3 teens charged in PBIA rental lot carjacking
Trio failed to steal two vehicles but carjacked a third, authorities say.
WEST PALM BEACH — Two juveniles — one of them 14 years old — are being charged as adults for their alleged roles in stealing vehicles and carjacking a woman last month at a rental car lot near Palm Beach International Airport.
Authorities transferred Christopher Williams, 17, of suburban West Palm Beach and Daquavious Burton, 14, of West Palm Beach from juvenile custody to the Palm Beach County Jail on Wednesday. Both face charges of carjacking and armed robbery, and Burton also faces a charge of grand theft. The teens are being held without bail.
Deputies also arrested a 13-yearold boy in connection with the crimes. The Palm Beach Post is not identifying the 13-year-old because he has not been charged as an adult.
The incidents began late the night of Nov. 7.
Palm Beach County sheriff ’s investigators say the teens unsuccessfully tried to steal two vehicles from the Enterprise Rent-aCar lot in the 2100 block of Belvedere Road, east of Congress Avenue. However, they did not get far, as they drove both an Infiniti SUV and a Chevy Malibu sedan over the parking lot’s tire deflation spikes, puncturing the tires on both vehicles.
Deputies say the teens were watching and waiting as vehicles were pulled into the rental lot’s carwash area.
After the stolen vehicles were disabled, the teens returned to the lot minutes later, approached a woman seated in a truck and demanded she get out and empty her pockets, according to sheriff ’s investigators.
Burton took the women’s driver’s license and warned that he knew where she lived, investigators said. The teens then sped away in the truck. To avoid a repeat of the punctured tires, the 13-yearold placed two sweatshirts on top of the spikes, and the truck was driven slowly over them, investigators said.
A manager for Enterprise contacted the OnStar tracking service, and police were able to track the vehicle to a home about 6 miles away, in the 700 block of 40th Street, near Burton’s home.
The teens were located and detained for questioning.
According to the sheriff ’s office, Williams acknowledged being near the rental car lot but denied any involvement in a crime. The 13-year-old admitted to the allegations but said Burton was carrying the gun. Burton refused to speak without an attorney.