Police say a masked man who hid in a dumpster enclosure at the Residences at SoMi Parc in South Miami, then robbed a woman in broad daylight, has now turned himself in. The January robbery, which investigators pieced together using surveillance footage and phone-tracking data, has landed a familiar name back in custody. Prosecutors are already signaling they want tougher penalties, pointing to what they describe as the suspect’s extensive criminal history.
According to WPLG Local 10, the hold-up went down on Jan. 15 just after 10:30 a.m., near the 6700 block of Southwest 61st Street at the Residences at SoMi Parc. Surveillance video cited by the station reportedly shows the man slipping into a dumpster room, then watching as a resident comes to toss her trash. As she approaches, he pulls down a ski mask, walks up to her and snatches her phone along with a Louis Vuitton purse. Investigators then used tracking data from the stolen phone, following the signal to a nearby house less than a mile from the complex.
WSVN reports that detectives later identified the suspect as 34-year-old Bobby Lathan Turner. Police say Turner surrendered at the South Miami Police Department five days after the robbery. According to the station, officers advised him of his Miranda rights, and he chose not to answer questions. WSVN also reports that the State Attorney’s Office intends to seek enhanced or mandatory sentencing because of Turner’s prior record, and that the case is already on the calendar for trial in early 2027.
Charges and Legal Exposure
Jail records list charges that include attempted armed robbery while wearing a mask, resisting an officer with violence, and misuse of 911, and Turner may also face a probation-violation warrant, per WPLG Local 10. Prosecutors have the option to seek a prison-releasee reoffender designation under Florida law. If a judge applies that label, a defendant can be hit with mandatory enhanced terms, including up to 30 years for certain first-degree felonies, with no early release, as outlined in Fla. Stat. §775.082.
Why This Matters
Florida’s prison-releasee reoffender provision, sometimes referred to as a "two-strikes" policy, lets prosecutors pursue the maximum possible penalties for people with qualifying prior records. Critics say it can dramatically increase prison time for repeat offenders and leaves little room for nuance once it is applied. Reporting from The Marshall Project and others has detailed how frequently prosecutors use these enhancements and why the law remains a flashpoint in debates over criminal justice reform.
What’s Next
Turner is currently being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and is scheduled to go to trial in early 2027, according to WSVN. How the courtroom battle plays out, and whether prosecutors formally file for a prison-releasee reoffender designation, will determine if he faces those mandatory enhanced sentences if convicted.
