Captured: Roberts in custody

Historic City News has been notified that 26 year-old Joseph Dean Roberts is in custody in Seattle Washington tonight.

A nearly three month manhunt for Roberts has come to a close and we may now learn what happened to 45-year old Brittany Jeniveve Tavar who has been missing from her South Ponte Vedra Beach home since noon on July 6th.

According to St. Johns County Sheriff’s media relations officer Kevin Kelshaw, Seattle Police arrested Joseph Dean Roberts on retail theft charges after he allegedly attempted to shoplift $14 worth of meat from a store. He was acting in a strange manner which caused store management to call law enforcement.

Roberts is also being held on outstanding warrants from St. Johns County for grand theft and unlawful fleeing to avoid prosecution.

After he attempted to use a false name, Roberts admitted to the responding officer that he was from Florida but he denied knowing anything about the outstanding warrants.

Authorities in Seattle notified the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office earlier this evening after they learned he was a fugitive.

Roberts is a person of interest in the disappearance of Tavar. She was last seen pumping gas at a Coastal Highway gas station. Roberts was stopped in Wyoming for speeding a short time later in Tavar’s Rav4, however, she had not yet been reported missing.

Seattle law enforcement officers are searching the area for Tavar’s vehicle. St. Johns County Sheriff’s Robbery Homicide Detectives will be responding to Seattle to question Roberts about Tavar’s disappearance.

Historic City News will report additional details when they become available.