2 arrested after couple tied up during South MS home invasion, sheriff says

Two people accused of tying up a Gulfport couple and hitting a man with a machete during a home invasion in March have been arrested, Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley said.

Police had been investigating the robbery since March 31, when they said two assailants arrived around 6 a.m. in the 12000 block of Cypress Bayou Drive in Gulfport, used zip ties to restrain a man and his fiancee and stole cash, jewelry and the victim’s black 2018 Dodge Charger.

Daniel James Brown, 31, and Octavia Jermaine Winters, 41, were arrested and face robbery charges. Winters also faces charges of burglary, motor vehicle theft and aggravated assault, authorities said.

Investigators said they found a cell phone left at the home by one of the suspects and arrested Winters on April 3. Brown was arrested May 1 and is accused of being at the scene during the robbery.

The couple freed themselves from the zip ties and drove to a hospital, authorities said. Deputies said in March that the man, who was hit by the machete, was in stable condition. The Dodge Charger was later found on Dedeaux Road.

Winters and Brown are held in the Harrison County jail on respective bonds of $625,000 and $500,000.

This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 6:17 AM.