Boy, 15, faces charges of attempted murder in robbery case

BOYNTON BEACH — A

15-year-old boy was arrested for attempted murder in Boynton Beach after he and two others robbed four people in a car and then fired shots at the car as it tried to escape, officials said.

Boynton Beach police said the teen was arrested at his mother’s house Wednesday after the four robbery victims positively identified him as the shooter in the incident that occurred in the 1500 block of Southwest Eighth Street.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel is not identifying the teen because of his age.

The teen and his two accomplices flagged down a car in a parking lot that serves numerous businesses, including Home Depot and Restaurant Depot. The victims, who are from out of town, were shopping at Restaurant Depot. While they were talking to the robbers, one pulled a gun and demanded money.

Fearing he’d be shot, one victim gave the trio money. But they wanted more money, and the 15-year-old fired a warning shot away from the car, police said.

The driver of the victims’ car accelerated quickly and pulled away, and the

15-year-old fired at the car. Bullets grazed two passengers, one in the head and another in the shoulder, and hit a coffee mug one passenger was holding. The car was shot multiple times.

Police got video surveillance of the crime from neighboring businesses and got descriptions of the suspects. They were able to identify one suspect as a resident of a nearby community, which is where witnesses said the suspects were seen heading during their escape.

Police went to the 15-yearold’s apartment where he lived with his mother. During a search of the apartment, police said they found clothing belonging to the two accomplices.

Police said the 15-year-old confessed to firing the gun but said he was only trying to shoot out the car’s tires so it would crash.

The 15-year-old was charged with four counts of attempted murder and one count of discharging a firearm in public.