Second man held in bank robbery

The suspect was arrested in February and charged with the Dec. 29 robbery of Capital City Bank. Police are still searching for a third man.

By BILL VARIAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 8, 2000

FLORAL CITY -- The Citrus County Sheriff's Office has been holding a second suspect in jail for months on charges that he robbed the Capital City Bank here Dec. 29, court records showed.

Deputies also are circulating the name and photograph of a third suspect.

Authorities arrested Twayne Jerome Allen, 22, in Tallahassee on Feb. 4, and shipped him to Citrus County five days later. He is being held at the Citrus County Detention Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail.

The Sheriff's Office on Wednesday declined to share information about what led deputies to Allen. Spokeswoman Ronda Hemmingerr Evan said only that detectives followed leads that took them to Allen and allowed them to name the third suspect.

Citrus County deputies never released any information about Allen when he was arrested, though the armed robbery, in which the suspects allegedly fled in a series of stolen getaway cars, was one of the most high-profile crimes of the year in Citrus County.

Allen's arrest papers were never placed in a public file at the Citrus County Detention Facility, which a private company operates.

The Citrus Times inquired about Allen's arrest after the recently released Sheriff's Office budget noted more than one arrest in the holdup.

Deputies long ago apprehended the first suspect: Daniel Lecole "Coon" Law, 22, of Sumterville.

Law, who was arrested Jan. 19, also is being held at the Citrus County Detention Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail. Both men are charged with armed robbery.

Attempts to reach attorneys for Law and Allen were unsuccessful late Wednesday.

The third suspect is identified as Jermaine R. Simmons, 20. Evan, the Sheriff's Office spokeswoman, said investigators are not sure where Simmons or Allen live. However, a wanted person notice on the Sheriff's Office Web site indicates Simmons has relatives in Tallahassee and has been cited for past traffic infractions there.

Other law enforcement agencies are warned that Simmons should be considered armed, and that officers should use caution in approaching him.

Authorities say the men entered the Capital City Bank branch on U.S. 41 in Floral City shortly before 10 a.m. Dec. 29. At least one of the men reportedly jumped on the counter and demanded cash and displayed a handgun.

The suspects sped off in a stolen car. An on-duty detective, unaware of the robbery, stumbled on the suspects as they drove a stolen car on County Road 48. The car stopped and one of the men allegedly hopped in a car stashed near an orange grove and drove away. The other two are believed to have stolen yet another vehicle, a pickup.

A Sheriff's Office news release after the first arrest indicated that all three men were believed to frequent or live in the Bushnell or Webster areas, in Sumter County.

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