The story about a man being viciously beaten in Bahama Village on March 9 was all over town. But it wasn't in any of the newspapers because the police, properly, did not want to release the full police report because publication of details about the suspects could have tipped them off.
But Key West The Newspaper has now learned that police have made an arrest in the case. Here's the story.
According to witnesses, Key West resident Richard Smith, 47, and a male companion rode their bicycles to Thomas and Petronia about 10 p.m. Witnesses said they saw the two men talking to three other men. Suddenly, one of those men pulled Smith off his bike and "body slammed" him facedown on the sidewalk, causing a large cut in Smith's forehead.
Then the three men kicked and punched Smith several times while he was on the ground and, before running away down Petronia Street, snatched Smith's Atocha coin necklace valued at $1,500.
Witnesses said that Smith's companion, identified only as "Courtney," watched Smith being beaten for a few moments, then pedaled off down the street.
According to the police report, Smith was able to get to his feet and, bleeding profusely, stumble to a chair in front of a nearby restaurant and, then, appeared to pass out.
Officer Ernest DeLoach called emergency rescue to the scene and Smith was transported to the Lower Florida Keys Hospital on Stock Island.
When Det. Bernardo Barrios attempted to question Smith later that night, he was still unconscious. The following day, he was able to talk to Barrios, but he said he didn't know his attacker. He speculated that the motive for the attack was to steal his necklace.
On March 10, witnesses who had seen the attack the previous night spotted the suspect again at Petronia and Thomas and called the police. But when officers arrived, he fled the scene.
An hour later, however, witnesses again saw the suspect and, again, called the police. This time, officers arrested Jovan Marquise Ferguson, 23.
Ferguson, who gave officers a Miami address, denied that he had been involved in the attack on Smith. He said he had been with a woman named Tiffany at the time of the attack, but he didn't know her last name or address.
He was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center on charges of strongarm robbery, aggravated battery and grand theft. He was still in jail yesterday, March 23.
The case is still under investigation.