An autistic child who left home Friday night has been found.

            Pensacola Police Officer Darlene Loftin was at Pensacola Village around 7:30 tonight when someone walked up to her and told her the girl was at home.

            Loftin went to the residence in the 600 block of Berkley Drive and was told the girl – Zybria Takayla Grimsley 12 – had been hiding outside Friday night when officers initially responded to the residence.

            After police left, Grimsley went into the house at some point and hid inside a closet until a younger sister found her tonight, Loftin said.

             A Pensacola Police officer was injured early this morning when her patrol car was struck from behind by another vehicle on the Pensacola Bay Bridge.

            The incident occurred just before 2 a.m. southbound on the Pensacola side of the hump headed toward Gulf Breeze.

            Officer Sharesea Williams-Green was sitting in her patrol car behind a disabled vehicle while waiting for a tow truck when another vehicle driven by Troy Don Bell, 39, of Gulf Breeze struck her patrol car, said Lt. Stephen Davis.

            Davis said Bell then tried to flee the scene but couldn’t because of damage to his vehicle. He was detained by police and then taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, said Sgt. Shawn Thompson.

            Williams-Green was transported to a local hospital where she was treated and released. She has been employed by the Pensacola Police Department since September 2003.

            Thompson said the emergency lights were activated on Williams-Green’s patrol car at the time of the crash.

            Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation. A blood alcohol test was done on Bell but results are not yet available.

A Niceville resident was arrested this afternoon after he drove to Pensacola believing he was going to have sex with a 12-year-old girl.

John Bryan Hood, 25, of Corbin Court, Niceville, was arrested just before 1 p.m. at a location on Scenic Highway. He was charged with using a computer to solicit parent/guardian consent, traveling to meet after using a computer to lure child, and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.

Detective Lisa Alverson began communicating with Hood in November 2013 after he responded to an ad she placed on an internet site asking for a “mature male to help with a family problem.”

Hood and Alverson exchanged multiple emails and texts about him having sex with her daughter until January 14 when he agreed to drive to Pensacola to have sex with whom he thought was a 12-year-old female.

Hood was taken into custody today when he met Alverson at an agreed upon location.

           A Pace resident learned a valuable lesson the hard way this morning: Look around before you try to rob a business.

            The incident occurred just after 7:30 a.m. at the CVS, 6888 N. Ninth Ave., when Scott E. Donaldson, 21, entered the business, went to the pharmacy and gave a note to an employee. Sgt. Kevin Christman said the note demanded narcotics and indicated he had a firearm.

            As the pharmacist was in the process of complying, Donaldson noticed Officer Mike Cyr, who was at the drive-up window in a marked police cruiser. Cyr was on his way to work and had stopped to pick up a prescription.

            Christman said after spotting the officer, Donaldson fled the business and got into a vehicle parked nearby.

            The call was dispatched to officers at 7:34:48. Upon hearing the call, Cyr said he was at the drive-thru, and Detective Jeff Brown, who was working off duty at Wal-Mart on Creighton, began responding to the scene.

            At 7:37:13, Cyr and Brown stopped Donaldson on Creighton Road just east of the CVS. He was taken into custody and charged with armed robbery.

            The Gun Crime Response Team was activated. Christman said a firearm has not been recovered.

                An intensive two-year effort has culminated with the Pensacola Police Department being accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.

            Chief Chip W. Simmons and Capt. Paul Kelly accepted the accreditation plaque February 6 at a meeting in Jacksonville.

            “There are so many people who worked very hard on this effort, which was under the guidance of Capt. Kelly,” said Simmons. “This speaks not only very highly of our department, but also of the caliber of people employed here.”

            Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward offered congratulations to the Pensacola Police Department on this “hard-earned achievement. The accreditation that was awarded after review of the department’s policies is indicative of the professionalism of police personnel,” Hayward said.

            A team of assessors from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) was at the department in November 2013 to examine all aspects of the Pensacola Police Department’s general orders, management, operations, and support services.

            The Pensacola Police Department had to comply with approximately 260 standards in order to receive accredited status.  Many of the standards are critical to life, health and safety issues. Accreditation means the department has reviewed its policies based upon model policies and best practices from other accredited law enforcement agencies statewide.

            Verification by the team that the department meets the Commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to gain or maintain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, Simmons said.

