Convict out on bond flees courtroom during jury deliberations
DELAND, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Law enforcement officers are searching for a convict, after he left court and never returned.
After the jury found Antonio Gearing guilty and bailiffs were ready to take him from the Volusia County Courthouse, he was already gone.
Gearing had been out on a $75,000 bond. State Attorney spokesperson Spencer Hathaway says Gearing took off when the jury started deliberating; they eventually found him guilty of the crime.
"Before the verdict was rendered, the defendant absconded from the courtroom. He hopped into a white SUV that was in the parking lot and sped away," Hathaway says.
Gearing robbed a Dollar General store in May 2018, pointing a gun at the clerk and taking off with hundreds of dollars. Hathaway says Gearing has prior convictions for attempted robbery and fleeing from law enforcement.
"We just hope he doesn't cause any more danger in society or more damage to anybody. So it's just a little bit scary."
If you see Gearing call local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).