Apopka police have arrested a suspect in connection with last weekend’s theft of a headstone from the city cemetery and also recovered the missing headstone, according to the Apopka Police Department news release that came out past press time.
Deshawn Frankie Russell, 19, of Apopka has been arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief/damaging a burial headstone and grand theft in connection with the Saturday, September 2, crime at Edgewood-Greenwood Cemetery.
Members of the community provided video of the crime to Apopka detectives, which led to Russell’s identification, according to the news release. An arrest warrant was obtained.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office assisted in locating and arresting Russell in the Orlando area. Upon his arrest, the stolen headstone and multiple firearms were recovered.
Russell has been booked into Orange County Corrections.
Although an arrest has been made in this case, it remains an active investigation with additional charges and arrests possible, the news release states.
Police responded to Edgewood-Greenwood Cemetery twice last weekend, first on September 2 regarding a felony criminal mischief of damaging a burial headstone.
The second response was on September 3 regarding a second headstone that was discovered damaged and stolen.
The victims in these cases have invoked Marsy’s Law, a state statute that allows for confidentiality.
Anyone with information regarding these cases is asked to continue to contact the Apopka Police Department at apdtips@apopka.net or Crimeline.
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.
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