            Kelly, who was the Accreditation Program Manager for the department, said the assessment team was composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar agencies. The assessors reviewed written materials, interviewed employees and visited various locations within the department to check for compliance.

            The Pensacola Police Department’s accreditation is for three years.

A routine traffic stop has led to the arrest of two people, recovery of 16 guns, and the discovery of a spice lab.

Timothy C. Edgar, 23, of Pensacola was arrested Wednesday and charged with possession of a weapon/ammunition by a convicted felon and destroying/tampering with evidence.

The second suspect – Dante T. Williams, 24, of Pensacola – was charged with resisting  without violence.

Just after 11 p.m. Wednesday, Officer Brittany Austin was on routine patrol when she stopped a Toyota Camry driven by Edgar near the intersection of Pace Boulevard and DeSoto Street for not having a license tag attached. Williams was a passenger in the car.

Edgar and Williams got out of the car and consented for officers to search them and the vehicle. A live round of ammunition was found in Williams’ right jacket pocket. While K-9 Officer David Rogers was searching the vehicle, Williams fled the scene on foot but was taken into custody in the area of Hayden Court and Lloyd Street after he voluntarily came out of hiding.

Meanwhile, Edgar stayed with the vehicle while officers pursued Williams. A bystander told police he saw him take something from the passenger side of the car and throw it over a fence. Edgar then sat down in the driver’s seat until Austin arrived back at the vehicle.

Escambia Sheriff’s K-9 Deputy Kevin Land responded to the area to search for the item Edgar threw over the fence and found two loaded firearms.

On Thursday officers served a search warrant at a residence. In addition to seizing guns, a bulletproof vest and stolen laptop computers, officers discovered a spice manufacturing operation, said Sgt. Marvin Miller. Approximately 100 pounds of spice with an estimated street value of about $150,000 were recovered.

Spice is synthetic marijuana and it is illegal to sell or possess, Miller said. An investigation is underway to determine how long the spice manufacture/sales had been occurring.

Additional arrests are pending. Officers also are continuing to examine evidence they believe was stolen in burglaries.

The Gun Crime Response Team was activated and is assisting with the investigation.

WANTED PERSON

Craig Eugene Didley II

Race/Sex: Black/Male

D.O.B.: 9/30/86

Hair/Eyes: Black/Brown

Ht./Wt.: 5’10”; 145 lbs.

L.K.A.: 2300 Merle Cir.

CHARGES 

BATTERY (FELONY BATT OR DOMESTIC BATT BY STRANGULATION) (1 CT)

DAMAGE PROP-CRIM MISCH (200 DOLS AND UNDER) (1 CT)

LARCENY (GRAND THEFT 300 LESS THAN 5K DOLS) (1 CT)

CRUELTY TOWARD CHILD (ABUSE WITHOUT GREAT BODILY HARM) (1 CT)

OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE (TAMPERING IN 3^RD DEGREE FELONY PROCEEDING) (1 CT)

Didley has an active warrant in connection with an incident that occurred during January in the Pensacola area. People are advised to use caution around Didley.

Anyone having information on the subject’s location is asked to contact the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900 or via Facebook. Tips can also be made to Crime Stoppers at 433-STOP, or you can also text Crime Stoppers by typing the tip in the body of the text after entering 274637 (CRIMES).

WANTED PERSON

Bridgette Ann Cross

Race/Sex: White/Female

D.O.B.: 3/06/65

Hair/Eyes: Blond/Blue

Ht./Wt.: 5’3”; 105 lbs.

L.K.A.: 298 Washington Ave., Gulf Breeze

CHARGE 

FAILURE TO APPEAR (FOR SENTENCING) ON A FELONY OFFENSE

Cross failed to appear for sentencing related to a traffic crash that occurred October 13, 2012 at the intersection of I and Cervantes streets.  She fled the scene in a vehicle but was later arrested and charged with hit and run involving serious injury and driving while license suspended.

No one was hurt this morning after a man armed with a handgun robbed two women outside a local restaurant.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. outside the Coffee Cup, 520 E. Cervantes St.

Sgt. Greg Stone said three women were leaving the business when the man walked up to them, pointed a gun at them and demanded their purses. Two of the women complied while the third threw her purse under a nearby truck.

The armed robber took the two purses and then ran through the back parking lot of the business and then north on Davis Highway. He was described as a black male in his early 20s, about 5 feet 10, thin build, and wearing a black hoodie.

Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact the Pensacola Police Department at 435 – 1900.

               No one was injured this morning when a man entered a local bank and handed a note demanding money to a teller.

            The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. at BB&T, 5061 N. 12^th Ave.

            The white male handed a teller a note demanding money. No weapon was shown and he didn’t indicate he had one.

            He was approximately six feet tall, in his mid-40s and was wearing a white a long-sleeved shirt and had a blue fabric over his mouth. The man left the bank in an unknown direction after getting an undisclosed amount of money.

            Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact the Pensacola Police Department at 435 – 1900.

BB&T suspect

            The Pensacola Police Department has released photographs of a man who robbed a bank earlier this week.

            No one was injured when the male entered BB&T, 5061 N. 12^th Ave., just before 11 a.m. Monday and handed a note demanding money to a teller. The teller complied and the man left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. No weapon was shown and he didn’t indicate he had one.

            The suspect is a white male approximately 40 to 50 years old, 6 feet to 6 feet 2 with a thin build and scruffy gray beard. He was last seen wearing a white long-sleeved button shirt with a dark shirt underneath, khaki pants and a light blue ball cap with a dark beanie on top.

            Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Amy Parsons at 435 – 1977 or the Pensacola Police Department at 435 – 1900.

            A puppy that was stolen from a local pet store last week has been returned.

            Detective Danny Harnett said the Yorkshire terrier, which is approximately eight weeks old, was returned anonymously on Saturday to Petland, 6235 N. Davis Highway. The puppy was in good condition.

            The dog, which is worth approximately $2,300, was stolen on Wednesday from the store. It was discovered missing when an employee went to give the puppy some medication.

            Harnett said the theft remains under investigation.

Officer Eric Hubley

           A Pensacola Police officer was honored Tuesday night for heroic action he took last year that saved a man’s life.

            Officer Eric Hubley received the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal from the Pensacola Chapter, Florida Society Sons of the American Revolution during a dinner at Sonny’s in Warrington.

            The incident was reported just after 7 p.m. June 5 in 2013. Officers weren’t quite sure what they were going to find after dispatch put out a call that a man had jumped off the end of Palafox Pier and needed help. As the first officers arrived at the scene, they found the man clinging to a piling and in distress because he couldn’t swim.

            Without concern for his own safety, Officer Hubley immediately removed police gear and jumped into the water. Other officers got a rope and lowered it to Officer Hubley, who tied it around the man’s waist while they held him above water.

            Officer Hubley kept reassuring the man and kept him calm despite waves that kept pushing against and over them as they awaited a boat. When the boat arrived on-scene, a rescue ring was thrown in their direction. Officer Hubley swam to retrieve the ring and then back to the man, placed the ring around him and towed him to the side of the boat.

            Unfortunately, the wind changed direction and the boat swung sideways, narrowly missing pinning both men against the pier wall. Officer Hubley and the man, both of whom received cuts and abrasions from coming into contact with barnacles on the piling, were pulled to safety.

            In addition to the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal, Officer Hubley has been presented the department’s Silver Cross and the Life Saving Award for his actions in this incident.

            Officer Hubley, 34, has been employed by the Pensacola Police Department since November 2003.

     TC II Dianna McCreary doesn’t wait to be asked to do extra tasks: When she sees a need, she automatically takes care of it.

     For much of 2013, there was only one supervisor in Dispatch because the second supervisor was off work due to illness. This meant the sole supervisor had to do double duties in addition to handling requests from department members and a system audit. While several telecommunicators assisted during that time period, Ms. McCreary went “above and beyond” to help make things easier.

     Not only did she do daily payroll sheets but also she ensured the payroll was completed in the supervisor’s absence. She also handled weekly cycle sheets on occasion and took over management of Dispatch’s leave book, ensuring there were enough people scheduled for each shift and if not, working the shifts herself if no one else was available.

     Ms. McCreary is a certified training officer and as such, she spends extra time learning as much as possible about every aspect of the Pensacola Police and Pensacola Fire departments in an effort to provide trainees the best possible training.

      Because of her positive outlook and willingness to go above and beyond what is expected of her, Telecommunicator II Dianna McCreary is named 2014 Civilian Employee of the First Quarter.

            Both of the southbound lanes of the Pensacola Bay Bridge have been closed until further notice because of a stalled vehicle that caught fire.

