A Fruitland Park man and his Leesburg cohort were arrested for robbing an acquaintance for $2,300 at gunpoint and leaving him at Walgreens.
Officers were informed of a robbery involving a firearm that had just occurred at Walgreens, located at 27440 U.S. Hwy. 27, around 3:07 p.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Dispatch explained that the victim indicated a male in a black shirt, later identified as 20-year-old Robert Markeci, robbed him at gunpoint and left in a white Tesla model 3 headed into the city. He also said the vehicle was occupied by two subjects, one of which was his friend “Robert” and the other 23-year-old Emanuel David Hively-Roman.
While officers were responding to the incident location, one of them spotted a white Tesla model 3 traveling northbound on South 14th Street toward their direction. The vehicle was identified by its registration tag which indicated the owner was Markeci. As a result, the officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop near 1100 S. 14th Street, the report said.
In the process of the stop and upon commands, Hively-Roman exited the rear right passenger door with a black fanny pack across his chest. He was then detained by an officer pending further investigation. Markeci got out on the driver’s side and was also detained, the report said.
The officer met with the victim at Walgreens, and he advised that Markeci picked him up in the Tesla model 3 at his apartment in Wildwood around 1:30 p.m. They began to travel southbound on the Florida turnpike toward Orlando to a car dealership to possibly buy a Tesla. Halfway through, Hively-Roman, who was in the back right seat directly behind the victim, asked Markeci to go meet his friend in Leesburg, the report said.
Markeci changed his direction and later stopped at a Chevron on Main Street, although the victim was unsure of the exact location, for a time. When they began traveling again headed southbound on U.S. Highway 27 approaching University Avenue, Hively-Roman asked the victim to use his cellphone. Seconds after giving him the phone, Hively-Roman pointed a firearm at him between the front passenger seat and passenger doors, the report said.
Hively-Roman demanded the victim’s money that he and Markeci knew he had in his possession. The victim handed him $2,300 because he did not want to get shot and feared for his life. Markeci then made a U-turn near U.S. Highway 27 and Presidente Boulevard to drive to Walgreens where the victim was dropped behind the business, the report said.
At that time, Hively-Roman gave the victim back his phone which was used to contact law enforcement. He further advised that it appeared Markeci was working with Hively-Roman as he did not try to stop his actions and seemed to be smirking when the incident happened, the report said.
The victim stated he had $2,300 in currency of twenty-two $100 bills and two $50 bills. He described Hively-Roman as wearing a black sweatshirt with a bleach stain and a silk bonnet on his head. The firearm used had a black slide and a tan grip with an extended clip, the report said.
Since the traffic stop and the victim’s location were miles apart, he was shown a photograph of Hively-Roman. The victim immediately verified that he was the person seated behind him that robbed him. The report noted that Hively-Roman was wearing the exact clothing described by the victim when he was stopped by law enforcement.
As the victim was familiar with Markeci due to having attended high school with him, he was shown a photograph of him. He immediately identified him as the driver of the vehicle, the report said.
At the scene of the traffic stop, when Hively-Roman was instructed to exit the vehicle, he was found to have a black fanny pack across his chest. A search of it revealed a Glock compact style firearm with a black slide and tan handle. The firearm had a serial number plate that was filed or polished with no readable serial number, the report said.
Furthermore, Hively-Roman was found to have $1,800, split into $900 in each front pant pocket. Markeci had $500. The denomination of money was consistent with what the victim described as taken from his possession, the report said.
Markeci was arrested on charges of robbery (armed with firearm or deadly weapon) and weapon (display/use/conceal firearm during). He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $10,000.
Hively-Roman was arrested and booked twice, the first time for three counts of robbery (armed with firearm or deadly weapon). The second was for robbery (armed with firearm or deadly weapon, weapon (display/use/conceal firearm during) and weapon (alter/remove serial number from firearm). He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $15,000.