CLERMONT, Florida—Two men suspected in multiple armed robberies, who were both released from state prison this year, are behind bars on $101,000 bond, according to Lake County Jail online booking records.
Dustin “Chico” Perdue, 27, of Tavares and Patrick “YG” Brown Jr., 22, of Auburndale were arrested early Thursday morning following an armed robbery at Circle K, 190 U.S. Highway 27, Clermont just before 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to their arrest affidavits.
Two black males with their faces covered were wearing dark clothes and gloves when they entered the store near the corner East Grand Highway, pointed guns at the store clerk and demanded money. The clerk opened two registers and the suspects stole cash and change, some of it rolled, totaling $134 according to the affidavit.
The suspects, one tall and thin, the second shorter with a medium build, both pointed handguns at the clerk and one of them put a red bag on the counter that was used to collect the money, video surveillance shows. One of the suspects appeared to have a tan-colored hoodie on underneath his dark shirt, with the hoodie covering his head. The pair fled on foot and a K9 tracked the scent to a nearby business plaza and stopped, indicating the duo got into a vehicle and fled the scene, the affidavit states.
Perdue is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds; Brown is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds, according to LCJ online records.
Twenty-three minutes after the robbery, a vehicle was pulled over in Astatula for an equipment violation and Perdue and Brown were found in the vehicle, along with a female driver. Inside Lake is not naming the driver because she has not been charged with a crime. Twenty-three minutes is consistent with the amount of time it would take to drive from the robbery scene to the location of the traffic stop, a Clermont Police detective noted in the affidavit.
A handgun was spotted in plain view in the front passenger floorboard at Brown’s feet, along with a bag of marijuana in his lap, according to the affidavit.
Astatula Police searched the vehicle and found a red backpack that contained gloves, dark-colored pants, long sleeve shirts, a tan hoodie, loose and rolled change, in addition to a second handgun, according to the affidavit.
Brown and Perdue were placed under arrest for armed robbery, two counts of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and petit theft. and transported to LCJ. The CPD detective asked both defendants be held on a “no bond” status, however each defendant’s bond is set at $101,000.
Sources have told Inside Lake the duo is suspected of multiple armed robberies and other crimes in several cities and LCSO’s jurisdiction. Inside Lake will be following these cases closely and will publish a follow-up if more charges are added.
Purdue was released from prison in February after serving nearly 10 years for a variety of burglary and grand theft charges; Brown was released from prison just over three months ago after serving just under two years for burglary and grand theft charges out of Polk County.
