A North Carolina fugitive was recently caught while performing what he said was a “black magic ritual” behind a shopping center in Palm Coast, Florida, on November 8.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call of a man behaving strangely and “burning unknown items” behind the mall.
“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 in a Facebook post.
When deputies arrived at the European Village mall, they confronted the suspect, who they identified as 31-year-old Raleigh resident Isiah Simpson.
According to Simpson, he was performing black magic at the time.
“When FCSO deputies arrived, they located (a man) standing along the wood line with a half-melted candle in his pants pocket. Simpson advised that he was engaging in a ‘black magic’ ritual utilizing the candle.”
The FCSO wrote that Simpson was wanted for threatening to kill Moore County Sheriff’s Office deputies in December last year.
When deputies attempted to put handcuffs on Simpson, he reportedly resisted.
“After confirming Simpson’s identity, deputies attempted to place Simpson under arrest for his North Carolina fugitive warrant. While attempting to place him in cuffs, Simpson resisted arrest,” the FCSO wrote.
Simpson was later charged with resisting an officer without violence and for being a fugitive from justice.
He was then transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was held without bond, awaiting extradition to Moore County.
“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,” Sheriff Rick Staly wrote. “Another fugitive chose the wrong county to visit and is now in the Green Roof Inn waiting for his ride back to North Carolina. Remember, if you see something, say something!”
Flagler County deputies also reportedly arrested a separate fugitive the same day —Maryland resident Benjamin Dorsey IV — who was fleeing a court order and was later extradited back to Maryland.
Palm coast is roughly 60 miles south of Jacksonville.
