Ryan Phillips

A multi-county manhunt ended early Monday in Lake City with the arrest of a Sanderson man for two home invasion robberies in neighborhoods off CR 127 north of Sanderson the afternoon of July 1.

In the second incident, he is accused of savagely beating an elderly couple and tying them up with TV cable cord.

Ryan Wayne Phillips, 25, surrendered without incident at the McDonalds restaurant near Interstate 75 when confronted about 12:35 am by Columbia County authorities who had been tipped off on his whereabouts.

He was returned to Macclenny about midday and booked on multiple felony charges. Mr. Phillips, who is also a convicted sex offender, made a first appearance on Tuesday and is being held without bond.

Charges against him include two counts of home invasion robbery, battery on elderly persons, kidnapping or unlawful imprisonment and failure to register as a sex offender.

Sheriff’s deputies began looking for him shortly after the robberies took place within an hour and a half of each other. Ironically, a deputy sought him earlier that day after police learned he had not registered an address change as required when he moved from his grandparents’ residence off CR 229 on July 10.

Mr. Phillips was positively identified by two female victims via a photo lineup late Saturday afternoon. Police also obtained a description of the 1999 Ford Ranger he was in when he was seen speeding away from one of the robbery locations.

Deputies were called to the first scene at 2:37 pm, shortly after the suspect allegedly forced his way into the home of 90-year-old Rhoda Barber on Leon Dopson Rd.

He overpowered Ms. Barber’s daughter Regina Williamson, 58, who was visiting from Valdosta and demanded money, threatening to cut her, her 9-year-old niece and her mother with a knife if they did not cooperate.

None of them ever saw a knife, however.

Ms. Williamson said her assailant placed her in a headlock and dragged her back to a room where her mother was located before he used the same technique to bring her back to the front of the house where she gave him her wallet.

Neither the niece nor her mother were harmed, and Ms. Williamson bore bruises and marks from the headlock.

She called police after Mr. Phillips drove east in the pickup that he had parked in the driveway.
Ms. Williamson said the suspect first appeared at the front door asking “Is this the Douberly place or do you know where it is?” and returned 15-20 minutes later wanting to know “Is this Williams Rd.” before barging in.

Just before 4:00 police fielded a second home invasion call, this one at the residence of Sam and Mildred Anger on Fred Harvey Rd. east of CR 127 and about two miles from the Barber residence.

Deputy John Hardin said when he arrived, he found a frantic Mrs. Anger, 77, on a front porch, sobbing that she and her husband, age 78, had been beaten, robbed and tied up.
She had locked Mr. Anger in the house and when police entered they found him on the floor, moaning in pain and bleeding profusely from lacerations to the head.

Mr. Phillips allegedly approached the house asking if it was the residence of Buddy Dugger [the Macclenny fire chief who resides in the city], then forced his way inside, striking Mrs. Anger in the chest and knocking her down.

He beat the couple before tying them up with the cable wire and making off with an estimated $30 in cash, the victims said. Deputies intensified their search when the victims’ description of the suspect matched that of the Barber robbery.

Mrs. Anger also picked Mr. Phillips out in the photo lineup. She was treated at Fraser Hospital and Mr. Anger was transported to Shands Gainesville for extensive facial injuries and broken ribs.
A bicyclist identified as James Ellis, 22, of Margaretta corroborated the earlier identification of the Ranger with its temporary paper license and small FSU sticker on the rear window.

Mr. Ellis was on Fred Harvey when the suspect left the Angers at a high rate of speed. He also assisted police later by finding the stolen wallet on the dirt road that runs between Margaretta and CR 127.

Sheriff Joey Dobson, at a Sunday afternoon press conference at the county jail to alert area media of Mr. Phillip’s status as a fugitive to be considered dangerous, speculated the suspect was back on drugs and committing the crimes for money.

“He’s not a violent person when he’s off drugs,” noted the sheriff recounting Mr. Phillips’ good behavior during the nearly one year he spent in county jail on a probation violation. He was released last Christmas Eve.

The suspect, enroute back from Lake City on Monday, reportedly told the sheriff and several investigators that he blamed his behavior on drug addiction.

While at county jail for violating probation on the sex offense, Mr. Phillips worked in the motor pool and was described as a good mechanic. Since release, he had been employed in the pulpwood business. Authorities indicated his work record of late was spotty, likely due to drug abuse.

Florida Department of Corrections and court records indicate that Mr. Phillips was sentenced to three years in the fall of 2006 for molesting a 14-year-old girl, robbery of the Kangaroo store across from the county courthouse and felony fleeing from the scene to Baldwin, where he was arrested.

He was released on probation in December, 2008.