BY Susan K. Lamb, Special to the News

Four men and two woman have been arrested and charged with multiple armed robberies where one man was hit in the face with the butt of a rifle, another was beaten and his vehicle was stolen. Suwannee County Sheriff’s officials said thousands of dollars were taken in the robberies where the defendants targeted Hispanic pine straw workers.



According to the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 4, Pedro Pena-Sanchez, 7568 232nd Street, reported that three men had beaten him and taken approximately $2,100 in cash and his pick-up truck. The robbery took place in the O’Brien area, he said. The perpetrators hit him in the head with a beer bottle and were armed with hand-guns, Pena-Sanchez told officers.



On Oct. 18, Juan Torres, Arturo Sanchez-Martinez, Juan Reyna-Torres, Noe Fondon-Torres and Sergio Fondon-Torres reported they had been robbed on 102nd Trace. The perpetrators reportedly had hand-guns and a rifle. At least one of the victims was hit with the butt of the rifle in the face. Approximately $900 in cash and three cell phones were taken, the victims reported.



On Oct. 31, Benjamin Quiterio, Gerardo Gercia, Velazquez Aljandro and Mundo Aljandro reported they were robbed at gunpoint on 216th Street near US 129 in the O’Brien area. The perpetrator took approximately $650 in cash, the victims told officers.



Information was developed through Sheriff’s Office investigators Sgt. Jeff Cameron and Sgt. Chris Fry under Lt. Tom Warren and the SWAT team, lead by Lt. Wayne Musgrove, entered a residence on 102nd Street about 3:30 p.m. Oct. 31 and arrested five suspects. The arrests were effected without gunfire, although numerous guns were seized in the residence at the time of the arrest. A flash-bang was deployed inside the residence to distract the occupants while the SWAT team made entrance into the residence.



Warren and Sgt. Jeff Cameron were continuing the investigation Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 when Naeem Hasan Jackson, 24, of Mayo, was arrested. Lt. Warren and Sgt. Cameron were looking for the suspect on US 129 when they spotted a car believed to have been involved in the robberies and tried to stop the vehicle. The driver, Jackson, didn’t stop as he headed south on US 129, but then made a U- turn in the middle of the road and headed back toward Live Oak. When Jackson tried to make a turn east on a side street next to the bowling alley, he failed to successfully make the turn and crashed into the car driven by two women from Mayo who were in Live Oak going to yard sales, officers said. No one was hurt in the accident. However, Jackson jumped from the vehicle and ran toward the bowling alley with Sgt. Cameron in hot pursuit on foot. Cameron caught up with Jackson at Burger King and held the suspect on the ground until Suwannee County Sheriff Alton K. “Al” Williams Jr., who was just leaving Publix when he heard the chase, drove across the street and assisted until Live Oak Police and other Suwannee County deputies got on the scene within seconds.



One other man in the car, Michael Dudley, 24, 20082 129 south, was arrested on other warrants not related to the robbery. A woman passenger was taken in for questioning, but was not arrested, officers said.



Among those arrested so far are: Jason Daymon, 24, 20082 US 129 south, O’Brien, 10 counts of armed robbery with a firearm, grand theft auto, 10 counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony, feeling and eluding a police officer, resisting an officer without violence and a Marion County warrant for violation of probation;



Naeem Jackson, 24, P. O Box 403, Mayo, 10 counts of armed robbery with a firearm, grant theft auto, 10 counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony, fleeing and eluding a police officer, no valid driver’s license, willful and want reckless driving and attached tag not assigned (Sgt. Jeff Cameron);



Antonio Jones, 26, 23697 101st Road, O’Brien, six counts armed robbery with a firearm, grand theft and six counts use of a firearm to commit a felony;



Jermaine Jones, 22, 202 Craven St., Branford, 10 counts armed robbery with a firearm, 10 counts use of a firearm to commit a felony, grand theft auto (Sgt. Jeff Cameron);

Gretchen Laseter, 25, 9486 NW 24th Terrace, Jasper, five counts conspiracy to commit robbery (Sgt. Jeff Cameron);



Tonya Phillips, 22, 11743 102nd Terrace, Live Oak, five counts armed robbery with a firearm (Sgt. Jeff Cameron).



Bond has been set for Daymon, Jackson and Jermain Jones at $250,000; Antonio Jones at $150,00. Laseter and Phillips at $50,000, according to the Sheriff’s Office.