16-Year-Old Arrested for Armed Robbery and Pistol-Whipping in Palm Coast’s P-Section

Dakoda Nodelman, a 16-year-old Palm Coast resident of Pitt Lane, is facing three felony charges, including armed robbery, following an incident at his home shortly after midnight on Nov. 16. He fired a shot during the incident. No one was injured by the gunshot, but another individual sustained injuries from being pistol-whipped.

According to Nodelman’s heavily redacted arrest report and a sheriff’s release, two unidentified individuals had gone to the Pitt Lane house to pick up a “package” for a friend. One of the unidentified individuals walked into the house (the other stayed in the car), only to be set upon by two masked men, one wearing a white mask, the other a black mask. The black-masked man repeatedly pistol-whipped the individual in the head. The alleged victim fled. The two masked men chased him, one of them firing a gunshot.

The individual who stayed in the car reported that he saw his friend run from the house, then a man pointed a gun at him, causing him to run from the car. A woman entered the car and rummaged through it.

One of the masked men was later identified as Nodelman, who the Sheriff’s Office says was allegedly responsible for the pistol-whipping and the shot that was fired. He blamed the discharge on falling in the grass and firing unintentionally.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for electronic devices, shoes and car keys, among other items. The victims’ car keys were found in a cat’s litterbox.

“This is a prime example of why parents need to be the sheriff of their own home,” Sheriff Rick Staly was quoted as saying in the release. “This kind of violent behavior by juveniles will not be tolerated in Flagler County. This teenager should have never been in possession of a firearm to begin with. Kids, guns and committing crimes is a recipe for disaster. Hopefully, our State Attorney with his Kids & Guns initiative will charge him as an adult, as his actions could have been deadly.”

Nodelman was arrested for robbery with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, all felony charges. The State Attorney’s Office has not yet weighed in on whether to handle the case in juvenile court or charge Nodelman as an adult. He was transported to the county jail for processing and then turned over to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

This investigation is still active. Anyone with information regarding this case should contact Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Master Detective Adam Gossett at [email protected].