OKEECHOBEE — On Saturday, April 27, three employees of an Okeechobee restaurant were fired and then arrested after they were accused of and later seen on video spitting in the food of two uniformed, on-duty, deputies who had stopped in for dinner.
According to the police report, Okeechobee City Police Department was contacted by the owners of the restaurant immediately after they were informed of the incident and had confirmed it through video footage. The owners are reportedly very upset and have been cooperating fully with law enforcement. Detectives Bettye Taylor and Bill Saum are investigating, and Assistant State Attorney Ashley Albright is prosecuting the case.
The three employees, 16-year old Molly Spearow, 17-year-old Alex Armstrong and 17-year-old Logan Pope allegedly conspired together to spit in the deputies’ food. Armstrong reportedly spit in the food. Pope reportedly knew he spit in the food and allowed it to be served to the deputies, and Spearow knew he spit in the food and served it to the deputies. All three were charged with violating Florida’s anti-tampering act-Food, a first degree felony and battery on a law enforcement officer, a first degree felony.
Sheriff Noel E. Stephen stated, “There is no excuse for actions such as this, and it will not be tolerated.”
All three teens were in court Wednesday morning, May 1 for detention hearings and all three asked for and were granted public defenders. Spearow, who is already on probation for a previous charge will be held in secure detention for 21 days. The defense attorney, Mr. Hooper, argued that there was no proof of ill will, but Mr. Albright told the court both officers had to be tested for infectious diseases, and this is not a laughing matter.
Pope’s parents were in the courtroom and spoke on his behalf. His mother said he had never been in trouble before and his stepfather said if the judge would allow him to come home, he would make sure he stayed home and got another job right away, but the Judge Michael Heisey said he was going to send him to the detention center too. He told Pope to be careful who he associated with because sometimes people give you stupid ideas. “Don’t act on them,” he said.
Armstrong had an additional charge of possession of marijuana resin, and there was a problem with his paperwork. He did not have a completed risk assessment before he arrived in court, and Judge Heisey said he could not hold his detention hearing until his paperwork was complete. He was sent to the detention center to have this done and will have his detention hearing on Thursday morning.