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South Walton Authorities Search for Home Invasion Suspect

2bohemians avatar
2bohemiansBeach Fanatic
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South Walton Authorities Search for Home Invasion Suspect
11/18/09 - 07:44 PM
Walton County Sheriff?s Office
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Walton County, Fla:
A home invasion leads to a physical struggle and gunfire between the intruder and several of the occupants. Just after six o?clock Wednesday night, a masked black male walked through the unlocked front door of a home located on Birch Street in Dune Allen Beach.
The suspect then walked up the stairs to the third floor where three men and one female were watching television. The suspect pushed open the door and held the victims at gun point demanding money. The victims range in age from 18 to 27-years-old. One of the victims, Weston Wagstaff, pretended to comply with the demands but instead reached to get a gun behind a couch. During a struggle for the handgun which fell to the floor, Wagstaff kicked it to his older brother, Cody Norman. Norman then ordered the suspect to take off his black hooded jacket, brown mask, and black gloves and then lay flat on the floor.
After begging to be let go and the occupants refusing, the suspect jumped to his feet and pushed Norman back causing the .40-caliber handgun to accidentally go off. The suspect then opened the back door and jumped over the balcony railing hitting the ground three stories below. He got up and ran away.
Walton County Sheriff Investigators have identified the armed intruder as 25-year-old Joshua Johnson of Airport Road in Destin. A warrant has been signed for his arrest on home invasion with a firearm, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges.
If anyone may know of Johnson?s whereabouts?, contact the Walton County Sheriff?s Office at 892-8111, or Crimestoppers of Walton County at 1-866-718-TIPS (8477).

Replies

13
SHELLY avatar
SHELLYSoWal Insider
#2
...a bit unsettling. Wonder how many doors he tried before he found one unlocked?

Too many people around here don't lock up their homes and cars (and too many people are aware of this)--this is a lesson for those folks.

.

Edited

Douglas the Intrepid avatar
Douglas the IntrepidBeach Fanatic
#3
Its very disturbing, especially for this area. I hope the bugger broke both legs when he jumped out of that third story balcony... :(
2bohemians avatar
2bohemiansBeach FanaticAuthor
#4
...a bit unsettling.

Indeed it is!
Beach Runner avatar
Beach Runnerbeats on hood
#5
That's why we have guns.

Burglar alarms don't really help because (a) neighbors think it's a false alarm, and (b) even if you're on a monitoring system, you'd be dead or raped or at minimum burglarized by the time the cops arrive.

I know. Been through that already in GA.
Here4Good avatar
Here4GoodBeach Fanatic
#6
How have they identified the guy? Did the people in the house know him, or did he leave behind identification, or do the police just know this guy from the description?
grace avatar
graceBeach Fanatic
#7
How have they identified the guy? Did the people in the house know him, or did he leave behind identification, or do the police just know this guy from the description?
that's what i was wondering. sounds like they knew him?
Abby Prentiss avatar
Abby PrentissBeach Fanatic
#8
Sounds like a drug deal gone bad.
shellakBeach Fanatic
#9
that's what i was wondering. sounds like they knew him?


these incidents most often involve "friends", so to speak. first of all, why would this guy go all the way to the third floor to commit a burglary? secondly, as another sowaler stated, how did the police already identify him? the perpetrator probably knew these people and knew they did not lock their door, which is just plain stupid in today's world. having a gun behind the couch speaks to other things.

as a former prosecutor, i found that about 90% of all cases that came through our office involved people who knew each other and could all be related back to drug or alcohol issues.
30A Skunkape avatar
30A SkunkapeSkunky
#10
these incidents most often involve "friends", so to speak. first of all, why would this guy go all the way to the third floor to commit a burglary? secondly, as another sowaler stated, how did the police already identify him? the perpetrator probably knew these people and knew they did not lock their door, which is just plain stupid in today's world. having a gun behind the couch speaks to other things.

as a former prosecutor, i found that about 90% of all cases that came through our office involved people who knew each other and could all be related back to drug or alcohol issues.

Excellent post. I bet the neighbors have some stories they could tell.
mikecat adjuster avatar
mikecat adjusterBeach Fanatic
#11
What are the chances? Wow, along 30A. Glad they provided a picture, though.

And yes, the victims could have known the guy or solicited him over for some sort of exchange that turned bad. But they say he was masked. So the guy could have been checking for open doors and didn't find one until the third door. Maybe he thought rich people who might not believe in gun laws would be easy victims. That sounds plausible.

And maybe upon investigation, this guy had been seen around that day. From his picture, he does kind of stand out as not being the norm around here. Maybe a few people took mental notes, as they should have. Politically incorrect, I know.

I'm just glad nobody got hurt. Well, at least the occupants of the home. Sorry, but you or me could be next. And maybe with not such good results.
SHELLY avatar
SHELLYSoWal Insider
#12
From his picture, he does kind of stand out as not being the norm around here. Maybe a few people took mental notes, as they should have. Politically incorrect, I know.

...gee, Mike, ya think?

I've seen many guys sporting goatees along 30a.

.

Edited

Kurt avatar
KurtAdmin
#13
Nabbed in Navarre.
Beach Runner avatar
Beach Runnerbeats on hood
#14
What are the chances? Wow, along 30A. Glad they provided a picture, though.

And yes, the victims could have known the guy or solicited him over for some sort of exchange that turned bad. But they say he was masked. So the guy could have been checking for open doors and didn't find one until the third door. Maybe he thought rich people who might not believe in gun laws would be easy victims. That sounds plausible.

And maybe upon investigation, this guy had been seen around that day. From his picture, he does kind of stand out as not being the norm around here. Maybe a few people took mental notes, as they should have. Politically incorrect, I know.

I'm just glad nobody got hurt. Well, at least the occupants of the home. Sorry, but you or me could be next. And maybe with not such good results.
This is tangential, but why is it that I rarely see anyone on 30A who is black or Asian? And the only Hispanics I see are construction and landscape maintenance workers.

My uncles and aunts are gonna pass out when they see our daughter's wedding party. The officiant is black (love, love, love him -- one of my best friends), and the wedding party is full of Asians and Hispanics. Like she told the officiant, this will be a culturally-diverse wedding. Get ready and bring your nitro patches, small-town Georgia!

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