Fugitive captured while ‘engaging in black magic ritual,’ Florida sheriff says

A “black magic ritual” was interrupted when someone called 911 to report a man was behaving unusually and “burning unknown items” behind a Florida shopping mall, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened late Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the European Village in Palm Coast, and deputies arrived to find the suspect still there.

“A caller advised they saw a suspicious male behind the businesses walking along the tree line and burning unknown items,” the sheriff’s office said.

“When FCSO deputies arrived, they located (a man) standing along the wood line with a half-melted candle in his pant’s pocket. Simpson advised that he was engaging in a ‘black magic’ ritual utilizing the candle.”

Details of the ritual and its intent were not released. It was also unclear why the man, who is from Raleigh, North Carolina, chose to perform it behind an upscale Florida shopping center.

Black magic is a form of supernatural spell casting with the goal of invoking evil spirits or the devil himself. Spells can include curses on others or protection from such curses.

It was during a background check that deputies discovered the 31-year-old man was wanted for “threatening to kill” law enforcement officers. Those threats were made against the Moore County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina in December, officials said.

That prompted an arrest and the man resisted being put in handcuffs, adding to his charges, officials said.

He was being held Nov. 11 without bond in the Flagler County’s detention center, awaiting extradition to Moore County, officials said. He also faces a Florida charge of resisting arrest.

“Thanks to the vigilance of a citizen and our ‘see something, say something’ initiative this fugitive will now face the consequences of threatening law enforcement after being on the run for a year,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in the release.

“Remember, if you see something, say something!”

Palm Coast is about 60 miles south of Jacksonville.

This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 6:32 AM with the headline "Fugitive captured while ‘engaging in black magic ritual,’ Florida sheriff says."