Sheriff Robert Hardwick on Thursday praised a local woman who bravely fought off a knife-wielding coworker as he announced 38 arrests in two operations targeting online predators and registered sex offenders.
“We had a female who actually stood her ground,” Hardwick said. “She fought her way out of this.”
Kendrick Destacy Newby, 24, allegedly attacked the woman Nov. 7 at a St. Augustine restaurant, triggering a three-hour manhunt. His arrest was not part of either operation, but Hardwick noted the case at the news conference.
He said the woman’s resistance likely kept the attack from going further.
“The reason why it’s an attempt is because of her actions,” he said.
Newby had been released from prison Aug. 22 after serving time for sexual battery and was on 10 years of sex-offender probation, records show.
The woman told investigators Newby restrained her, threatened her with a knife and directed her into a bathroom, saying there were no cameras there.
When he briefly stepped out, she escaped through a rear exit, knocking over a shelf to slow his pursuit before running to the road and flagging down a passing car, according to an arrest report.
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Newby fled and cut off his ankle monitor, deputies said. A helicopter, K-9 units and drones joined the search.
Hardwick said Sgt. Justin Ackerman, who oversees the agency’s Special Victims Unit, located Newby.
“Sergeant Ackerman actually found the individual not too far from the actual location in the woodline, actually hiding from us,” Hardwick said.
Hardwick was joined by State Attorney R.J. Larizza, Ackerman and representatives from the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Of the 38 arrests, 15 came from a September undercover sting targeting adults accused of using the internet to solicit children.
Investigators communicated with suspects online, by phone and through text messages, Hardwick said.
Some suspects allegedly sent explicit photographs and videos or offered to pay.
Among those arrested was Kenneth Altiero, who authorities said had been arrested during Jacksonville’s Operation County Line in June and released on bond before the St. Johns County sting.
Another suspect was arrested in Virginia on Wednesday, Hardwick said. Investigations are continuing, and additional arrests are pending
Larizza said the undercover work allows investigators to intervene before children are physically harmed.
“These folks don’t quit, and neither do we,” he said.
The second operation, conducted Oct. 13–15 by the Special Victims Unit with FDLE, resulted in 23 arrests involving registered sex offenders and sexual predators.
FDLE’s Melissa Bujeda said monitoring continues after offenders finish their sentences.
“They have rules they have to follow,” she said. “They have guidelines they have to follow, and they all know these guidelines because they sign a form stating they understand.”
Authorities also asked for help locating two registered sex offenders, Richard Sawyer and Joshua Fulcher.
Anyone with information about their whereabouts can contact the Sheriff’s Office or Northeast Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-8477.
Source: sjcitizen.com
