Officers with the DeFuniak Springs Police responded to an armed carjacking at approximately 10:15 AM on June 20, 2013. A female victim reported that a male suspect, covered in red clay, had carjacked her at knife point while she was in the parking lot of Express Health and Fitness. In the process of preventing the robbery, the victim stated she was slashed several times on her arms by the suspect. The suspect then drove away in her grey 2012 Honda Civic. The suspect made it to Hillcrest Way in the Pineshores Subdivision, before crashing the vehicle in a wooded area near the west bound lanes of I-10. The suspect struck a mailbox, causing the mirror to break off from the vehicle while traveling at a high rate of speed on Hillcrest Way.
Officers and Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Deputies responded to the area and established a perimeter. It was discovered that the suspect had possibly climbed over a barrier fence and had walked onto the Interstate. Deputies responded to that area. Meanwhile, a call was received by WCSO that another carjacking had taken place approximately a mile east of the DeFuniak Springs exit. Deputies were able to get behind the stolen white van and began to pursue the suspect. Deputies pursued the suspect into Holmes County off of State Road 81. The suspect wrecked a short time after that and was immediately taken into custody by Walton County Sheriff’s Deputies.
The suspect was identified as 19 year old Edwin Donald Campbell, DOB: 06/01/1994, white male, of Santa Rosa Beach. Campbell was taken to the Holmes County Jail on charges from WCSO. Campbell is awaiting transfer to the Walton County Department of Corrections on charges stemming from this incident. DeFuniak Springs Police is charging Campbell with Carjacking while armed with a Deadly Weapon and Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon. WCSO will be bringing additional charges.
The first victim was treated for lacerations to both arms and later released from Healthmark Medical Center.