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Deputy charged with attempted murder after shoving pills down elderly victim’s throat

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL (WFLA) – An 18-year veteran of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has been arrested on numerous charges, including attempted murder.

Sheriff Knight said allegations that Frankie Eugene Bybee,46, was harassing a 79-year old woman led to an investigation into the deputies actions.

Sheriff Knight asserted Bybee took care of the elderly woman’s dog, visited her in the hospital and introduced her to his family – all in an effort to gain her trust.

The initial reports began on December 20, 2016, with the woman claiming the deputy was supposed to be watching her dog while she was ill and in the hospital. Instead, the deputy is accused of selling the dog on Craigslist, stealing checks from the victim’s house and writing them to himself and his children in the amount of $65-thousand.

According to arrest affidavits, on January 9, four checks were written to Deputy Bybee in the victim’s name. Investigators say the former deputy is accused of stealing checks from the victim’s house and writing them to himself and his children in the amount of $65-thousand.

Three days later, on January 12, the victim told officials Bybee entered her home through an unlocked door. The victim said Bybee was dressed in dark clothes and wearing latex gloves.

According to the arrest affidavit, Bybee was agitated with the elderly woman for filing an initial complaint with the sheriff’s office.

The victim told officials the suspect “grabbed her face with his gloved hands and pressed hard against causing her to bleed from her mouth,” the affidavit stated.

The victim stated, Bybee tried to forced a handful of unknown pills into her mouth while placing his knee in her pelvis before trying to “force” the victim to take her own tranquilizer medication that was used to help her sleep, the document stated.

The victim lost consciousness for a period of time before regaining conscience-ness and noticing her kitchen door ajar to her garage, her car running and the house filling with carbon monoxide.

“It is beyond unacceptable that an individual who works in a position of trust and guardianship to their community is capable of such heinous crimes. His actions are a disgrace not only to our agency but to law enforcement professionals everywhere,” said Sheriff Tom Knight.

Following an investigation, the sheriff’s office charged Bybee with attempted murder, exploitation of an elderly person, grand theft, forgery, burglary. He is in the Sarasota County Jail.

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