The man arrested last night for the violent armed robbery at an Orange County Publix last month was not only banned from the grocery store, but the judge also denied his bond.
Police believe the suspect, Cecil Buckner, 34, may be responsible for a robbery at a Winter Park Publix, too, and he’s not the only one they’re looking for.
Deputies say there are possibly up to four more people of interest involved in violent armed robberies at three Publix stores, including Winter Park, and another in DeLand, less than two weeks after his alleged robbery of the Publix store in Dr. Phillips.
Authorities say more arrests are coming soon.
Cecil Buckner looked calm and collected this morning as he faced a judge for the first time, since his arrest Wednesday night.
Investigators say he was one of two armed robbers who ambushed employees at the Dr. Phillips Publix off Sand Lake Road on March 16.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings says Buckner is a career criminal who just got out of prison last year.
When the judge denied the 34-year-old bond today, the ban from entering any Publix store was included.
Buckner faces four felony charges for the Dr. Phillips robbery.
These robberies continue a disturbing trend in Central Florida.
Last year at this time, there had only been 32 robberies at businesses in Orange County.
That number has already more than doubled this year with 74 commercial robberies in the county so far.
Publix released a statement today in part saying quote,
“We are very grateful to Orange County Sheriff’s Office for the time and resources that they dedicated to this investigation and for the arrest that they made.”
Both Publix, and investigators, still need your tips.
If you have information, you can call Crimeline anonymously at 1-800-423-TIPS.