Police to TNT: Quinton Dunbar remains at large in Florida after DeAndre Baker surrenders
Seahawks defensive back Quinton Dunbar remained at large in Florida for a third day Saturday, wanted on four felony counts of armed robbery, even as his alleged partner in the crime he’s been accused of in Florida turned himself in.
Tania Rues, public information officer for the Miramar police department, told The News Tribune as of 12:30 p.m. Eastern time Saturday Dunbar is still wanted by authorities.
“We do not have any updates regarding Dunbar,” Rues said. “He has not turned himself in yet.”
New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker turned himself into authorities early Saturday. Baker also had been wanted since Thursday, hours after the two NFL players were at a party where people were robbed of expensive jewelry and cash, according to the arrest warrant request and statement of probable cause filed by a Miramar police detective Thursday.
Baker is facing four counts of armed robbery and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm from an incident at a party he and his Miami childhood friend Dunbar attended Wednesday night in Miramar, a Broward County city about 20 miles north of where Dunbar grew up.
Dunbar’s Miami attorney, Michael Grieco, told the TNT Friday night he and Dunbar had been speaking with authorities about Dunbar turning himself in on Monday. Grieco said police and prosecutors initially seemed agreeable to that plan—but then on Friday said Dunbar had to surrender immediately.
Grieco said his client was in still in south Florida as of Friday night.
Both Dunbar’s lawyer and the attorney for Baker, Bradford Cohen, each say they have affidavits from victims and witnesses at Wednesday’s party that exonerate the players. Dunbar’s lawyer, Grieco, says his five sworn statements are from the same five people—four victims and a witness—who “completely recanted” to him the statements each gave to police the night of the party.
It was those statements the police detective used as his basis for probable cause to file to the request for the arrest warrants on Dunbar and Baker that a Broward County judge approved on Thursday.
Dunbar’s attorney and the lawyer for Baker are taking opposite tacks with Miramar police and the warrants.
Grieco ripped the Miramar police Friday, telling the TNT the department was running a “low-class, amateur-hour” operation. Dunbar’s attorney is particularly angered Miramar police publicized the approval by a Broward County judge of the arrest warrant out on his client on the department’s official Twitter page—and in doing so “tagged” the Seahawks (@Seahawks).
“The real story is the Miramar police department rushed with judgment on two NFL players,” Grieco said.
“I’ve never seen such low-class behavior from a police department,” Grieco, a former prosecutor in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office, told The News Tribune.
“The handling by the department...it’s amateur hour.
“Now, they are digging in their heels” by insisting on carrying out the arrest warrant,” Grieco said.
Miramar PD is giving what the department spokesperson has termed a reasonable time for Dunbar and Baker to surrender to authorities.
The TNT asked Rues, the Miramar police PIO, on Friday what a “reasonable amount of time” was before authorities would go find Dunbar to apprehend him. Rues was also asked if police felt Dunbar was a flight risk to avoid apprehension.
“Unfortunately, we cannot comment further in regards to specifics about reasonable amount of time or whether or not he is considered a flight risk,” Rues said.
“The warrant stands for right now. We cannot speculate as to whether or not he will surrender.”
Instead of assailing police publicly, Baker’s attorney is praising them. Cohen wrote on his Instagram account Saturday morning after the Giants player surrendered to authorities:
“We believe our client is innocent of all charges,” Cohen said. “We urge people not to rush to judgment. We have affidavits from several witnesses that exonerate my client.”
Cohen, like Grieco, says he has several affidavits from witnesses exonerating his client. Baker’s attorney said he plans to present those sworn statements plus video evidence to the judge at the appropriate time.
Both Dunbar and Baker have warrants for a “no bond hold.” That means they will, upon surrender, remain in jail until at least a judge holds an arraignment, if not after it. That arraignment hearing would likely be during the coming week.
Three victims and one other witness gave conflicting reports to police whether Dunbar had a gun during the robberies they depict Baker led of expensive watches and thousands of dollars in cash at a party in Miramar Wednesday night. One witness said Dunbar had and showed a gun. Multiple others said he did not.
Chapter 812.13 of the 2019 Florida Statutes states, in part: “If in the course of committing the robbery the offender carried a firearm or other deadly weapon, then the robbery is a felony of the first degree, punishable by imprisonment for a term of years not exceeding life imprisonment or as provided in (other statutory guidelines).”
Florida has a minimum-sentencing law that requires a sentence of at least 10 years in prison for anyone convicted of a felony while using or attempting to use a firearm.
If in the course of committing a robbery the offender did not use a firearm or deadly weapon, then the same Florida statute says the robbery is a felony in the second degree.
The Seahawks acquired Dunbar in a trade with Washington in March to perhaps become their new starting cornerback. He spoke to Seattle-area media on a Zoom call online from his home in south Florida late Thursday morning, Eastern Time. That was about 11 hours after the alleged incident at the party Dunbar’s attorney confirmed to the TNT the Seahawks player attended.
In the Zoom interview with Seattle media Thursday, Dunbar—who has earned more than $8 million in his five-year NFL career and is due a salary of $3.25 million in 2020—called Seattle “a perfect fit.” He said that multiple times. He talked of how he appreciated the Seahawks for acquiring him.
“You just want to feel wanted, at the end of the day. The guys, they made a trade...for me. That’s good enough,” Dunbar said Thursday.
“Now I just hope to repay them in the way I carry myself as a person and as a player.”
This story was originally published May 16, 2020 at 9:53 AM.
