COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. -- A jury found a man guilty of robbery after DNA from a cigarette butt placed him at the scene of a robbery in Immokalee in 2016..
56-year-old John Edward Pickett, Jr. was found guilty after less than an hour of deliberations in Collier County.
According to the State Attorney's Office, in December 2016, Pickett approached a customer outside a Main Street restaurant and punched the 60-year-old man in the face. The victim lost consciousness and fell to the ground, causing a head gash.
Pickett too the victim's cash and cell phone and fled the scene.
The victim required 15 stitches but has since recovered and is left with a small scar.
Surveillance video showed the suspect flicking a cigarette to the ground, and DNA samples taken from the butt matched that of Pickett.
Pickett faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced. His sentencing date has not yet been
set.
