Hendry County deputies say a 64-year-old LaBelle woman helped plan a violent home invasion that left her 52-year-old husband tied up, beaten and stripped of $18,000 in cash. Investigators say two attackers struck the man in the face with a handgun, bound his hands and feet with zip ties and fled with the money. Authorities later arrested the wife and two men in connection with the case, and the sheriff’s office says the investigation is still active.
Deputies were called late Monday night, April 27, to a home on East State Road 80 after a reported robbery, according to the Tampa Free Press. The victim told investigators two masked men in hooded sweatshirts rushed him, repeatedly hit him with a handgun and then used zip ties to restrain him. The men demanded cash, and the victim’s wife initially told deputies she handed over $18,000 inside the home to get the intruders to leave.
Hendry County detectives later said parts of the wife’s story did not add up, and she ultimately admitted she knew one of the suspects and helped set up the attack, Gulf Coast News reports. On April 29, deputies arrested 64-year-old Flora Norys Gonzalez, 48-year-old Jose Enrique Calafet Perez and 42-year-old Maykel Calafet Calderon. All three were booked into the Hendry County Jail and, as of the morning after the arrests, were being held without bond, according to Gulf Coast News.
Charges and potential penalties
Investigators say all three suspects face a list of violent felony counts, including aggravated battery causing bodily harm, armed robbery, armed burglary and false imprisonment. Authorities say Calderon also faces a separate grand theft charge. Under Florida law, aggravated battery, which can involve using a deadly weapon or causing great bodily harm, is classified as a second-degree felony, according to the Florida Statutes. Robbery committed while carrying a firearm or other deadly weapon is a first-degree felony that can bring decades in prison under state sentencing rules, per the Florida Statutes.
Where the case stands
Hendry County detectives say the case remains open, and they are still tracking down leads. Gulf Coast News reported the three suspects were being held without bond at the county jail as the case moves toward prosecution. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office; the agency’s contact details are available on its website.
