PUBLIC'S HELP SOUGHT IN LOCATING ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT

After pleading no contest last year to a burglary charge, 21-year-old Christopher Pierce of DeLand spent a year in state prison. Four months after his release, Pierce’s stint behind bars has linked him to a recent armed robbery after he left his prison identification card behind. Sheriff’s investigators obtained an arrest warrant on Tuesday and are seeking the public’s help in locating Pierce. His alleged accomplice in the crime, 23-year-old Sarah Premo, was arrested on Tuesday.

The evening started innocently enough on Friday, after the victim and Premo decided to go to an Internet gaming business just north of DeLand. According to the victim, the two have been casual friends for years. While at the business, Premo introduced the victim to Pierce. At some point in the evening, all three left in Premo’s car after she told the victim that she had to drive Pierce home. Premo stopped the car at a nearby apartment complex and Pierce got out of the car. But as he did, he started punching and tugging at the victim in an attempt to yank her out of the car and steal her purse. Premo also joined in and tried to rip the purse out of the victim’s hands. The victim pulled out a pocket knife to defend herself, but Pierce took it away. Eventually, Pierce was able to pull the victim out of the car. The two suspects then drove off with the victim’s purse and its contents, including cash, two cell phones and some prescription medicine. The victim ran back to the business shortly after 4 a.m. and notified a security officer, who called 911.

The victim was able to provide responding deputies with Premo’s name. And identification of the second suspect was made considerably easier after Pierce’s prison ID was found at the business. After reviewing the results of the Sheriff’s Office’s investigation, Circuit Court Judge Frank Marriott issued armed robbery warrants on Tuesday for both suspects. Premo was picked up Tuesday in Lake Mary. Pierce remains at-large. He’s 5’10” and weighs about 132 pounds and has short brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information about Pierce’s whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Resident can also text a tip by texting “TIP231 plus the message” to CRIMES. Tipsters who provide information to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000. Anyone who prefers to talk directly to a deputy can call the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 943-7866. However, only callers to Crime Stoppers will qualify for a reward.

UPDATE 8/5/09:
Sheriff’s deputies located the defendant at an address in DeLand and took him into custody without incident at 4 p.m. today.