            Police and Pensacola firefighters were initially dispatched on the call around 4:13 p.m. after the 2011 Nissan Altima caught fire. In addition, one northbound lane is blocked by responding emergency equipment. No one has been injured.

            Motorists are advised to avoid the area; a press release will be issued once the area reopens.

            Both of the southbound lanes of the Pensacola Bay Bridge have been opened.

            The lanes were closed around 4:15 p.m. today after a 2011 Nissan Altima stalled and caught fire on the bridge. They were reopened around 4:55 p.m.

            In addition, one northbound lane was blocked by responding emergency equipment. A minor traffic crash occurred during the incident and the one northbound lane remains closed. No one has been injured; that crash is being handled by the Gulf Breeze Police Department.

              Three Pensacola Police officers were among law enforcement officers honored Friday night for their proactive efforts in 2013 for removing impaired drivers from the roadways.

            Pensacola Police officers made approximately 175 DUI arrests in 2013. The three Pensacola Police officers with the most number of DUI arrests last year were Officer Joshua Hudson with 17 and Officers Michael Fraser and James Daniels with 12 each.

            Officers Hudson and Daniels were presented certificates of appreciation and a Top DUI Enforcement coin by the Northwest Florida Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving during a ceremony at the Sanders Beach-Corrine Jones Center. Officer Fraser was unable to attend.

            The awards were presented during MADD’s annual Law Enforcement Appreciation and Victim Remembrance dinner.

                 Pensacola Police K-9 teams came out winners in the U.S. Police K – 9 Association Region I Police Dog K-9 Trials last week in Pensacola.

            The trials brought 49 K-9 teams from Florida, Alabama and Georgia to Pensacola. The trials, which were hosted by the Pensacola Police Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, took place Monday through Thursday at the VickeryCommunity Center, 2130 Summit Blvd.

            Teams were judged on obedience, agility, suspect and evidence searches, and criminal apprehension, said Harry Barraclough, Officer-in-charge of the department’s K-9 Unit.

            When the trials ended, the following Pensacola Police K-9 handlers and their partners received awards:

            – Officer Bruce Harris and K-9 Enio, a Belgian Malinois, took fourth place overall and fourth place overall in agility.

            – Officer David Rogers and K-9 Darek, a German shepherd, took 12^th place overall and second place overall in search work.

            – Officer Andy Burleson and K-9 Woolf, a Belgian Malinois, were named USPCA Region I Top Novices for 2014.

            – Officers Harris, Rogers, Burleson, and Barraclough and K-9 Uno, a Belgian Malinois, took second place in four-man department team competitions.

Sgt. Bill Horn

A law enforcement career that spanned more than three decades ends today when Sgt. Bill Horn retires from the Pensacola Police Department.

            Sgt. Horn, 50, was hired by the department as a cadet on October 17, 1983 and was promoted to  police officer on March 25, 1985. He was promoted to sergeant on October 9, 2000.

            Among his assignments were Community Relations, Uniform Patrol and Traffic/Mall. He also served as a field training officer.

            Want a criminal removed from the streets?

            Contact Officer Matthew Mercado.

            During the first three months he transferred to an evening shift, Officer Mercado led his shift in self-initiated activity. Not only did he respond to calls he was dispatched to, but also he remained busy making citizen contacts, traffic stops and looking for suspicious activity on his assigned beat and surrounding areas.

            Because of these efforts, he makes numerous arrests for DUI, driving while license suspended, narcotics violations, and warrants served. He also constantly shares information with Vice and Narcotics officers that might be useful in their investigations.

            Among some of his incidents have been the following:

            – He was patrolling in the area of J and Lee streets when he saw a vehicle run a stop sign. Officer Mercado conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, and the driver ended up being arrested after 410 grams of regular marijuana and 112 grams of hydroponic marijuana were found in the vehicle.

            – He responded to an aggravated assault and battery where the victim had been beaten and a gun placed to his head. While leaving the area, Officer Mercado spotted the suspect’s vehicle and stopped it. Numerous charges were filed on the suspect and his vehicle was seized.

            – He was on routine patrol in the area of R and Cervantes streets when he saw a dark silhouette inside a fenced in storage area of a business. Officer Mercado got out of his patrol car to investigate. The “silhouette” was arrested and charged with burglary.

            Because of these and other examples of his dedication to duty, Officer Matthew Mercado was named Officer of the Month for January 2014.