MEDIA RELEASE
Date: January 9, 2012
Time: 5:15 PM
On Saturday, January 7, 2012 Investigator Roger Bell arrested Christopher Pate, Jeovany Ortiz, Janiel Perez and Armando Perez for armed home invasion robbery, felony battery and aggravated assault.
Sheriff's deputies and Investigators responded to a Bronson home in reference to a 9-1-1 call reporting a home invasion robbery. The four suspects met earlier in the night and talked about hitting a lick "Robbery". The plan was for Pate to lure the victim outside of his home and the three other suspects would commit the robbery. The plan did not go as planned when the victim refused to go outside, but he allowed Pate to enter his home. Upon entry Pate and the victim spoke about smoking a blunt (Marijuana Joint) and allegedly Pate was going to buy crack cocaine from the victim.
While Pate was inside the house negotiating the drug deal, Jeovany Ortiz and Armando Perez stormed the house wearing a mask and armed with a pistol and baseball bat and demanded money. Pate pulled a realistic toy gun concealed in his waist band and also threatened the victim. The victim stated that he was in fear of his life and his family's (mother, step father and two children ages three (3) and seven (7) year old) and he began fighting with the three suspects attempting to wrestle the guns and baseball bat from them. The suspect's pistol whipped and struck the victim in the head with the baseball bat and fled the house on foot.
While fleeing from the scene Jeovany Ortiz turned around and fired at the victim and missed him by only inches. During this incident the step father woke up and fired two rounds from his shotgun in the air in an attempt to scare the suspects from returning to the house.
The victim sustained a head laceration and was transported to a local hospital.
Sullivan said "I'm very proud of the Deputies, Investigators and dispatchers in handling this incident and the team work to have these bad guys in jail less than 24 hours".
Defendant:
Christopher Eugene Pate (Armed with a toy gun)
5391 NE 132nd Court
Williston, Fl
W/M, 05/26/1986
Charges: Home Invasion Robbery
Felony Battery
Aggravated Assault
Jeovany Texidor Ortiz (Armed with a pistol)
11852 NE 66th Lane
Williston, Fl.
W/M, 01/03/1977
Charges: Home Invasion Robbery
Felony Battery
Aggravated Assault
Resisting arrest without violence
Janiel Molina Perez (Armed with the baseball bat)
11852 NE 66th Lane
Williston, Fl.
W/M, 05/30/1991
Charges: Home Invasion Robbery
Felony Battery
Aggravated Assault
Resisting arrest without violence
Violation of Probation- Occupied Burglary
Armando Perez (Lookout)
11852 NE 66th Lane
Williston, Fl.
W/M, 03/13/1987
Charges: Home Invasion Robbery
Felony Battery
Aggravated Assault
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Levy County Sheriff's Office
FBI-National Academy 183rd Session
Office: 352-486-5446
Cell: 352-577-4218