Man arrested for
stealing stovetop
he agreed to buy
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – A man who responded to a Facebook post from a couple offering to sell a brand new stovetop was charged with stealing the item after he showed up later than scheduled, found no one at home and took off with the item after he saw that it had been left under the carport, according to the report from the Blountstown Police Department.
The stovetop, which was valued at $400, was advertised for sale for $100. The owners had plans to be at a basketball game that evening and asked a relative to meet the buyer at the assigned time on June 25.
The relative went to the house and waited, but the when the buyer failed to show up as scheduled, he left and returned to his home.
Sometime later, the relative got a call from the couple who shared video from their security camera showing a black male pulling up to the home and entering the carport .
The relative rushed to the home and arrived to find a black Camaro convertible speeding away from the residence with the missing stovetop in the back seat. The relative then turned around and began following the Camaro, which turned south on SR 71 and sped away before he could catch up with him.
The suspect, identified as Santario Dontrell Martin, 39, was taken into custody July 11 and charged with burglary of a structure and petty theft under $750. The police department found he had previous addresses in Blountstown and Quincy but was believed to currently be living in Panama City. The Camaro is not registered to Martin but photos showing him with the vehicle were featured on his social media pages. The vehicle matches the one shown in the security video at the Blountstown home.
Man charged with
exposing himself
to three children
playing outside
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – A Blountstown man was charged with lewd and lascivious exhibition after a neighbor noticed him standing in his front window with his pants down, exposing himself in full view of her three grandchild as they were riding a four-wheeler in her yard.
The woman contacted the Blountstown Police Department on July 7 around 5 p.m. after witnessing the man’s actions. One of the children noted that the suspect had opened the window and moved the shade out of the way as he stood there and touched himself.
A 12-year-old witness told the police officer she could see the man’s penis “and everything else.”
The officer went to the home and repeatedly knocked on the front door but did not receive any response.
Another police officer in the area noticed a man who matched the suspect’s description, wearing a black and blue striped shirt and ball cap that the children had described. He was walking in the neighborhood with another man.
The man was identified as 45-year-old Indian man named Ranchhodbhai Rabari. Because he did not speak English, the second man attempted to interpret for the suspect but an officer noted in his report that it was difficult getting information.
Rabari was handcuffed and taken to the Blountstown Police Department. While being searched, a rag was found in Rabari’s right front pants pocket. It was taken as possible evidence to be sent to a lab to test for biological samples.
A photo of Rabari was taken and shown to all three victims separately. Each positively identified him as the man they had seen earlier. A Crime Victim Notification Form was completed and signed by the parents and guardians of the victims, and a sexual assault packet was given to each.
Hosford man arrested
on third battery charge
HOSFORD, FL – A Hosford man with two prior battery convictions is now facing his third charge on the same following a July 10 incident at his home.
A deputy was dispatched to the home of Jason Eli Jordan, 50, at 6:54 p.m. after a worried family member reported that he was causing a disturbance and threatening to fight others, according to the report from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.
Family members arriving at the home were still outside when they heard him “throwing things, going crazy and cussing at God,” the report noted.
Jordan soon came outside, still yelling, and started toward one of three people in the yard. He came so close to one man that his face hit the brim of the man’s hat before Jordan chest-bumped him. The man then struck Jordan. Jordan ran back into the house and came out a short time later, taunting the other man by stating, “You want something, boy, you want something? Now you come and get it!”
At that point, a second man in the yard bear-hugged the older man and held him down to keep things from escalating. The deputy was told that action was taken frequently to stop Jordan from initiating fights.
Jordan declined to give a statement about the incident. He was fined $250 and ordered to stay away from the residence and ordered not to have any contact with the victim or other witnesses.
Arrest made following
complaints of man selling
drugs from a front porch
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – Complaints about a man selling drugs from the front porch of a 15th Street home in Blountstown resulted in his arrest and the seizure of 114.8 grams of marijuana last month, according to a report from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.
When narcotics investigators responded to the address on June 24, they saw Austin Causey in the front yard. As they drove up, he made eye contact with patrol units. He then grabbed a clear plastic bag and ran into the house before exiting a short time later.
On the ground where Causey was standing, in plain view, was a bag of marijuana, along with a set of digital scales. US currency was lying on the ground, consistent with selling and distributing illegal narcotics. He was detained without incident.
When the homeowner arrived on scene, she allowed investigators inside the home to find the bag Causey was attempting to hide. A clear plastic bag was located in the hallway underneath a cabinet with approximately 80 grams of marijuana packaged for sale and distribution.
A total of approx. 114.8 grams of marijuana was collected from the scene.
Causey was taken into custody on the following charges:
• Felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute or sell
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Tampering with evidence
Traffic stop results in three
charges against the driver
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – Narcotics Investigators with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, along with Investigators with the North Star Multi-jurisdictional Drug Task Force, began conducting surveillance on a vehicle in the Blountstown City Limits on July 15.
Aware that the driver, Joshua Paul Owens, had a suspended driver’s license and was on state probation for possession of methamphetamine, a traffic stop was conducted at SW South Street in Blountstown.
During the traffic stop, Owens became irate and resisted when being handcuffed.
Investigators placed Owens under arrest for being in violation of the following Florida State Statutes: DWLSR with knowledge, violation of state probation and resisting an officer without violence.
Crack cocaine found
in July 9 traffic stop
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – After observing numerous traffic infractions, narcotics investigators with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a Blountstown woman just before 8 p.m. on July 9.
Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Investigators conducted a traffic stop on Tracey Denise Brown, 61.
During the traffic stop, investigators observed that the driver had some crack cocaine and was attempting to hide and destroy it.
Brown was transported to the Calhoun County Jail and charged with possession of crack cocaine, tampering with evidence and resisting an officer without violence.
Video of man’s actions
results in arrest for
domestic battery
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – A Blountstown man was charged with domestic battery after a woman showed investigators videos documenting threatening actions made toward her.
According to the woman, she and Michael Anthony Knight, 40, got into an argument on July 11, which resulted in her locking him out of the home over concerns that he could become violent.
She said he forced his way back into the home the next morning, which prompted her to pick up her phone. She told investigators that when he realized she was recording him, he slapped the phone out of her hand. She picked the phone up and resumed recording. She said he walked toward her, grabbed her hand and twisted it to force her to drop the phone.
When the video was turned over the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, deputies saw images of Knight walking toward her as she was recording and grabbing the phone from her hand. Another video showed Knight walking over to a gun safe, where he picked up a small pistol and held it to his head, pulling the trigger of the unloaded weapon several times.
When questioned later, Knight denied hitting or grabbing her but was reminded by an investigator that the video showed that he had done what she alleged.
He was taken into custody and charged with domestic battery.
About Author
