The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has arrested six people as a result of a home invasion early on Thursday morning. On March 4, shortly after 4 a.m., the home invasion took place along the 7300-block of West Jackson Street. The suspects planned the offense and targeted the residence of an isolated grandfather. However, it appears that the granddaughter of the man was among those arrested, as she is accused of organizing the entire home invasion in order to rob her family patriarch.
After the home invasion occurred, deputies arrived and found that the grandfather had been present during the attack. To defend himself, the grandfather shot one of the Suspects with a firearm. The other attackers left the scene by returning to their vehicle; however, they were so shaken up from Grandfather’s tactics that they crashed just a few blocks away from where they had committed the initial crime.
After the crash, a second car came to the scene, and its passengers got into the crashed car. The driver then took them to the hospital.
The investigators got right to work and found that Tayari Crear and Jemarquz Cromwell were the two suspects who broke into the home. Detectives reported that Cromwell was shot by the homeowner during a failed home invasion attempt planned by his own granddaughter.
After Crear and Cromwell totaled their car several blocks from the crime scene, Natalie Gagne arrived and picked them up before taking them to a hospital to be treated for various gunshot wounds and injuries from the crash.
The police eventually arrested six individuals: Natalie Gagne, Tayari Crear, Clint Hochhalter, Dominique Gonzalez, Jemarquz Cromwell and Cynthia Register. The group had planned to rob the home of Register’s grandfather because she was able to tell them where valuables were located and promised her grandfather would be defenseless. In essence, Register pitched the robbery idea and orchestrated the entire attack – an attack that could have resulted in her grandfather’s death if something had gone wrong.
The group now faces several felony charges, including home invasion, robbery with a firearm, grand theft, and armed burglary. Cromwell also attempted murder, so he is facing an additional charge. The six suspects were booked into the Escambia County Jail and are being held on bonds that range from $50,000 to $750,000.
This home invasion tale does not have a happy ending, but it could have been much worse. If he had not been able to defend himself, this scenario might have resulted in the grandfather’s death. It’s a good reminder that even if you’re elderly or live alone, you may take precautions to safeguard yourself and your property. Having a security system, locking your doors and windows, and being cautious about your surroundings are all excellent methods of preventing would-be robbers. And don’t be afraid to use whatever means necessary if push comes to shove.
