Brandon White

A Callahan man was arrested the afternoon of November 15 and charged with the armed robbery of the Raceway station near I-10 and SR 121 earlier that morning.

Deputies converged on a red Toyota pickup driven by Brandon J. White, 30, as it entered the eastbound entrance ramp from CR 125 onto the interstate about 2 pm. Minutes earlier, police had been alerted that Mr. White had told acquaintance Tabitha Courson that he intended to rob another store that afternoon.

Earlier that day, Mr. White showed up at an Eastwood Dr. residence off Woodlawn Rd. and told Ms. Courson, 26, that he held up Raceway for $120. Police later learned that he telephoned her about 4:30 that morning and invited her to go along with him when he committed the robbery.

The female clerk was unhurt, and quoted the bandit as saying, “I’m sorry I have to do this, but I have a sick baby.”

Late Tuesday, police say the suspect does not have a criminal record showing on the computer network, but has a record of pawning property. They are also not aware of a sick baby.

Ms. Courson told police she met Mr. White on November 13 near her residence on Ponsell Rd. south of Glen, and they met several others at the Eastwood Dr. address of her boyfriend Michael Johnson and spent the evening there. The next time she heard from him was the phone call early the next morning.

She told him she wanted no part of the holdup, and she called police dispatch that afternoon when Mr. White left after telling her he intended to rob another store. After the arrest, the suspect said he was heading to Walgreens on South 6th in Macclenny.

He told Ms. Courson he parked his truck at the Econolodge before entering Raceway, then sped back onto the interstate to Jacksonville. Ms. Courson told police she had heard about the robbery before the suspect drove to the Eastwood Dr. address about 1:30.

Mr. White was taken to Fraser Hospital following the arrest and treated for a head laceration he received when taken into custody.