The Bunnell Police Department, the Flagler County Sheriff’s SWAT team and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s mobile crime lab swarmed on a house in South Bunnell Friday evening. Four men were jailed, three of them on kidnapping charges.
One victim, a woman, was involved in the kidnapping, which reportedly lasted two days. Details are sketchy: police released only a limited amount of information Friday night.
The Bunnell police and the sheriff’s office arrived at 308 South Anderson Street around 6:30 p.m. to serve a warrant, Lt. Randy Burke of the Bunnell Police Department said. The SWAT team was used, as it is always used, for a “dynamic entry” into the house, Burke said. A dynamic entry is essentially when SWAT team members knock and announce themselves at a door and breach it in quick succession, before searching for the suspect or suspects they’re looking for.
When it was over, the following individuals had been booked into the county jail:
Robert L. Johnson, 51, a resident of the address being targeted. He was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. He was held without bond on the kidnapping charge, and on $62,500 bond on the other charges. Last April, Johnson, a native of Daytona Beach, was jailed on a domestic violence battery charge.
Arthur L. Mobley, 40, of 501 S. Moore Street in Bunnell. He was charged with kidnapping and held without bail. Mobley, a Bunnell native, has a long record in Flagler County, with almost a dozen arrests dating back to 2007, but none for violent crimes and all but one for petty charges–driving on a suspended license, probation violations, community control violations and grand theft.
All suspects were taken into custody without incident. Burke said police were still looking for two additional suspects Friday evening. “We’re going to be out all night looking for our other suspects and wrapping up this crime scene.”
Close to three hours after the incident started, FDLE’s crime lab was still processing the crime scene, inside the house. Outside, a scattered, occasionally boisterous crowd had gathered in a broken semi-circle around the property in question. The few people asked about the unfolding of the incident said they knew nothing about it–just that police had swarmed and been there for hours.
Joe A. says
How about we put these low lives away for good? How much money is being spent so that these same criminals can keep getting locked up and then released so they can commit more crimes. Mobley deserves to spend life behind bars as he has proven to be repeat nuisance to the legal system. He is what is wrong with our Judicial system!
Haw Creek Girl says
How can we put these low lifes away for life when BPD spends most of thier time building cases that are futile against 20 yr old kids. The only pocket getting fat by BPD is the lawyers!!
just a citizen says
HCG has her own agenda; of course it has nothing to do with this article. As to the article, hats off to BPD, FCSO and FDLE for taking action when needed and cleaning up another drug house in the neighborhood and some justice for the victim.
Haw Creek Girl says
Wow, really, JAC?! My own agenda? Nah, maybe my own opinion! Which if you weren’t such a ‘nice guy’ you’d realize I am entitled to that. As for relativity, you’ll see my comment was in direct response to the comment above. Good day!
Sam says
Seems the only ones that have a job in Flagler County are Law Enforcement , Judges, and Lawyers.
This county is in BIG trouble. Either you find some jobs for all the unemployed, or your going to see an increase in crimes that the state may have to call in the National Guard to get things under control. And this is spreading thru the whole country like a wildfire. WE NEED JOBS and MORE PRISONS in America.
Ed says
I know you are only commenting on the story put in front of you but I assure you that things aren’t as it seems. That was just another frivolous and unnecessary show of force that really did nothing to stop anything. If the economy was better, this joke of an exercise would have been actually funny. As for those arrested – no big loss.
Anonymous says
Ed, do you think that people get arrested and charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated battery everyday?? Look through the arrest logs. Most crims are petty or maybe a burglary at most. This was obvisouly serious stuff. If this was just a “Show of force” , then I’m sure the FCSO’s SWAT Team and FDLE would not have gotten involved. It looks like a bunch of dirtbags and criminals went to jail for horrific crimes that day. Bravo to the few brave men that took down this crap shack. Maybe one day, someone you know could be a victim of one of these crimes. Maybe then you’ll appreciate what these law enforcement officers did.
Ed says
I happen to KNOW there was no “kidnap” victim. As for the no need for show of force. I was there when they bought out sheriffs from St. Johns, Flagler / S.W.A.T. AND had a hovering helicopter only to use “concussion grenades” on a house to recover a nickel bag of weed. I see these guys everyday and saw them THAT day -and though I won’t nominate EITHER of them for “citizen of the year”, I also KNOW there was no “kidnapping”. People get “arrested and charged” erroneously EVERYDAY but because it’s the infamous “Bunnell Southside” you’re more apt to believe the worse.
Anonymous says
Maybe if you knew anything about statutes in the state of Florida, you would understand that “Kidnap” doesn’t neccesarily mean to be held for ransom or anything like that. It can just be not letting someone leave your house and then committing a felony (Such as aggravated battery) while they are imprisoned.
If you do really see these guys everyday, and you really did see them that day, then you’re probably just as much of a criminal as they are. Why else would you sympathize with these low lives?
