Pair of arrests solves string of armed robberies
Robberies reach back to January
Saturday, February 26, 2011 - 8:25pm
LEFT: Caleron. RIGHT: Coimbre. Both were arrested on Friday and charged in a string of robberies in Citrus County stretching back to January.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office arrested Anthony Calderon, 46, of Inverness, and Abelardo Coimbre, 51, address unknown.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Caleron and Coimbre entered the BP gas station at the corner County Road 581 and Arbor Street near the Inverness Highlands. Both men were armed with handguns and had tried to conceal their identities. The clerk was ordered to the floor and the men took an undisclosed amount of cash, as well as beer and cigarettes. They left the store and fled the scene in their vehicle.
Sheriff’s Office deputies, however, were out in force – as they had been over the past week – to try and catch the pair. At least 26 men and women of the S.O. were assigned to a special large-scale detail designed to nab the suspects.
Due to the operation, deputies were nearby when the armed robbery occurred.
A chase ensued, leading deputies throughout areas of the Highlands until the suspect vehicle crashed into a tree. One suspect was immediately apprehended, while one attempted to flee. That attempt, however, was short-lived, and both men were taken into custody and charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon, while Calderon was also charged with fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer.
“Because of the danger of these two men, it was paramount that we find and arrest these individuals before someone got hurt,” Sheriff Jeff Dawsy said on Saturday morning. “The new model of Intelligence-Led Policing that we’re using enabled our team to formulate and execute an exceptional plan of attack. I’m so proud of the men and women of this agency. Thanks to them, two very bad people are now off the streets.”
A weapon was always used in the string of armed robberies throughout Citrus County, and the CCSO says that Sheriff’s Office personnel were extremely concerned about the possibility of someone getting hurt.
“It’s a great day to be a deputy, and a bad day to be a bad guy,” Lt. Alan Vick said Friday night after the apprehension. “If you’re committing a crime like this, we will find you.”
Coimbre was charged with robbery with a firearm, and bond was set at $200,000. Calderon was charged with robbery with a firearm and fleeing and eluding, and bod was set at $255,000.
