Sweetbay Theft, Assault in Valrico End of the Line for Habitual Offender

Stealing a purse in a Valrico supermarket and ramming a police car as he tried to make his getaway has left Antonio Elvy Davis facing 30 years in jail. 

Sentenced as a habitual felony offender July 26, Davis, 46, will have to serve every day of that sentence.

Jail records show Davis, a Tampa resident, has been arrested eight times between 2001 and 2010 on charges ranging from drug possession to fraud. 

"He had over 20 felony convictions and he will to serve day for day of his sentence now," said Larry McKinnon, a detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

"He's been victimizing people for a long time and hopefully with this sentence he will not victimize anyone else again," McKinnon said. "It also sends a message to these types of career criminals that we won't tolerate this type of crime and that they will pay for a long time." 

The Valrico incident occurred July 7, 2010 when detectives said Davis entered the Sweetbay supermarket at 2535 State Road 60 and attempted to pass a bad check.

Waiting for the verification of the check, Davis stole a woman's wallet from her purse in a shopping cart.

A passerby stopped to help when the owner of the wallet screamed for help but Davis, who was by now in a car, struck the Good Samaritan as he tried to flee the parking lot.  

Davis then rammed the car of sheriff's officer Sgt. George Mosher, who was in the parking lot and witnessed the incident.

Davis was found guilty of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and petit theft as a result of the incident.

In sentencing, Judge Daniel Sleet told Davis his actions endangered the police, innocent shoppers and the citizens in the area.