EUSTIS, Florida—The man Eustis Police say robbed a downtown business Friday has a lengthy prison history and served his first prison sentence nearly 20 years ago, according to court records.
Jacob Thomas Parrish, 36, of Umatilla, was arrested shortly after 3 p.m. Friday after employees of Wells Fargo Advisors, 127 North Bay Street, in the heart of downtown Eustis, called 9-1-1 and reported Parrish entered the business armed with a knife. EPD Capt. Jon Fahning told Inside Lake Friday. Police believe Parrish thought the location was a bank; the building, at the corner of Bay Street and McDonald Avenue houses financial advisors.
Three employees were in the building and barricaded themselves in an office and Parrish refused to let them out and they called police, Fahning told Inside Lake on the scene. Parrish locked himself in the building and a manager of the business quickly brought law enforcement officers a key.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office assisted EPD and Parrish surrendered when a K9 arrived on the scene, Fahning said. None of the employees were injured. Parrish was taken into custody and arrested for armed robbery, and three counts of false imprisonment. He is being held in the Lake County Jail on $35,000 bond.
According to Lake County Clerk of Court online records, Parrish was first sentenced to prison in June 2005 when he was just 19 years old. Parrish pleaded no contest to armed burglary, grand theft and carrying a concealed weapon. He was given a 40-month suspended prison sentence; he later violated community control and was sent to prison to serve his time. Documents containing the details of all his cases were not available Saturday.
In 2013, Parrish pleaded no contest to manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of a listed chemical and possession of paraphernalia. He was sentenced to two years in prison in that case. He was given credit for time served in LCJ and released March 17, 2014.
Just under six months later, Parrish was arrested again, this time for burglary, grand theft, resisting arrest and trespassing. He pleaded guilty in that case and was sentenced to five years in prison. He was released Feb. 18, 2020.
