Suspect arrested in connection with Bishop’s robbery

Published 10:42 am Friday, November 30, 2012

Karonn L. Skinner, 37, of Tallahassee, Fla., was arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshals shortly after midnight in Tallahassee. Skinner is charged with the armed robbery of the Bishop's Travel Center in Decatur County on Monday, Nov. 26. | Leon County Sheriff's Office

An arrest has been made in connection with Monday’s robbery of Bishop’s Travel Center, according to the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office.

Karonn L. Skinner, 37, of Tallahassee, Fla., was arrested shortly after midnight Friday and charged with armed robbery, Capt. Chip Nix of the Sheriff’s Office said.

Skinner was caught by Deputy U.S. Marshals operating out of Tallahassee, Sheriff Wiley Griffin said. He is being held at the Leon County, Fla., Jail.

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Sheriff’s deputies and the U.S. Marshals Service are still looking for another man who took part in the robbery.

Sheriff Griffin said deputies believe Skinner was the suspect seen in Bishop’s surveillance video wearing a jacket and he is accused of wielding a firearm during the robbery.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Skinner had served two prison stints, one of which just ended this past May.

Skinner was in a Florida prison from Feb. 16, 1999 to May 1, 2012 serving convictions on an armed robbery, grand theft auto and other charges that occurred in November 1997.

From April 10, 1995 to October 31, 1997, Skinner was in prison for multiple convictions on auto theft and burglary charges stemming from 1993 and 1994.

Sheriff Griffin attributed Skinner’s capture to help of area media outlets, who distributed pictures of the suspects and listed information about a reward offered by Decatur County Citizens Against Crime.

“Through information we received from tipsters, the lead investigator on this case—Brian Donalson—as well as Captain Chip Nix and other investigators, were able to collaborate with Florida law enforcement and learn of Skinner’s identity and whereabouts,” Sheriff Griffin said.

“Investigator Donalson, Captain Nix and Investigator Julian Crowder had been aggressively working on this case every hour of every day since the robbery happened on Monday,” the Sheriff said.

Sheriff Griffin said his deputies are staying busy conducting special patrols and business checks as part of his agency’s Operation Safe Holiday.

Operation Safe Holiday was created in 2004 and the Sheriff said he hopes the high visibility of deputies at area businesses will help deter crime.

“We’re paying visits to stores and businesses, meeting the employees and exchanging business cards with them in the hopes we can prevent robberies,” Griffin said. “Unfortunately, crime does increase during the holiday season.”

Please see our original story, “Bishop’s robbed on Monday” for more details on the robbery.