Suspect caught for 1999 sexual battery case, officials say

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Nearly twenty-four years later, deputies are saying a possible suspect in a sexual battery case has been caught.

According to Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was leaving El Villa’s Lounge in Mary Esther on March 11, 1999, when a man who identified himself as “Ron”, asked if she wanted a ride.

Officials say the man drove her to an area near Sunset Lane in Poquito Bayou, grabbed her by the throat, and threatened to break her neck if she didn’t follow his demands.

After the sexual battery, the victim told officers he released her at the intersection of State Road 89 and State Road 85 before a passerby picked her up and took her to Niceville Police Department.

Medical professionals reportedly collected a sexual assault kit and other items of evidence.

In Feb. 2020, evidence was sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a new examination and a DNA profile was acquired, allegedly matching Charles Craig Sr.

Deputies say they determined Craig was living under the alias of Ronald Grisby and had listed his address as Destin in 1999.

Craig was finally found in California and signed a waiver of extradition back to Florida in late February.