St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Kelshaw alerted local Historic City News reporters that deputies are searching for one suspect following a shooting death of at least one victim.

St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center Director, Linda Stoughton, has informed local Historic City News reporters that we will continue to receive a Situation Report automatically as Tropical Storm Erika continues its path in the Atlantic Ocean towards land.  Currently, the Emergency Operation Center is at Activation Level 3; which means that they are monitoring the situation.

Friday, Historic City News editor Michael Gold, had the occasion to attend a press conference at the Sheriff’s squad room in St Augustine. The announcements were jointly made by Sheriff Shoar, St. Augustine Police Chief Loran Lueders, St Augustine Beach Chief Robert A. Hardwick, and State Attorney for the Seventh Judicial Circuit R. J. Larizza.

Earlier this evening, Robert Benton “Ben” Ellis, a local pawn broker, was taken into custody, charged with three-counts of dealing in stolen property, then booked into the St Johns County Detention Facility where he is being held in lieu of $150,000 bond.

Detectives with the Financial Crimes unit of the St Johns County Sheriff’s Office told Historic City News reporters that they have concluded the first step in a lengthy investigation that began in April of 2014, when they announced the arrest of 38-year-old Robert Scott Allen on Thursday.