Major Crimes Detectives with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant today in reference to a battery which occurred at our Detention Facility.
Detention Deputy Sgt. Ovando Vincente Blankenship was arrested and charged by Sheriff’s Office Detectives today after reviewing an incident which occurred on 4/21/17. A juvenile was arrested and brought to the facility for processing. The juvenile was to be processed and taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Pensacola. While being processed, Blankenship used inordinate force to place the juvenile into a cell. Furthermore, Blankenship falsified his report of the incident. Video obtained by Sheriff’s Detectives varied in detail from Blankenship’s official report of the incident.
A warrant was obtained by Sheriff’s Office Detectives which was signed by a judge. Blankenship was arrested at the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Due to the nature of this case, Florida Statute 119 requires juvenile information to be held as well as the photograph of the arrested. This case remains an active, ongoing investigation.
Blankenship was charged for the violation of FSS 827.03b2, cruelty towards a child and FSS 838.022.1a Falsifying Official Documents. Both charges are third degree felonies. Bond was set at $15000.00.
Navarre newspaper reminds our readers that Ovando Vincente Blankenship is presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
