In a concerning pattern of criminal behavior, individuals impersonating members of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reportedly broke into several homes, according to police reports.
LAKE CITY, Fla. — Authorities have apprehended three individuals believed to be responsible for a series of armed home invasions that unsettled the community over the summer months.
The Lake City Police Department has detailed that between August 19 and August 31, they, alongside Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies, responded to three remarkably similar home invasions.
The initial incident unfolded on Tuesday, August 19, within an apartment complex situated on SW Zesty Circle. Victims recounted to officers that two masked individuals clad in black, brandishing firearms, forced their way into the apartment while falsely announcing themselves as the “sheriff’s office.” An iPhone 14 and a sum of money were reportedly stolen before the intruders made their escape.
On Thursday, August 28, a comparable crime occurred at another apartment complex on NW Huntsboro Street. This time, witnesses described three armed individuals, similarly dressed in black, who declared themselves as part of the “Columbia County Sheriff’s Office” before breaking in, making off with cash and another iPhone.
The spree of robberies continued with another incident reported three days later involving multiple suspects on SW Petunia Place.
After a joint investigation between the law enforcement agencies, Lake City police says it arrested two men and one woman for home invasion and other charges: Trever Strawder, 26, Ja’Kyris Martin, 20, and Ajahnnie Ward, 27.
“These arrests reflect the outstanding teamwork between the Lake City Police Department and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office,” said Chief of Police Gerald Butler. “Through coordinated investigative work, multiple violent offenders have been removed from our community. We will continue to pursue justice for the victims affected by these crimes.”