I’m sure the Police get bad intel now and again, but I know for a fact that they would not get a search warrant on a house and say it was for a kidnapping, when all they were looking for was dope or something like that. That kind of stuff needs a victim. It needs judges and people like that to approve it. You are just as dumb and misinformed as these men listed above Ed. Give it up buddy
Ed says
Not dumb. Not misinformed. Not a criminal. Definitely NOT your buddy. IF you read my post you’d know that I DON’T sympathize with these “low-lifes” as you like to believe. What I DO defend is the LAW and the application of it. Unlike you, I don’t think the LAW should allow the police to obtain a warrant for “kidnapping” when they are looking for “dope”. I don’t think the LAW should allow warrants for phantom “kidnap victims” in order to intimidate.
I KNOW the LAW very well and “Kidnapping” is “forcibly, secretly or by threat confining, abducting or imprisoning another person against her or his will and without lawful authority.” (not the case here or ever was)
Kurt says
ed judges dont sign warrants for kidnapping when theres no kidnapping. and you talk about phantom victims like theres no victim here.
Anonymous says
Ed, good god man, I’m sure all of this is public record. Why don’t you go down, get a copy of all this paperwork, come back to your laptop, and then post your sincere apologies to the victim of this crime, along with the more well read people on this comment section. Or we can Just wait for the author of this article to do it. Your choice
Ed says
Really! Do you think I am curious enough to “hunt down paper-work”. Really? I have something BETTER than the internet. I have first hand knowledge and the “hood-net”. It’s a lot faster than the internet and I get information faster than “real-time”. Anything that happens in Bunnell is common knowledge almost before the event happens.
That being said, you are going to think what you want to think and I am getting quite bored with you. I was hoping for intelligent rebuttal but no such luck here. Good day, sir. (or ma’am)
anonymous says says
HOW CAN SOMEONE BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME THEY DIDN’T COMMIT, JUST BECAUSE IT’S THEIR APARTMENT, I DON’T THINK THAT SHIT IS RIGHT. JUST BECAUSE A WHITE LADY SAID SHE WAS RAPED, THE FLAGLER COUNTY POLICE DON’T KNOW SHIT, JUST GOING ON WHAT A WHITE WOMAN SAYS, WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE (BURKE) AND THE REST OF ALL YALL OTHER CRACKERS.
shay says
im from the north and since moving down here i see that race is a big issue and its sad to think u judge someone by the color of their skin. we in a new day and age. come up with something better than calling us crackers.
Ed says
Race is a HUGE issue here in the South even though you won’t see it much on this site. That one post shocked me to the point of laughing out loud. Purely ridiculous. However, I have made that same point (without race being involved) and I have people calling me “misinformed”. People want to believe that the police is beyond reproach even though this police force is and always has been riddled with wrong doing and corruption. The judges and prosecutors (and citizens) like to think the Blacks of the Southside are the “bane” of the County. Though I have no problem in removing those particular (unproductive) individuals from the streets, I STILL contend that the law is used to intimidate unjustly on those whose voice is weak and for the most part society cares little about.
We are judged by our skin color EVERY SINGLE DAY! So, a part of me can relate to the frustration of that “all caps” person.
91 LX says
Why is it ok to post a comment in which a person calls people crackers? If I where to call someone the “N” word or anything simular it would not get posted. I do beleive cracker is a racisit term.?
Haw Creek Girl says
Florida Cracker–as defined by Wikipedia–The term is used as a proud or jocular self-description. Since the huge influx of new residents into Florida from the northern parts of the United States and from Mexico and Latin America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the term “Florida Cracker” is used informally by some Floridians to indicate that their families has lived in the state for many generations. It is considered a source of pride to be descended from “frontier people who did not just live but flourished in a time before air conditioning, mosquito repellent, and screens.”[4][5]
Not sure if this was the connotation intended but if so, I’m a cracker and proud. Sadly, it was probably intended as a racial term. It’s time for that to be laid to rest here in Bunnell.
Teeee says
She was a crackhead for crying out loud! Yes, my heart goes out to her for being a rape victim but she invited herself into that environment, this crime just comes with the territory. And as for BPD; they’re on the new more than the criminals!! Definitely a ‘lol’ to the SWAT team, they only wanted to put on a show.
Ed says
@ 91 LX – No matter what someone calls someone else or what term of insult used meant to hurt someone else, why would YOU want to be able to do the same? Sure, people say derogatory,ugly mean and racist things all the time, I happen to believe that I don’t have to. Neither do you. Let silly people have their silly racism. Let those who think that a “crack-head’s” life is less valuable than theirs and when something happens to them they “asked for it” have their empty and ignorant statements. Let those who try to justify being called an insult “pretty-up” a word when in fact, words in itself are meaningless but the intent when saying a word means everything.
Me says
For everybody information none of this happened. There are three innocent men in jail for no reason at all. I cant wait until this is all over so then you all will know the truth like we all do.
Truth sayer says
Cracker is a cattlemans term used for the men that drove cattle and cracked their whips. There are white crackers and black crackers,Florida crackers and Georgia crackers and haw creek girl had it partially right because we who have had family here for years consider ourselves crackers too, yet somehow it is used as a racist term. The only racism that survives in the south is in the hood. This is the 21st century people, quit teaching your kids this stuff and it will die. Cant say the white man is keeping you down anymore. Let it die.