Last Updated: 2:35 p.m.
Early Monday morning a 36-year-old Palm Coast resident of 14A Coral Reef Court North reported to Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives that he was the victim of a home-invasion robbery, in the course of which he fired a gun belonging to one of the assailants, but missed.
A 19-year-old woman who had been in the house–the 26-year-old-man’s sister–fled the scene and reported the incident to authorities, if at first with conflicting stories.
According to a sheriff’s report, deputies encountered the woman not far from her home. She described being in her room at 1:30 Monday morning and hearing her dog growling “as if the dog was attacking someone.” She went to check on her brother but the door was slammed shut. The dog was trying to get inside. She was in fear enough that she left the house through her bedroom window (the dog’s fate is unclear), got in her car and drove off to Clubfield Drive and Palm Harbor Parkway. She saw a dark-colored truck traveling south on Palm Harbor–the same truck she’d seen at 10 p.m. earlier that night, behind her residence.
When deputies arrived at the Coral Reef Court house the 36-year-old man had some injuries–a laceration above his right eye–and was visibly startled. He was “unable to provide a sworn written statement,” according to the report. But he spoke to deputies, and provided this narrative of events: he had walked out on the porch at some point in the night. He didn’t see anything out of place. He went back to his room and got in bed. At that point he said two Black men dressed in all-black clothing and wearing face-covering ski masks entered his room. One of them stood in the doorway. The other, who was armed with what appeared to be a Glock pistol, rushed to him, ordered him out of bed and tried to put him in a chokehold.
The 36-year-old says he “grabbed the gun away from the male and fired a single round at the male standing in the doorway.” The man was not hit, but came at him and pepper sprayed in the face while the other ordered him on the ground, on his stomach. The report doesn’t explain how or whether one of the assailants took back control of the gun. Rather, the men then demanded to know “where’s the money at.” The alleged victim said he had $700 in his pocket, which one of the men took, ordering him not to move. He alleges that one of the men struck him in the face, above the eye, during the altercation. The victim says he thought the men then rummaged through the room, but he wasn’t sure.
They then left. The 36 year old got out of the house through the bedroom window, but spotted no vehicles or anyone fleeing on foot.
The 36-year-old is a convicted felon who was sentenced to a 24-month probation term on Nov. 12, 2019–he was found guilty of tampering with a witness in 2019–and whose probation was revoked last year over three violations, resulting in his serving an additional 140 days in jail (he’d already served 70 days).
The alleged victim told deputies he did not know the men, only that someone by a certain name that he gave authorities owed him money, but he wasn’t sure if that man was involved in Monday’s altercation. The report does not state whether a bullet mark or a shell casing was found in the room. But the investigation was turned over to detectives, and is ongoing.
Jackson1955 says
Drugs, Drugs, Drugs
Dog lover says
No matter the situation these two men did a home invasion, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, attempted murder , robbery, and animal abuse, breaking and entering, hope they catch them!!!
The dude says
Drugs were/are involved here.
Dog lover says
Doesn’t matter what the situation is not or people’s assumptions, two men went in a house assaulted someone with a gun and assaulted a family dog. . I love how the media always has to put the victims criminal record also. That’s someone’s loved one, someone’s brother, someone’s son. Hope they catch the people who did that.
jim lang says
Anyone believe this story?
Um, OK... says
Certainly Nothing Fishy here. I always go to bed packing $700 in my PJ’s.
Samuel says
Something sounds fishy.
Mr. Rogers says
Can you say..” MADE UP STORY ” ?
I know you can !
Wow says
Came up with a great story, though!
The Truth says
I’ll save everyone the trouble and give you an update on this story now
The resident had a failed drug deal or previous dispute with the person breaking into home. This was likely NOT a random act.
ASF says
This guy’s story (and his sister’s) stinks of a whole kettle of fish.
Jimbo99 says
This came full circle, a criminal becoming the victim of crime.
The Geode says
Definitely, drug involved. There is NO SUCH THING as a “random home invasion”…
Resident says
A duplex, wonder what the neighbors heard.
Trailer Bob says
Ahh the Mondex…the only place where no one wants to break into houses at night.
Allison says
I just hope the dog – if there is a dog – is safe.
Sabrina says
I am wondering the same thing. I hope this so called dog is actually safe
Dog lover says
The dog was pistol wiped and has a bump but is ok thank God. The facts are two men went into a home assaulted a family pet and and a person.
Matty says
This is coming from the man that it happened to I fell asleep in my clothes that night luckily and yes the story is as it says almost but yes the media is painting a false narrative stating that I even called the police that never happened I was called out from the front of my apartment by the police while I was rinsing my eyes out. I heard Mr Mikenas come to the front with your shirt up… so I did and I couldn’t see anything. I never chased after anybody because I couldn’t see I was in a lot of pain my dog was pistol whipped and locked out of my room I wasn’t ordered into a position I jumped up the guy instantly tried to put me into a Chokehold where I was able to grab the gun which had more rounds than the other gun so I figured shoot at the other guy I fired one shot as I fired remember now I was in a chokehold as soon as I had a silent number two in my site I fired but I also was whipped while I was in the Chokehold to my left and yes the guy was standing in front of the doorway when the doorway was closed the dog was not in the room anymore when the shot went into my mother’s room I put the gun up in the air and gave up I did what I had to do until I realized that they were there for something and they were not trying to kill me if they didn’t have to and at that point I felt like the smart move was to not unload the Glock and proceed with safety first because I did not know who was home in my mother’s split never mind we’re talking about the C-section in Palm Coast not an ideal place to unload a clip if you don’t have something to shoot it into so what I did was I handed the gun to one of these things I took a fetal position but on my knees still covering the back of my head where yes they demanded things even though certain things were out in the open they were looking for something that was not there and no I never told the police anything about anything the bottom line I never had any altercation with this person before I never had an incident of a problem with this person’s household so whoever mentioned anything about this was from a problem before or a drug deal gone bad none of that was the case basically it was a case of seeing opportunity and take it unfortunately I’ve lived a life that most people wouldn’t imagine and I understand there’s people out there their takers they will take anything they can take they don’t give I care about human life they only care about the next lick and yeah I know who did this he’s sitting where he belongs right now for all you haters that want to hate the story is pretty true and this is coming from the man who was robbed except the media trying to portray me as a criminal considering that I’m 36 years old at the time but I had came to Florida and I was not a felon Florida likes to make felons out of people so they can keep you here and you can take that comment out if you want I don’t care but that’s the truth later on I was threatened to put someone under a mask that was not under the mask and for not cooperating with the district attorney later on I was charged with possession of cannabis with intent to distribute I was only arrested with eight grams of marijuana and a medical container with a medical card when I asked why this was all happening I was told this is because you didn’t work with the district attorney that is the true story coming from the man who got robbed and the man who is still a man and who will never flee from two punks with guns