A man and a woman were taken into custody Thursday in relation to a drug-related robbery where a man was pistol whipped.
The Gainesville Police Department arrested Willie Clentis Sharp Jr., 37, of 925 SE 43rd St., and Michelle Lynn Herbert, 33, of 6015 NW 108th Place, on a charge of conspiracy.
The robbery happened at 5:45 p.m. Thursday outside the victim's apartment in the 3000 block of Southwest Archer Road.
The victim, identified as 53-year-old Darryl Clay, told Sgt. Mike Schentrup that Herbert accompanied him to a pain clinic, and then a pharmacy in Ocala where he picked up a prescription for 30 milligrams of Roxicodone, a narcotic pain reliever. Herbert warned Clay that Sharp was planning to rob him once he got home, according to the police report.
Clay told authorities when Herbert dropped him off, he was approached near his door by another man with a chrome revolver. The man hit him on the left side of his head, which bled until help arrived. The robber, described as a black male, fled in a gray sport utility vehicle after taking the victim's pills, keys, wallet and cell phone, police said.
During questioning, Sharp admited to having conversations with Herbert, and he knew that she would be driving Clay to get pain pills that day, but he denies that any commuication was relevant to the robbery. Sharp denied selling or dealing prescription pain pills. But Clay insists the motivation for the crime was that he owed pills to one of the suspects.
The Gainesville Police Department is searching for the robber.
Anyone with information should call GPD at 352-955-1818 or Crime Stoppers at 352-372-7867.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
