What was supposed to be a routine grocery run in Marathon turned into a tense evening on Wednesday, after shoppers reported a man shadowing them through a Publix while carrying a sheathed knife and even following some out to their cars, deputies said.
Witnesses told deputies the man repeatedly locked eyes with customers and tailed them around the aisles for no apparent reason. One person got so spooked they bolted from the store as he continued to follow, according to the sheriff's office. The suspect was eventually taken into custody, and no injuries were reported.
What deputies say
According to CBS News, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as 50-year-old John Paul Roberts of Umatilla. Deputies say they were called to the Marathon Publix around 7 p.m. after multiple customers reported being followed both inside the store and out to their vehicles.
Deputies said security-camera footage backed up those reports, showing Roberts walking through the store with a sheathed knife in hand as he trailed shoppers.
How police responded
The sheriff's office says deputies detained Roberts after he refused to identify himself. He was later booked into the county jail.
Per the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Roberts faces charges of stalking, disturbing the peace and obstruction for allegedly failing to identify himself to law enforcement.
Context in the Keys
The case lands in the middle of a run of weapons-related calls in the Keys this spring. In April, a machete-related confrontation made headlines, as reported by CBS Miami. Then in early June, deputies used spike strips during a response to what they described as erratic driving that hit 120 miles per hour, according to Local 10.
While the circumstances in each case differ, deputies say they continue to lean heavily on a familiar combo to build cases across the island chain: surveillance footage and witness statements.
Legal note
Florida's stalking law, defined in Florida Statute 784.048, covers a "course of conduct" that causes substantial emotional distress. Depending on the details, it can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony.
Obstruction and resisting charges, including those tied to a failure to identify oneself during an investigative stop, fall under Chapter 843 of the Florida Statutes, which deals with obstructing justice and resisting officers.
The sheriff's office has not released additional details beyond its initial statement. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Marathon substation, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
