LAKE CITY, Fla. – An undercover operation led to the arrests of two men in Lake City who tried to rob a confidential informant during a drug and gun deal, according to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
According to the arrest report, a confidential informant told investigators he had been in contact with Joseph "JoJo" Enriquez, 19, of Lake City. The report states Enriquez was willing to sell the informant two guns and an "eighth" of marijuana for $440.
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During the multi-jurisdictional operation, which occurred Tuesday evening at a home on Northwest Desoto Street, Enriquez was trying to convince the informant to go into his mother's basement to finalize the gun sale, according to the report. The informant refused and at some point Michael Berry, 20, of Daytona Beach, came out of the basement holding a rifle.
Enrqiuez and Berry both attempted to get the detective into the basement, and when he refused a second time, Enriquez racked a bullet in his handgun and pointed the gun at the informant's head, the Sheriff's Office said.
As the men were taking the informant's belongings, investigators said a task force moved in, and the men ran. Berry was captured after a struggle with an officer and Enriquez was found behind a fence outside an abandoned home.
According to the report, investigators located the men's gun, including a duffel bag containing a long gun. They also recovered the money and other items that were taken from the informant.
According to the report, Berry told investigators that he and Enriquez were driven by two females in a yellow Ford Mustang.
Investigators said that after learning about the yellow Ford Mustang, they began searching the area for a vehicle fitting that description.
Deputies located the car fitting that description in the parking lot of a Popeye’s restaurant on US Highway 41 at US highway 90.
Detectives spoke to two women who said they drove Enriquez and Berry. The women also gave deputies consent to search the car.
Authorities said during their search, they located a safe in the truck. According to deputies, the safe contained: several items including gloves, face masks, a knife and pistol magazines.
Berry and Enrqiuez were taken to jail. Berry's bond was set at $300,000, while Enriquez's bond was set at $292,000. Both were charged with kidnapping/false imprisonment, robbery, resisting arrest, obstructing justice and possession of burglary tools.
Berry was also charged with battery, and Enriquez was also charged with possession of weapons.