Victim another member of Sarasota City Commissioner Battie’s family, he says
Three people — including two juveniles — have been arrested in the aftermath of a shooting that occurred just before 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30, in north Sarasota, the Sarasota Police Department has announced.
The incident took place near the 1800 block of 29th Street, the Police Department initially announced, noting the ongoing investigation into what happened.
“A juvenile victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident,” the agency reported in a news release.
The victim’s identity was being withheld in accord with Marsy’s Law, the Police Department pointed out.
However, the Probable Cause Affidavit for Fatima Latonya Williams of Sarasota — one of the arrestees — named Elijah Battie as the victim. He was inside his residence at 1865 29th St. when the incident occurred, the affidavit added.
Battie, who was shot four times, was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the affidavit continued. The shooter was believed to be Jaylon Williams, 15, who lives at 2923 Gillespie Ave., the affidavit said.
Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Battie confirmed to WSNN on July 31 that Elijah Battie is “the cousin of Brian and Tommie Battie, who were shot in Sarasota County outside a hookah lounge in May. Tommie was killed at the scene while Brian was critically injured,” WSNN reported.
WSNN added that Elijah is 15.
A 28-year-old Sarasota resident, Darryl Bernard Brookins Jr., was charged with murder, committing a felony that could cause death, and a count of possessing a firearm as a felon in connection with that May 18 shooting, which resulted in the death of Tommie L. Battie IV, 24, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced in the aftermath of that incident.
Along with Fatima Williams, the Police Department announced that Jaylon Williams, 15, and Antorri Smith, 14, were arrested during the evening of July 30 in connection with the incident that morning.
Smith has been charged with attempted murder with a firearm, “which is a felony in the State of Florida,” the Police Department reported.
Jaylon Williams is facing one count of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a church, plus a count of possession of drug paraphernalia, the agency noted.
Fatima Williams, 36, of 2923 Gillespie Ave. in Sarasota, was charged with child neglect, possession of marijuana with the intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a church, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
“This investigation remains active and ongoing,” the Police Department stressed in a news release. “If you have any information, you are asked to call our non-emergency number at 941-316-1199. Or, if you prefer, leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or going online to www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com,” that release added.
By count of The Sarasota News Leader, this was the 12th shooting in the Newtown community of Sarasota this year. In the most recent incident prior to this one, a shooting was reported to have occurred shortly after 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 21, in the 1800 block of 23rd Street in Sarasota.
The News Leader learned from the Corrections Division records of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office that Fatima Williams was released on July 31 on total bond of $13,500. A Heaven Sent Bail Bonds assisted her in the release, the records show.
The Probable Cause Affidavit for Fatima Williams said that when detectives, with a search warrant, went through the residence located at 2923 Gillespie Ave., they found “a large vacuum-sealed bag” that had been opened in a bedroom at the end of a hallway. The bag contained approximately 12.66 ounces of leaf marijuana, the affidavit noted. Detectives also found a digital scale and packaging materials, the affidavit continued.
“Based on my training and experience as a narcotics detective,” the writer of the affidavit explained, “this is a very large quantity of marijuana and not an amount that would be possessed for personal use. Street-level narcotics dealers purchase marijuana by the pound (16 ounces) and then distribute smaller quantities,” the detective added.
The Gillespie Avenue residence is within 1,000 feet of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, which stands at 1947 31st St., the affidavit further noted.
Along with the marijuana and related items, the affidavit said, detectives found a 9mm Taurus handgun with a round in the chamber. It was on a bed, under a pillow, the affidavit added. A second firearm — an unloaded .40-caliber Glock 27 — was discovered in a bedroom across the hall, the affidavit continued.
Not only was Jaylon Williams a resident of the Gillespie Avenue house, the affidavit pointed out, but two other children of Fatima Williams also were living there: 12-year-old Marion Williams and 3-year-old Arionna Green.
During an interview with detectives, the affidavit said, Fatima Williams acknowledged that she was aware of the marijuana and the Taurus firearm in the house.
Prior charges for Fatima Williams
A News Leader check of records maintained by the Office of the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller found that Fatima Williams has about two-and-a-half pages of criminal charges against her going back to June 2006; the Clerk’s Office lists 12 charges per page. The majority were traffic infractions, including failure to yield to oncoming traffic before making a left turn, driving with an expired registration, violating the seat belt law, violating the state restriction on the use of screening material on side windows, and speeding.
However, she also had charges ranging from petit larceny to possessing not more than 20 grams of marijuana to dealing in stolen property, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, and theft from a Beall’s store of children’s clothing that was valued between $300 and $5,000.
She was 23 when she was arrested in the last case, which occurred in July 2011, that affidavit said.