Two 34-year-old Texas men forced their way into a home in the 3000 block of Laurel Road East in Venice late on Sept. 23, armed with a crowbar, zip ties and a taser, according to Venice Police Department arrest records. What began as an alleged treasure hunt for hidden cash and gold ended with a homeowner tased and pepper-sprayed, a shot fired at a family member, and a K-9 chase through the bushes.
A Rumor From a Dallas Jail Cell
Suspect Brevaun Williams told investigators he traveled from Texas after hearing from a fellow inmate known only as “Rico” at the Dallas County Jail that the Venice home held safes stuffed with cash and gold, including one described as six feet tall, according to arrest affidavits reported by FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Williams and co-suspect Justin Anthony Mitchell allegedly acted on that secondhand tip, driving across state lines to break into a house they had no personal connection to. WTSP reported that the incident was considered targeted and that the parties did not know each other.
The seed report from FOX 13 Tampa Bay, citing the newly obtained arrest affidavit, notes that reporter Kimberly Kuizon detailed how the men allegedly showed up prepared to force open whatever they found, carrying the crowbar, zip ties and taser as tools for the intrusion.
Zip-Tied, Tased and Pepper-Sprayed
According to a probable-cause affidavit cited by WENG Radio, the female homeowner locked herself in a bathroom after a security alert warned her of the intrusion. The suspects broke through the door, bound her hands with zip ties, and tased her when she could not open a safe. They then dragged her to an office and pepper-sprayed her face, the affidavit states.
The violence escalated further when a family member, identified in court documents as Richard Lanigan Jr., rushed into the hallway after a frantic phone call to help. One of the suspects grabbed the homeowner's own revolver and fired a shot toward him, a round that pierced a closet door and a hot water tank without striking him, the same affidavit relayed by WENG Radio shows.
K-9 Units Close In
Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies detained Mitchell along Laurel Road East, while officers found Williams hiding in nearby bushes after he was bitten by an SCSO K-9, according to official police releases from the Venice Police Department. Venice Police Department K-9 Palmer recovered the victim's stolen revolver during the response, the department said.
Investigators are still searching for a possible third suspect who may have served as a getaway driver; the driver and vehicle were not located, and officers established a perimeter and searched the area, per the Venice Police Department's Sept. 24 announcement reported by WTSP. Who tipped off the suspects to the home's alleged contents, and whether that third accomplice will be identified, remain open questions in the case.
Felony Charges Carry Life-Sentence Exposure
Both Mitchell and Williams were booked into the Sarasota County Jail on felony charges including home-invasion robbery with a weapon, kidnapping, armed burglary with battery, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Venice Police Department. Under Florida Statute § 812.135, home-invasion robbery committed with a firearm or deadly weapon is a first-degree felony carrying a mandatory minimum of 66 months in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, per the Florida Senate.
The case adds to a string of high-profile violent crime investigations Venice police have handled in recent weeks, including a fatal shooting case involving an 83-year-old Venice man that Hoodline reported without bond. Venice Police Department fields 55 sworn officers across seven city zones in Sarasota County.
