Collier
County Sheriff’s Office detectives said Jonathan Paul Wessel, who is homeless,
wore a “Scream” mask in one of the robberies.
Wessel is
charged with two felony counts of armed robbery with a firearm and five counts
of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony. The charges stem from
Monday’s armed robbery at the GameStop store, 9960 Business Circle, and a Nov.
4 robbery at the Circle K store at 12800 U.S. 41 E.
In The
GameStop robbery, detectives say Wessel walked up to the counter and pointed a
firearm at the three employees, demanding the cash. He removed an undisclosed
amount of cash from a safe and secured the employees with zip ties before
making his getaway.
Detectives
said Wessel entered the Circle K store wearing gloves, a dark hoodie, dark
pants with stripes up the side and a mask made popular by the Halloween movie
“Scream.” He pointed a firearm at the clerk and demanded cash. He then secured
the clerk and a customer in the bathroom and left the store.
More charges
are possible as detectives investigate whether Wessel is linked to several
other recent robberies in Collier County, including a Nov. 1 armed robbery at
Bamz Deli, 2464 U.S. 41 E. East Naples, and a Nov. 2 armed robbery at Salsa
Brava, 10265 U.S. 41 N. North Naples. The robber wore a “Scream” mask in both
of those robberies.
Deputies
also continue to investigate two armed robberies Nov. 8 in North Naples: at the
Newsstand Café, 1121 Health Park Blvd., and at CVS Pharmacy, 2344 Immokalee
Road.
“Between the
dates of Nov. 1 and Nov. 11, there have been multiple robberies with a firearm
committed within Collier County involving a tall, thin, polite, white male
subject that matched the physical description, the dialogue used during the
robberies, and demeanor of Jonathan Paul Wessel,” Detective James Lockerby
wrote in his arrest report charging Wessel with the Circle K robbery.
According to
arrest reports, Wessel was identified as a possible suspect in the robberies
after detectives watched video surveillance footage from an Oct. 27 retail
theft at Wal-Mart, 11225 U.S. 41 N., North Naples. There were similarities
between the man who stole tools from Wal-Mart and the man who robbed The Game
Stop, detectives said.
Upon further
investigation, probable cause was developed for Wessel’s arrest in connection
with the Wal-Mart theft, according to arrest reports. On Tuesday, deputies
conducted a traffic stop on Wessel’s vehicle, and he and his female passenger
were transported to the sheriff’s North Naples substation for interviews.
Wessel declined to speak to detectives and requested an
attorney.
In her
interview, the woman told detectives Wessel had been staying with her at her
residence in Naples Park for the past three weeks, and that he recently came
into a large amount of money, reports said. She also gave detectives permission
to search her residence.
During the
search, detectives found a handwritten note that began, “This is a robbery,”
reports said. The note read like a script and contained a “check list” and “reminders”
which were used in the Circle K robbery, reports said. Detectives also played
the audio from the Circle K robbery for the woman and she identified the voice
as belonging to Wessel.
The search
also turned up a bank bag, which had been removed from a safe at The GameStop,
along with heavy duty zip ties that matched the ties that the robber used to
secure the employees and a written robbery note that resembled the dialogue he
used.
On
Wednesday, detectives executed a search warrant on Wessel’s 1995 Buick. A dark
color pair of pants with white vertical stripes and a blue hooded sweatshirt
were recovered from the vehicle. Detectives said the items are identical to the
clothing worn by the suspect in Circle K robbery.
Wessel
remained in the Collier County jail Thursday.
