02-28-2010, 04:33 AM
BROOKSVILLE - Harold Walker was a free man, but he barely cracked a smile.
He had been confined to a jail cell for 93 days.
He was working in the kitchen at a Dade City truck stop when deputies stormed in and arrested him.
When he was released Friday, he got dressed in his work clothes, which still had the stench of sweat and raw meat. His pants were looser. His shirt was wrinkled and stained.
Walker was still jittery. He walked slowly and deliberately like a man who was still being watched by guards.
"All I know is that I don't want it to ever happen to anyone else," said Walker, who is married and a father of one 23-month-old boy. "I feel like I've been hurt ... It shouldn't happen to anyone, but it did happen to me."
James Baker's apartment in Spring Hill was ransacked last April. He picked Walker out of a photo lineup. The first time the detective showed him the photo pack, he picked someone else.
"Let it be noted that the lighting in the apartment was not very bright and the photo pack of the subjects is very dark," wrote George Loydgren, the detective with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Two days later, after Baker met with Loydgren and the two went into an interview room. The victim was shown the same photo pack. Only this time, he positively identified Walker as one of the three suspects who robbed him. He said he was the man wearing a New York Knicks jersey and wielding a gun.
Loydgren had his suspect. He was convinced Baker's identification was right the second time because the interview room had more light, he wrote in the report.
Walker said he has never touched a gun, let alone held one. He also said he doesn't own a Knicks jersey.
One day from completing probation
Soon after her son was arrested, Sonia Walker contacted Loydgren over the phone and pleaded with him.
"I know what kind of person my son is," she recalled telling him. "I know he's not capable of doing this."
Loydgren was not swayed. He told Walker she might not know her son as well as she thinks she does.
"He did it," the detective told a stunned Walker.
She contacted an attorney.
A request to the sheriff's office to interview Loydgren went unanswered.
Harold Walker, 25, was on probation for a child abuse charge when he was arrested for the alleged home invasion.
The charge was withheld by the judge three years earlier. His probation was part of the plea agreement.
Both Walker and his mother said the victim in that case lied about her age. Walker said he was sorry it happened, but he was ready to put it behind him.
The day he was arrested was the last day of his probation, he said.
First a witness, then a suspect
The home invasion occurred April 15. Authorities were not contacted until almost four hours later.
Three suspects entered the apartment off Cresthaven Court, held the victims at gunpoint and stole an Xbox game system, Motorola RAZR cell phone, cash, a wallet and a bag of marijuana, according to an incident report.
Baker told detectives Walker pointed the gun at him and demanded money.
Loydgren contacted Walker's probation officer and eventually met with him when Walker showed up for an appointment.
The detective and prime suspect met for the first time six months after Baker identified Walker in the photo packet.
Loydgren asked him to follow him to the sheriff's office for questioning.
"It happened in front of my probation officer, of course I'm going to say yes," Walker said.
Their conversation didn't take long. Walker invoked his Miranda rights and requested an attorney.
"I was nervous when he told me I was a suspect," he said. "First he told me I was a witness. Then he called me a suspect. I definitely wanted to speak to an attorney after that."
Walker was allowed to leave the sheriff's office that day.
Five days later he was arrested at work. It was the day before Thanksgiving.
During his first appearance before the judge, he was told he could receive life in prison for the home invasion. The arrest also meant he was in violation of his probation.
His bond was set at $50,000.
The Hernando County Jail was going to be his home for a while. That was where he spent Christmas, New Year's Day and his birthday. He nearly missed seeing his son turn 2 years old.
Long distance from work to crime
Assistant State Attorney Christine Manno handled the docket Friday. When Walker's case came up, she was told by the defense attorney that Baker could not positively identify the defendant as one of the robbers.
Manno also said the defendant was at his job until late the night of the home invasion.
"He could not have made it to the crime in that short amount of time," she said.
