On Wednesday, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced that 24 years after a woman reported being sexually assaulted in the Poquito Bayou area near Shalimar, the suspect, now aged 60 and living under an alias, is behind bars in Okaloosa County.
Charles Craig Senior was recently transferred to the Okaloosa County Jail from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office in California. Craig is accused of sexual battery in the early morning hours of March 11, 1999, according to the OCSO.
The victim says on that date she was leaving El Villa’s Lounge in Mary Esther when a man, who identified himself as “Ron,” offered her a ride. He drove her to an area near Sunset Lane in Poquito Bayou, grabbed her by the throat, and threatened to break her neck if she didn’t comply to his demands, according to the report.
- After the sexual battery, he released the victim at the intersection of State Road 89 and State Road 85 before a passerby picked her up and took her to the Niceville Police Department. A sexual assault kit and other items of evidence were collected.
In February of 2020, evidence was sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a new examination and a DNA profile was acquired, matching Craig. The OCSO determined Craig was living under the alias of Ronald Grisby and in February 1999 had listed his address as Destin.
After extensive efforts to locate him, Craig was finally found in California and signed a waiver of extradition back to Florida in late February.
“I’m so proud of the determination and ongoing efforts to seek justice demonstrated by our deputies,” said Sheriff Eric Aden. “It’s rewarding when cold cases heat up again, leading to an arrest that’s been a long time in the making.”
