MCSO Forensic Team Identifies Armed Robbery Suspect

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office named Latent Print Examiner Eric Laschke and Crime Scene Technician Jessica Bahnsen employees of the month for July 2026 after their work helped identify a suspect in an April armed robbery and shooting at a local video arcade.

Bahnsen recovered multiple identifiable latent fingerprints from a vehicle connected to the suspect. Laschke processed the prints through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System and identified a match, providing detectives with an investigative lead.

The armed robbery and shooting investigation remains active.