PRESS RELEASE

On Wednesday, December 4th around 1:30am, Investigator Christopher Jordan responded to the Circle K on Tallahassee Highway in reference to an armed robbery which had just occurred. Upon arrival, Jordan made contact with Officer LaDaric Jones who stated that a black male dressed in all black clothing had entered the store, brandished a handgun, and assaulted the female clerk. The victim told Jones that as she was walking to the front of the store, she was grabbed from behind and then hit in the face with a gun. She stated that her assailant demanded money. She gave him five dollars and then started screaming for help and that’s when he turned and ran out of the store.

Investigator Jordan viewed video surveillance footage from inside the store which showed the clerk being struck in the face by the assailant’s hand while holding a handgun. She fell to the floor and the assailant lifted her up and walked with her behind the check-out counter to the register. The assailant then hit the clerk again, at which time she began fighting back by throwing items at him. He then turned and ran from behind the counter and out of the same door by which he had entered.

Officer Richard Collins drove to Memorial Hospital to check on the victim. While there, the victim gave details of the assault to Collins. She described her assailant and said she thought she recognized him as someone who lived on her street named Rickey Hughes. To confirm his identity, Investigator Jordan used video surveillance footage from area businesses and restaurants which showing the male subject cross Tallahassee Highway and walk through several parking lots. He made his way to a parked vehicle, entered that vehicle, and drove off.

Investigator Jordan obtained a search warrant for the home of Rickey Hughes, and on the morning of Monday, December 9th, Investigator Jordan, Chief Investigator Larry Funderburke, Officer Trent Olhausen, and Officer John Walker conducted a search of the home. Following the execution of the search warrant, Hughes was transported to Public Safety Headquarters for questioning. Hughes was interviewed by Investigator Jordan and Investigator Mark Esquivel during which time he admitted to robbing the store and assaulting the female employee. Following the interview, the trio traveled to the home of Hughes where he showed Investigators the wooded area behind the home where he had thrown the handgun. Investigator Jordan searched the area and recovered the handgun.

 Rickey LaBarrett Hughes, 19, was arrested and charged with the Felony Offenses of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault, along with the Misdemeanor Offense of Possession of Tools for the Commission of a Crime.