• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2022
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

DNA Leads Back to Two Men Wanted for 2009 Armed Robbery of Palm Coast Bank

February 6, 2013 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

The two Antonios: Aviles, left, and Clark.
The two Antonios: Aviles, left, and Clark.

You have to go back to the afternoon of January 16, 2009, for this one. It was 4 p.m. Two armed men burst into Floridian Bank at 7 Boulder Rock Drive in Palm Coast—one of them wearing black from head to toe, including hat, gloves and jacket, the other wearing a tan hat, a gray long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

The clothing is not incidental: it proved to be key to their arrest, but only three and a half to four years later. That afternoon the man in black (apologies to Johnny Cash) fired two rounds from a .45-caliber gun into the ceiling of the bank, terrorizing people inside. As he fired the second shot, one of the men grabbed the bank manager by the hair, while the other suspect picked up the shell casings. The two men then fled with $1,661.

Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies responded with K-9 units. They didn’t find the men. But they found a tan hat and black gloves similar to the ones the suspects were seen wearing in surveillance video. A white mesh bag was also discovered. The evidence was turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for DNA analysis.

Cops were able to gather other clues: a witness had seen two black men acting strangely next to a black car, later identified as a Chevy Malibu, in a vacant lot near the bank before the robbery. The men stopped doing what they were doing, waited for the witness to pass, then, according to the witness, resumed what they’d been doing.

Last July 20, Antonio Clark, 27, of Jacksonville, was arrested on charges of grand theft and being a principle to armed robbery after he was located at the Jacksonville jail on unrelated charges. The key evidence: his clothing’s DNA, left near the scene. The hat did it.

The sheriff’s office, in its arrest report for the second suspect, Antonio Aviles, also 27, cites “a credible source” as identifying Aviles as the second alleged robber. An Indiana booking photograph from Aug. 16, 2009 was obtained of Aviles and compared to the surveillance images, confirming that he was the man at the bank. The Fort Wayne police had obtained DNA from Aviles in an unrelated case. FDLE compared its sample to that of Aviles, and released the results of that analysis on Dec. 27. It was a match.

The new evidence led to a warrant being issued for Aviles. Flagler County Sheriff’s Investigator Elizabeth Conrad, who pursued the case and bears much of the credit for its resolution, subsequently contacted the Indiana police agency and the warrant was served on Aviles.

“This is an excellent example of just how valuable DNA analysis is to our investigations,” Sheriff Jim Manfre said. “We were able to identify the robber and locate him through a central DNA data base that is available to law enforcement.”

Antonio Clark, a native of Fort Pierce, is being held on $175,000 bond. Aviles, a native of Jacksonville, is charged with aggravated battery in addition to robbery with a weapon and grand theft. He’s being held on $200,000 bond.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
You and your neighbors collectively read our articles about 25,000 times each day (that's not a typo) with up to 65,000 daily reads during emergencies like hurricanes. Flagler County residents rely on FlaglerLive for essential, bold and analytical journalism that cannot be found anywhere else. But we depend on your support. Please join our December fund drive! If you donate the cost of a scoop of ice cream, you will be helping us continue to provide comprehensive local news and honest, serious journalism for our community. If you can donate more or become a monthly donor, even better. Donations are tax deductible since FlaglerLive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donate by clicking anywhere in this box. Think of it as buying a scoop, in every sense of the term!  
All donors' identities are kept confidential and anonymous.
   

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ANONYMOUSAY says

    February 6, 2013 at 11:13 pm

    I remember that case. Prime-time cop work. Way to go!

    Reply
  2. really? says

    February 7, 2013 at 5:37 am

    Way to go CID Division! A dedicated detective (Conrad) doing a great job.

    Reply
  3. Donnie Riddle says

    February 7, 2013 at 10:37 am

    Great job annie. You have always been a great asset at any job you have had. FCSO you all should be proud to have the caliber of a investigator such as herself.

    Reply
  4. Trollololo says

    February 8, 2013 at 8:39 am

    Thanks to the new sherrif Manfre!

    Reply
  5. jp says

    February 26, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    Its amazing to me why every single criminal is not put in the DNA data base…it should be the law, get arrested, we take your DNA…..cuz criminals have faulty DNA…they will re-offend.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents
  • WNZF Creekside Festival

Recent Comments

  • Robert Squeo on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • A realist on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • T on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • T on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • Michael Cocchiola on Moms for Liberty: Joyful Warriors or Anti-Government Conspiracists?
  • Concerned Citizen on Fractured Leadership: Few Questions Asked, Fewer Concerns Raised Ahead of Segregated Assemblies, Investigation Reveals
  • Mary Fusco on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • BLINDSPOTTING on Up to 210 Homes Approved on Old Kings Road South of SR100 But Polo Club West Neighbors Have Worries
  • PB on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • Dave on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • bill on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • Land of no turn signals says on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • Emily on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • Christine Kraus on Up to 210 Homes Approved on Old Kings Road South of SR100 But Polo Club West Neighbors Have Worries
  • Nancy N. on Moms for Liberty: Joyful Warriors or Anti-Government Conspiracists?
  • Pogo on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 

Log in