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MARATHON WEEKLY / JULY 28, 2022
‘A VERY CHALLENGING WEEK’ Sheriff’s office, partners tasked with unusual string of significant crimes
MCSO deputies find an injured Key deer illegally stashed in the back of a vehicle. MCSO/Contributed
ALEX RICKERT
T
alex@keysweekly.com
o say the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has had a busy week of unusual cases would be an understatement. Keys residents were surprised this week to find usual reports of resource violations and smaller disputes replaced with two significant murder charges, as well as the kidnapping of a beloved Key deer and a slew of other unusual arrests, all within the last seven days. “It’s been a very challenging week for citizens, but also a very big challenge for law enforcement,” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay told Keys Weekly. “We took every case to a full-court press and had persons under arrest in all cases in a very short amount of time.” While Ramsay said he understood the backto-back reports were “obviously shocking” for Keys residents, he stressed that the more significant violent incidents were an anomaly and involved victims and alleged perpetrators known to one another. “We continue to send a message that we never have just random people committing these acts,” said Ramsay, noting that the sheriff’s office typically sees a murder “once every couple of years.” “If it happens, it’s almost always going to be predominantly domestic-related,” he continued. “We are lucky that we’re not like bigger areas that have random acts of violence. “I’m thankful for the partnerships in these cases that are really in-depth like this. I want to thank everybody involved, and at the end of the day it goes to show the testament and the vigilance that the sheriff’s office provides that we’re able to investigate, solve and hold people accountable.” Here is a compilation of some of the significant Sheriff’s Office cases throughout the Keys over the past week. All information is summarized directly from MCSO incident reports. LOWER KEYS & KEY WEST On July 22, 25-year-old Stock Island resident Christopher Estime was arrested at the Canadian border for immigration violations. Once he is likely
extradited to Monroe County, Estime will face a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after he allegedly stabbed his former roommate. At about 2 a.m. on June 25, the 35-year-old male victim stated he kicked Estime out of his residence during an argument. Estime left and came back with a knife and stabbed the victim in the neck and arms. The victim was airlifted via Trauma Star to Jackson South Medical Center and eventually recovered. A day later, 44-year old Stock Island resident Delmon Washington was charged with the murder of 46-year-old Latisha Tiare Alce and tampering with evidence. Key West police stopped a Hyundai that was being driven with a blown tire shortly before midnight on July 23. Washington, the driver, had a significant amount of blood on his clothes and body, but no visible injuries, and was behaving erratically. Key West police arrested Washington at that time for DUI, resisting arrest and other charges. Key West Police found Alce’s purse in the car, but were not able to contact her. Alce’s family, suspicious that she was not with Washington, went to the couple’s residence on Suncrest Road on Stock Island. The family found Alce covered in blood and unresponsive at the residence, and she was eventually pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives located security camera footage from a nearby business that showed Washington and Alce arriving at the residence earlier on July 23. It also showed Washington throwing away an object and some clothing before leaving the scene in the Hyundai. There were no other vehicles or people seen entering or leaving the residence. Already in jail, Washington was additionally charged with murder by MCSO. He has a lengthy criminal history in Monroe County dating back to 1999 that includes aggravated battery, battering on law enforcement, kidnapping, armed burglary, larceny and numerous other charges.
