73-Year-Old Man Robbed at Best Western Off Old Kings Road; Detectives Seek Help

Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are seeking the public’s help identifying an individual who robbed a 73 year old man on Monday while he was staying at the Best Western Hotel on Kingswood Drive in Palm Coast.

Debary residents Herman and Judith Reimers, 73 and 71, were staying at the Best Western off of Old Kings Road on Sept. 22. Around 12:30 p.m., the couple went  downstairs to get a cell phone from their car, parked north of the building.

Once there, an incident report states, a silver sedan pulled up and a man got out of the car. He asked them if they were checking out. Herman said no. The man claimed he was there to fix the television in the couple’s room. Earlier, Herman had, in fact, complained to the front desk about having trouble with the television.

Herman led the man to Room 226, with his wife following. “Once Herman opened the door with his keycard,” the incident report states, “he walked towards the television. The male who was still behind him, pushed him front first into the ground. The male stated that he tripped but Herman could feel the male take his wallet from his back pocket. The male then told Herman that if he said anything he would put a bullet in his head. Herman advised he did not see a firearm. The male then told Herman to go inside the bathroom. Herman went inside the bathroom and the male used the outer door handle to close the door while Herman was in it. He then heard the male exit the room. Herman then exited the bathroom but only touched the inside door handle on the bathroom door.”

Judith had not yet entered the room when the altercation took place. After the man had left the room, he’d walked up to her and “requested they go to the office. Judith refused and continued to walk towards the room,” the report states. The couple saw the alleged assailant drive out of the parking lot around the south east corner in his vehicle.

The alleged assailant is described as black, approximately 5’8” to 5’10”, weighing between 180-190 pounds, with black greasy short hair, wearing a white t-shirt, and dark jeans. Surveillance video shows him driving a silver Honda Civic Honda Civic “with a bra only on the front hood, a small rear spoiler, and a sunroof.” The car appears in the video at 12:34 p.m., and leaves at 12:42 p.m. A tag was not identifiable.

It is not clear how the alleged assailant became aware of the problematic television, though the incident suggests that someone at the hotel may have told him about it: the incident report does not address the matter, though two lines are redacted from the report.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Elizabeth Conrad at 386/586-4844 regarding case 2014-86482. Or call Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, at (888) 277-TIPS. You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.