Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced today that a Duval County jury has found 28-year-old Shawnee Rochester of Hawthorne guilty of Armed Robbery, Criminal Mischief, and Sexual Cyber Harassment. Rochester now faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Tatiana Salvador will preside over Rochester’s sentencing at a later date.
The charges stem from an incident on October 20, 2023, when officers responded to an armed robbery at an Ortega apartment complex. The investigation revealed that Rochester, who knew the witness from a Corrections Academy they had both been attending, entered the victim’s apartment, held the victim at gunpoint, and stole $100 cash.
According to testimony, the witness and victim were watching a movie when Rochester began calling and texting the witness. When the witness stepped outside to look for her, Rochester ran into the apartment and locked the door. She then held the victim at gunpoint and demanded the witness come inside, ordering them to sit down “or someone is going to die.” The victim handed over her cellphone to show Rochester the nature of her relationship with the witness, but Rochester took the phone and then demanded money, leading the victim to hand over cash.
Rochester fled the apartment, called the victim’s mother, and then slammed the phone on the ground and ran when the witness informed her he had called the police. Further investigation revealed that Rochester used the victim’s phone to send intimate photos of the victim to her family and posted these photos on social media.
The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Elizabeth Brown and Rachel Allison.
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