TBO
January 18, 2015
Four suspects were arrested after a Polk County crime spree that started with a pawn shop robbery, led to a shootout with a police officer and ended with the killings of a 72-year-old Haines City woman and her daughter.
Michael Gordon, 34, of Lakeland, was charged Friday with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Patrica Moran and her 51-year-old daughter Deborah Royal.
Gordon also was charged with armed robbery and attempted murder on a law enforcement officer, along with 22-year-old Devonere McCune, 25-year-old Jovan Lamb and 29-year-old Terrell Williams, all of Haines City.
The crime spree began Thursday evening with a robbery at Cash America Pawn, 105 Havendale Blvd. Surveillance images show the intruders in white hoodies with assault rifles. Witnesses said three were inside the store while one waited outside in a red GMC Jimmy.
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said the “well-designed” robbery was planned “to incite terror” among store employees. He said the foursome even called 911 with a false report of a shooting to distract police.
Judd said a Haines City police officer spotted the Jimmy and when he attempted to pull it over the suspects started firing at the officer’s patrol car from the SUV. The officer was not injured.