Police and crime scene analysts took the stand Tuesday in the trial of Lil Burtie Willis, the man accused of attacking and robbing a money carrier at a Publix in Altamonte Springs a year ago.
- Money carrier robbed, shot at Publix in Altamonte Springs last year
- Lil Burtie Willis accused in attack
We also heard from the victim, who described the robbery on October 22, 2015 in detail.
According to the prosecution, Willis sat outside the Publix on East Altamonte Drive and waited to rob 34-year-old Marcos Rivera at gunpoint.
“He took the money and ran,” Rivera said.
Rivera was carrying about $10,000-$12,000 in cash and checks as he went back to a Loomis armored truck.
“He was bleeding from the back of his head and he was bleeding from his mouth,” said Kimberly Simmonds, an officer with the Altamonte Springs Police Department. “There was a pool of blood close to his face. There were also shell casings and pieces of teeth on the ground nearby.”
Rivera was asked to stand up and show the scar in the back of his head to the jury.
“It happened so quick, he pulled a gun on me and fired four times,” Rivera noted.
He remembers clearly how many times and exactly where each bullet hit. “So I got one bullet to the back of my head. The second one missed, the third one caught me right above my mustache,” Rivera explained.
Cyber experts noted that Willis’ phone had an increase in news hits on and after October 22, 2015, including searches for the Altamonte shooting.
The defense has not yet presented its case. Willis is currently being held without bond. Court continues at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.