Most Wanted Wednesday: We feature some of SWFL’s most wanted suspects; May 12

Reporter: Rich Kolko
Published:

This weekly WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida.

This is your chance to help out the community and give the tip that gets these people off the street. These suspects need to be found – and you can help. If you have seen them, reach out to Crime Stoppers or your local law enforcement. Call 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).

Here are three fugitives wanted by Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers.

Eric Armas​

Eric Armas (DOB 10/2/84) – wanted in Lee County for violation of probation on a grand theft charge. This warrant stems from an incident where he was in the ER of a local hospital and decided to raid a hallway storage closet, stuffing forceps, a headlamp and urine specimen cups down his pants, before trying to sneak out.

However, the theft was witnessed by an employee and Armas was stopped in his tracks and promptly arrested.

To date, he’s been busted 29 times before in Lee County, with additional crimes of robbery, drugs, battery, resisting, and several counts of DUI.

He’s also been sentenced to prison once for a violent offense and is known to have gang affiliations.

He is 5’10”, 195 pounds and has a tattoo of the phrase “no pain” on his left arm. And upon his arrest, he will be held without bond.

Samuel Burnham​

Samuel Burnham (DOB 8/3/79) – wanted in Collier County for violation of state probation for a violation for domestic violence injunction.

Burnham is a registered felon with an extensive criminal history, with 24 bookings in Lee and four in Collier for multiple counts of grand theft, dealing in stolen property, fraud, contempt, aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, burglary, fleeing and eluding and aggravated stalking.

He’s been on the run since late March and could be moving back and forth between Lehigh, East Naples and Golden Gate Estates.

Burnham is 6’2”, 250 pounds and could be using the alias of Brian Tipton or Sid Burnham. He was last known to be working as a handyman and a construction laborer.

Makayla Johnston​

Makayla Johnston (DOB 2/27/94) – wanted in Lee County for a bench warrant for failure to appear after an arrest for fleeing and eluding and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Her legal woes with this warrant started when she was spotted by deputies driving erratically in Lehigh Acres, cutting people off in traffic and swerving into oncoming lanes of traffic. When deputies attempted to pull her over, she blatantly ignored the red and blue emergency lights behind her and kept driving ahead at a high rate of speed.

Officers eventually located Johnston at her house (using her license plate number). She couldn’t explain why she neglected to pull over when directed to, and added that she had no recollection of anything after she left a downtown Fort Myers bar.

Although she showed multiple signs of impairment, she was only arrested for fleeing and eluding and driving without a license.

She had previously been arrested two other times, once for driving with a suspended license and one for DUI – when she was busted after a night of drinking at a Cape Coral establishment and ended up driving her car over a concrete curb.

Johnston is 5’3”, 160 pounds and could be living in either Lehigh or North Fort Myers. And upon her arrest, she will be held without bond.


CAPTURED

Mari Grondin

Mari Grondin – was wanted in Lee County for violation of probation for grand theft, uttering forged bills and petit theft. Detectives say that Grondin stole a checkbook from a local business and wrote a $1,200 check payable to herself, using identification cards that she had also stolen from someone who bears some resemblance to her.


If you have a tip on the whereabouts of any of these wanted suspects contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers. All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000.

Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers
1-800-780-TIPS (8477) or
southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com

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