Another prosecutor, Lisa Herndon, had been handling the case until it came to Manno last week.
"She told me, 'Look, I have to drop it,'" said Manno.
Herndon was in court and could not be reached for comment Friday.
Sonia Walker said her son clocked out the night of April 15 at 10:21 p.m. The crime was committed nine minutes later.
The drove from Dade City to the Spring Haven Apartments is roughly 45 minutes.
"It was a poor investigation," said Walker.
The cell phone that was stolen during the home invasion was used, records showed.
Authorities learned last summer that two men used the cell phone. Walker did not know either man.
Neither was listed as a suspect, according to the arrest report.
By Saturday morning, after a night spent with his wife, child and family, Walker was more relaxed.
He lost his job at the truck stop in Dade City, which has since changed ownership.
He is hoping to land another job as a cook or chef, but he isn't optimistic due to the economy.
"I've got bills," he said. "I've got a baby. I lost my car."
Walker stopped and took a deep breath. He shook his head.
"I was trying to do good in my life," he said.
Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.
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Posted by (DennisPurdy) on 02/27/2010 at 08:07 pm.
I sure hope this guy gets a good damages attorney, a hungry one. This detective should have gotten and checked the alibi throughly before seeking a warrant. You can't tell me there is so much crime here that you can't do a thorough investigation of each complaint, and order a boat before using a helicopter. The county is just plain incompetent for the States Attorneys, down to that volunteer checking handicap cards at Walmart. Fire them all.
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Posted by (pine21) on 02/27/2010 at 09:07 pm.
George Loydgren should get sued and the sheriff's office. This proof this agency does not have the intelligence to do a thorough investigation. They proved that when they couldn't catch the thief (employee) inside the sheriff's office who stole yes the 11K from the evidence room. Come on people, this place is worst than keystone cops...... I hope they get sued.............
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He had been confined to a jail cell for 93 days.
He was working in the kitchen at a Dade City truck stop when deputies stormed in and arrested him.
When he was released Friday, he got dressed in his work clothes, which still had the stench of sweat and raw meat. His pants were looser. His shirt was wrinkled and stained.
Walker was still jittery. He walked slowly and deliberately like a man who was still being watched by guards.
"All I know is that I don't want it to ever happen to anyone else," said Walker, who is married and a father of one 23-month-old boy. "I feel like I've been hurt ... It shouldn't happen to anyone, but it did happen to me."
James Baker's apartment in Spring Hill was ransacked last April. He picked Walker out of a photo lineup. The first time the detective showed him the photo pack, he picked someone else.
"Let it be noted that the lighting in the apartment was not very bright and the photo pack of the subjects is very dark," wrote George Loydgren, the detective with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Two days later, after Baker met with Loydgren and the two went into an interview room. The victim was shown the same photo pack. Only this time, he positively identified Walker as one of the three suspects who robbed him. He said he was the man wearing a New York Knicks jersey and wielding a gun.
Loydgren had his suspect. He was convinced Baker's identification was right the second time because the interview room had more light, he wrote in the report.
Walker said he has never touched a gun, let alone held one. He also said he doesn't own a Knicks jersey.
One day from completing probation
Soon after her son was arrested, Sonia Walker contacted Loydgren over the phone and pleaded with him.
"I know what kind of person my son is," she recalled telling him. "I know he's not capable of doing this."
Loydgren was not swayed. He told Walker she might not know her son as well as she thinks she does.
"He did it," the detective told a stunned Walker.
She contacted an attorney.
A request to the sheriff's office to interview Loydgren went unanswered.
Harold Walker, 25, was on probation for a child abuse charge when he was arrested for the alleged home invasion.
The charge was withheld by the judge three years earlier. His probation was part of the plea agreement.
Both Walker and his mother said the victim in that case lied about her age. Walker said he was sorry it happened, but he was ready to put it behind him.
The day he was arrested was the last day of his probation, he said.
