A man wearing a Halloween Michael Myers mask walked into Citrus Liquor on US Highway 41 South in Inverness on Sunday, robbed the store at gunpoint and then bolted on foot toward a nearby neighborhood, leaving deputies combing the area for a suspect who is still unaccounted for. The man behind the mask has not been identified.
According to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to Citrus Liquor after the robbery and are actively searching for the individual pictured in surveillance images the agency released. The suspect wore a black hoodie, black jogger pants and a crossbody bag along with the mask, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, which reported the robbery occurred on Sunday. The station also reported that the suspect fled west toward The Highlands neighborhood of Inverness, and that authorities had not immediately said what was taken or whether anyone at the store was hurt.
Search Focuses on The Highlands Neighborhood
The sheriff's office says it has increased law enforcement presence along US Highway 41 South in Inverness as the search continues, and it is asking anyone with information to call its non-emergency line at (352) 249-2790.
Citrus Liquor operates as a retailer along the US 41 South commercial corridor, offering beer, wine, liquor and related product categories, according to the store's own website. It's the kind of neighborhood beverage shop that anchors that stretch of highway, which made Sunday's robbery all the more jarring for nearby residents.
What Florida Law Says About Armed Robbery
If and when a suspect is identified and caught, Florida law leaves little room for leniency. Under Florida Statute 812.13, armed robbery committed with a firearm or other deadly weapon is a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in state prison, according to the Ansara Law Firm. Separately, Florida's so-called 10-20-Life law, Statute 775.087, sets mandatory minimum prison terms for firearm use in violent felonies, according to the Robert Malove Law Office. That statute imposes at least 10 years when a person is armed with a firearm or destructive device while committing a qualifying felony, 20 years if the weapon is fired, and 25 years to life if the firearm is discharged and someone is seriously injured or killed, with judges barred from sentencing below those statutory floors.
The agency, led by Sheriff David E. Vincent, is responsible for law enforcement coverage across Citrus County, including Inverness, Crystal River and surrounding unincorporated areas, as Hoodline has previously reported.
Whether Sunday's search into The Highlands yields a quick resolution remains to be seen, as the masked suspect has not yet been located.
What Investigators Still Don't Know
Several key details of Sunday's robbery remain unclear. Investigators have not said whether the suspect displayed or fired a weapon, what exactly was stolen from the store, or whether surveillance footage captured any unmasked movement before or after the robbery. It's also unknown whether the suspect's escape route into The Highlands produced any physical evidence or witness sightings that could help identify him.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Citrus County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line.
