WHAT: Apprehension of five armed robbery suspects
WHEN: Thursday, March 20, 2008
LOCATION: Immokalee
SUSPECTS: Geovany Javier Ortiz Zoniga, 30
Ricardo Sanchez, 28
Ricardo Castro, 42
Norman Matute Flores, 27
Eduerdo Raudslus, 27
CHARGE: Criminal attempt to solicit or conspire to commit armed robbery, no driver’s license, presenting fake identification
SUMMARY:
Earlier today, CCSO deputies received information from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office that they had made an arrest in a string of armed robberies in that area and now had information that members of the same group were headed to Immokalee to commit an armed robbery.
The suspects have been robbing check-cashing offices and jewelry stores in Palm Beach County.
Deputies were given the descriptions of possible vehicles the suspected robbers were using. Surveillance was established on the checking cashing offices and jewelry stores in Immokalee.
At 9:35 a.m., the two suspect vehicles were identified parked in the parking lot of Torrecilla Pawn and Jewelry, 1624 Lake Trafford Road. The vehicles began to move and were followed as they went in two different directions. Traffic stops were made on both vehicles.
During the traffic stops the suspects were charged with not having a driver’s license and presenting fake identification.
Deputies then found three guns – one automatic and two revolvers - under the back seat of one of the cars. That car, a gray Isuzu, also contained wire ties similar to those that had been used in the Palm Beach County robberies. The serial numbers had been removed from the automatic weapon and one of the revolvers.
Members of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s violent crimes task force came to Collier County and helped with the identification and interviews of the suspects. All of the suspects are from Honduras and their personal information has been forwarded to the Criminal Alien Task Force.
Deputies from Immokalee Road Patrol, SWAT, Warrants, SHOCAP, Youth Relations Bureau and Criminal Investigations were involved in the arrests.
