MEDIA RELEASE
Date: February 4, 2011
Time: 12:00 PM
On February 1, 2011 Deputies and Investigators responded to 20550 NE 75th Street Williston in reference to a home invasion robbery. Upon arrival deputies made contact with Ms. Donna Taylor and she was extremely upset and shaken from the incident. Taylor advised that she is a home health care nurse who takes care of Ms. Betty Whitehurst 81 years of age. Taylor advised around 4:13 AM she heard the door knob rattling and thought it might be Ms. Whitehurst walking around the house. Taylor stated that when she was getting out of bed to investigate the noise there were two suspects standing over her and a black male pointing a handgun at her head and he cut the phone line.
Taylor stated while the black male stood over her pointing the gun at her the second suspect questioned her about a safe. During the robbery a safe that contained prescription pills, money and a pistol and a shotgun was taken from the residence. Fortunately during the home invasion robbery Ms. Whitehurst never woke up.
During the course of the investigation Investigator Sgt Mike Narayan and Mike Wilkinson developed Craig Allen Pitts, Hillary "Hill" Church Henderson and Stefan Lernard Lattimore as suspects. Pitts within the past month has worked at the Whitehurst home and was a house sitter during the night. He is the son to the victim, Donna Taylor. Pitts advised the two accomplices of the floor plan of the residence and the location of the safe, money and prescription pills.
A search for the suspects that terrorized Taylor ended February 3, 2011. Investigator Jay Bolton and Joey Barrera in the Drug Task Force were conducting a criminal investigation in the Chiefland area. While driving down the road Henderson almost side swiped their vehicle and a traffic stop was conducted for the traffic infraction. During the traffic stop Investigators smelled the odor of marijuana and had Henderson step out of the vehicle and in plain view they observed that Henderson was sitting on a pistol. The pistol was later indentified as one of the guns that were stolen during the robbery. Henderson is a four time convicted felon and he was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition. Henderson cooperated with Investigators and advised the location of Pitts and he was located and taken to the Sheriff's Office. Henderson stated that Pitts was the mastermind behind the robbery and when he entered the house through a doggie door he went to opposite side of the house and let Pitts in the residence. Henderson stated that he took the safe, Pitts stole the shotgun and Lattimore removed the safe and they fled the area in Pitts' vehicle. The third suspect has been identified as Stefan Lattimore and he remains at large. Investigator Wilkinson has obtained an arrest warrant for Lattimore for armed home invasion robbery Lattimore may be in the Gainesville area and he should be armed and dangerous.
Defendants:
Craig Allen Pitts
2290 SE 141st Ave
Morriston, Fl
White, Male 09/06/90
Hillary "Hill" Henderson
9051 NW 30th Ave
Chiefland, Fl.
White Male 02/28/91
Wanted Person:
Stefan Lernard Lattimore
Gainesville, Fl
Black Male, 03/17/85
Bond: $ 500,000
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Major Evan Sullivan
Levy County Sheriff's Office
FBI-National Academy 183rd Session
Office: 352-486-5446
Cell: 352-577-4218