman Griffin III, wanted on charges of Aggravated Battery on a Pregnant Victim from an
October 2008 warrant. Marshals and Task Force officers caught up with
Griffin as he was leaving Sacred Heart Hospital. Griffin made an attempt to
flee but was quickly overwhelmed by officers and gave up. The Task Force
wound up seizing a total of about 20 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine
worth over $1,000, over $300 in cash, a small amount of marijuana and a
scale. A 2007 Dodge Charger he was driving was also seized at the time.
The Marshals Task Force then arrested Wendell McClain who was
wanted for Aggravated Battery after allegedly stabbing a person with a
kitchen knife according to police reports, during an argument over a
basketball game earlier this month. The Task Force found McClain in Pensacola where he was arrested without
incident. Shortly afterwards, the Marshals went to West Pensacola in search of Raymond Miller III. Miller is
reportedly to have been involved in a road rage incident about a month ago. Miller was apprehended
without confrontation. According to a sheriff’s report, Miller
displayed a handgun to a motorist and pointed it at them as they became
caught up in the melee. The incident resulted in a warrant for Miller’s
arrest charging him with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Due to the
results of the initial investigation it was labeled as a hate crime. Miller
does have a permit for the weapon, a .38 Caliber revolver, which was
allegedly used during the incident.
Also arrested last night was Ramona Duke wanted on a charge of
Aggravated Battery with a Weapon. Marshals contacted Duke telephonically and
arranged to meet her at an undisclosed location where they arrested her
around midnight. Early Friday morning Anthony Whitehurst, who is wanted
for alleged Sexual Battery on a Victim Under 18 by a Custodian and Lewd and
Lascivious Behavior Toward a Victim Under 18; was nabbed by the Task Force
in downtown Pensacola. Karlos Kelson, who is
wanted on charges of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Firing a Weapon Into a
Dwelling turned himself in this morning at the Escambia County Jail. The
Task Force tried to capture him last night at an apartment Kelson used to
live at but wound up talking to him via the phone and convinced him to
self-surrender. All fugitives were wanted in Escambia County and booked into
the Escambia Jail.
U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Forces arrested 73,014 state and local fugitive
felons and more than 109,000 between state, local and federal fugitives in
2008. |
