In the only court document currently unsealed, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has charged Michael Shawn Simmonds Aug. 10 for capital sexual battery involving the rape of a rape 4-year-old boy.
Simmonds was already under investigation for lewd and lascivious behavior when deputies also discovered that Simmonds was investigated on similar crimes he is suspected of committing in South Carolina, according to the arrest warrant.
Simmonds has since been additionally charged in the other Manatee County molestation case, but court documents were not immediately available for public review.
Simmonds was booked into the Manatee County jail where he remains in custody without bond.
Bradenton men rob Parrish bank claiming there was a bomb
Two Bradenton men are facing charges for armed robbery and false reporting of a bomb after making away with $5,000 cash from a Parrish bank on Aug. 8.
According to the arrest report, Thomas Harris Jr., 31, drove into the 5th Third Bank’s drive-thru and along with Robert Frascella, 55, attempted to make a $10,000 cash transfer, but did not have the proper identification.
Deputies say Harris and Frascella left the bank, but Frascella returned wearing a backpack. According to the report, Frascella took a box from his backpack, placed it on the ground and claimed he would detonate a bomb if the bank teller did not hand over $50,000.
The teller did not have access to that amount of money, but did hand over $5,000 and the suspects left the bank.
A few hours later, just before 11 p.m., deputies spotted the suspect vehicle and took Harris into custody. According to the report, Harris gave up Frascella’s location where he also was arrested.
Frascella was already wanted on arrest warrants and upon his arrest was in possession of 27 grams of cocaine, according to deputies. He was additionally charged with possession with intent to sell.
Harris was booked into the Manatee County jail where he remains in custody with no bond. Frascella remains in custody on bonds totaling $870,000.
Law enforcement takes down major Bradenton drug dealer
A 41-year-old Bradenton man is facing multiple felony charges after a law enforcement raid on his home on the morning of Aug. 4 in the 600 block of 301 Boulevard West.
According to the arrest report, deputies say Andre Adams was nude when the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team initiated the search warrant on his home.
Inside the home, deputies immediately found a loaded firearm, ammunition and 87.7 grams of fentanyl.
The search further discovered 495 grams of cocaine, 98 grams of Oxycodone pills, almost 38 grams of Xanax pills and a box of cash totaling $22,365.
Adams had been under surveillance and deputies noted that through his travels, had visited a storage unit in the 2300 block of Manatee Avenue East, where he would make frequent trips.
Deputies served a subpoena to the business to gain access to the storage unit where several firearms and bags of ammo were found. Deputies also discovered 2,267 grams of cocaine, 141 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl and several more grams of pills.
Adams was booked into the Manatee County jail on multiple counts of felon in possession of a firearm charges, trafficking in fentanyl, trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in illegal drugs and several counts of possession of drugs with intent to sell.
He remains in custody on bonds totaling almost $1 million.
Palmetto juvenile charged with manslaughter
In released court documents, a 15-year-old Palmetto teenager was arrested July 19 on charges of manslaughter after shooting another 15-year-old in the head, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say the victim was barely breathing when first responders responded to the 900 block of 14th Street East around 10:30 p.m.
According to the arrest report, the juvenile suspect claimed the victim shot himself, but multiple witnesses told a different tale.
After being confronted with additional evidence and witness statements, the suspect eventually admitted to the shooting, claiming it was an accidental discharge.
Deputies say the suspect was dancing around while waving around the 9mm handgun when it fired, hitting the victim in the head with a single shot.
Deputies say at the time the report was filed, “the victim is on life support and not expected to live.”
The 15-year-old was initially charged with attempted negligent homicide while the victim was still alive, but the charge was upgraded to manslaughter on July 22.
‘Astral projection and possession of his mother,’ made him do it
A 46-year-old Parrish man attacked his 69-year-old neighbor because he didn’t recognize the victim as being a neighbor, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Andrew Wilson was arrested on Aug. 5 just after 3 p.m. in the 11000 block of Fennemore Way and charged with battery of an elderly person.
According to the arrest report, Wilson blamed the incident because of the astral projection and possession of his mother.
Deputies say Wilson saw the victim in his car at the neighborhood gate and believed the victim did not belong there, so he confronted the victim who argued with Wilson that he lived just around the corner from him.
According to the report, Wilson was using his phone to video the argument when the victim pushed it away.
Deputies say that “enraged” Wilson, who pulled the elderly man from his car and threw him to the ground.