First a witness, then a suspect
The home invasion occurred April 15. Authorities were not contacted until almost four hours later.
Three suspects entered the apartment off Cresthaven Court, held the victims at gunpoint and stole an Xbox game system, Motorola RAZR cell phone, cash, a wallet and a bag of marijuana, according to an incident report.
Baker told detectives Walker pointed the gun at him and demanded money.
Loydgren contacted Walker's probation officer and eventually met with him when Walker showed up for an appointment.
The detective and prime suspect met for the first time six months after Baker identified Walker in the photo packet.
Loydgren asked him to follow him to the sheriff's office for questioning.
"It happened in front of my probation officer, of course I'm going to say yes," Walker said.
Their conversation didn't take long. Walker invoked his Miranda rights and requested an attorney.
"I was nervous when he told me I was a suspect," he said. "First he told me I was a witness. Then he called me a suspect. I definitely wanted to speak to an attorney after that."
Walker was allowed to leave the sheriff's office that day.
Five days later he was arrested at work. It was the day before Thanksgiving.
During his first appearance before the judge, he was told he could receive life in prison for the home invasion. The arrest also meant he was in violation of his probation.
His bond was set at $50,000.
The Hernando County Jail was going to be his home for a while. That was where he spent Christmas, New Year's Day and his birthday. He nearly missed seeing his son turn 2 years old.
Long distance from work to crime
Assistant State Attorney Christine Manno handled the docket Friday. When Walker's case came up, she was told by the defense attorney that Baker could not positively identify the defendant as one of the robbers.
Manno also said the defendant was at his job until late the night of the home invasion.
"He could not have made it to the crime in that short amount of time," she said.
Another prosecutor, Lisa Herndon, had been handling the case until it came to Manno last week.
"She told me, 'Look, I have to drop it,'" said Manno.
Herndon was in court and could not be reached for comment Friday.
Sonia Walker said her son clocked out the night of April 15 at 10:21 p.m. The crime was committed nine minutes later.
The drove from Dade City to the Spring Haven Apartments is roughly 45 minutes.
"It was a poor investigation," said Walker.
The cell phone that was stolen during the home invasion was used, records showed.
Authorities learned last summer that two men used the cell phone. Walker did not know either man.
Neither was listed as a suspect, according to the arrest report.
By Saturday morning, after a night spent with his wife, child and family, Walker was more relaxed.
He lost his job at the truck stop in Dade City, which has since changed ownership.
He is hoping to land another job as a cook or chef, but he isn't optimistic due to the economy.
"I've got bills," he said. "I've got a baby. I lost my car."
Walker stopped and took a deep breath. He shook his head.
"I was trying to do good in my life," he said.
Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.
Share this:
MORE FROM THIS CHANNEL
• County's E-Verify workshop is Tuesday
• Fire district funding on tap for council meeting
• Journey Fest '10 continues Sunday
• District considers cutting sports, changing school timesTOPICS IN THIS ARTICLEReader Comments
Voice your opinion by posting a comment.
1
Posted by (DennisPurdy) on 02/27/2010 at 08:07 pm.
I sure hope this guy gets a good damages attorney, a hungry one. This detective should have gotten and checked the alibi throughly before seeking a warrant. You can't tell me there is so much crime here that you can't do a thorough investigation of each complaint, and order a boat before using a helicopter. The county is just plain incompetent for the States Attorneys, down to that volunteer checking handicap cards at Walmart. Fire them all.
Report Inappropriate Comments | ( Mark inactive )
Posted by (pine21) on 02/27/2010 at 09:07 pm.
George Loydgren should get sued and the sheriff's office. This proof this agency does not have the intelligence to do a thorough investigation. They proved that when they couldn't catch the thief (employee) inside the sheriff's office who stole yes the 11K from the evidence room. Come on people, this place is worst than keystone cops...... I hope they get sued.............
Report Inappropriate Comments | ( Mark inactive )
1
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