Nassau County teen charged after grandfather shot in face

Pierce Cribbs faces attempted murder and armed robbery charges

CALLAHAN, Fla. – A Nassau County teen faces an attempted murder charge after his grandfather was shot in the face during an armed robbery over the weekend in Callahan.

Charles Cribbs, 71, was shot sometime Saturday when two suspects including his grandson barged into his Goodbread Road home to rob the place, according to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office.

A .38 caliber revolver was taken from the home before Pierce Nugent Cribbs, 16, and an unidentified accomplice left in a white Chevrolet pickup driven by a third suspect, the Sheriff's Office said.

The elder Cribbs was shot in the face with a .22 caliber handgun. Though it's unclear who pulled the trigger, Sheriff Bill Leeper said investigators haven't ruled out the victim's grandson.

Leeper said the victim was taken to UF Health Jacksonville for treatment. On Wednesday, neighbor Stephen Kilpatrick told News4Jax that the man has since been released from the hospital.

There's no word yet on a motive in the case.

Kilpatrick said he last spoke with Cribbs on Sunday. He reckoned it was a good thing the gun was loaded with small pellets known as rat shot, otherwise Cribbs might have been much worse off.

"He was in very good condition, was able to give some details," Kilpatrick said. "So fortunately and luckily, it didn't have some lethal ammunition in that gun."

Pierce Cribbs, described as a runaway, was arrested Sunday on attempted murder and armed robbery charges. He was booked into the Nassau County jail and transferred to a juvenile detention facility.

Kilpatrick said the neighborhood is full of children, so he remains optimistic that the two unidentified suspects will be found quickly.

"Hopefully they will secure the custody of the individuals involved and maybe get them some help because there's obviously some things here that are a problem for society," he said.

Deputies are asking for help to identify and track down the 16-year-old's accomplice and the getaway driver. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 904-225-5174.