ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office arrested a man and woman Friday who were wanted in an attempted home invasion in the Flagler Estates neighborhood Thursday morning. Authorities said the woman's children, who were believed to be with the suspects, were found safe.
Andrew Cherry, 22, and Lee Ann Renee Mosher, 24, were arrested on Tirana Avenue at midday Friday a few blocks from Crookshank Elementary School, which was briefly under a "soft lockdown."
Cherry is charged with attempted murder and Mosher is charged with being an accessory to attempted murder. The two, who are married, are also facing two counts each of felony child abuse involving Mosher's children.
Several tips led deputies to identify Cherry as a suspect in the attempted home invasion, and they surrounded a home where he was believed to be. Sheriff David Shoar said deputies saw two children in the home with Cherry, but those children were no longer there when deputies entered.
"The suspect called his sister earlier and asked her to come get the children. He said he would hand them over the fence to her," Shoar said. "She never did. She called us instead and when we tried to call him back, he didn't answer the telephone. That's kind of reassuring to me, because he's trying to protect his children. That's always a good sign."
The children, a 4-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl, were found and taken to Flagler Hospital for treatment of multiple insect bites and small scrapes. They were then turned over to the Department of Children and Families.
A third child believed to have been with the suspects was located with a relative at another home Thursday night.
"The children are doing fine. That's our main concern right now. They're being treated at the hospital for bug bites from having run from us all night," SJCSO Director Christopher Strickland said. "They're in the custody of DCF, and we're going to make sure they're placed well."
The home where Cherry and Mosher were found Friday is near the Juanita Avenue home where Cherry's Ford Mustang was recovered and deputies briefly spotted him Thursday evening. A SWAT team was deployed, but the pair got away before the perimeter was secured.
Investigators said the couple likely targeted the Tirana Avenue home as their hideout overnight because it was sitting empty.
Sherie Lawson said her parents have the home listed for sale and they got a call Friday that an armed and dangerous couple had used it for a hideout.
"They called and said that someone had broken into the house and there were fugitives in there, so we were on our way through and we came and my mom's letting them in now," Lawson said.
Jeff Starratt's parents live down the street from the home, and he said his dad saw the capture unfold. He said a team swarmed the house and then took Cherry and Mosher into custody.
"They just said, 'Hands up. Get on the ground.' They pulled the girl out first and pulled the guy out second," Starratt said.
Deputies said Cherry is accused of firing two shots at a homeowner on Isom Avenue Thursday morning before he got away with Mosher. Deputies said the 55-year-old victim knew the suspects. They said they have a motive for the attempted home invasion, but they aren't releasing that information.
According to deputies, the victim was awakened by a knock on the door and saw Mosher asking for help in getting her vehicle out of a ditch.
When the victim walked out he saw Cherry wearing a mask and pointing a gun. Deputies said the victim ran back inside the home as Cherry fired at him. The suspects then ran from the residence and got away in the Mustang.