3rd teen jailed in connection with 3 slayings
Robberies led to fatal shootings of other teenagers.
The third teenager arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office in connection to three recent homicides made his first appearance in court Saturday morning.
Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Martin Colin ordered Augustine Rivera, 17, be held without bail on first-degree murder charges. Rivera’s co-defendants, Joel Rodriguez, 18, and Carlos Hernandez, 19, made their first appearances Friday. Judge Sandra Bosso Pardo ordered both Rodriguez and Hernandez be held without bail on first-degree murder charges as well.
The three teens are not allowed to have contact with each other while the case remains open.
A group of people in the courtroom for Rivera declined to comment after the hearing.
The sheriff ’s office said Rodriguez, Hernandez and Rivera were arrested Thursday a f t e r L a nt a na pol i c e responded to a burglary call at the Hypoluxo Yacht Club, south of Hypoluxo Road and east of U.S. 1. Authorities say Rodriguez fired at a Lantana police officer with the same handgun used in three homicides.
Rodriguez confessed to shooting and killing Dalton Dobkins, 17, in Wellington on Nov. 30 and Aaron Valle, 18, and Elijah Montas, 17, outside the Serrano Apartments just east of Greenacres on Dec. 10. Rodriguez said he was startled by Dobkins, a Palm Beach Central High School student, when he and Rivera were burglarizing Dobkins’ residence at The Estates at Wellington Green, investigators said.
Rodriguez told investigators he also shot Valle and Montas during a robbery with Her- nandez near Sherwood Forest Boulevard and south of Forest Hill Boulevard. Valle was also a Palm Beach Central student.
Though Rodriguez confessed to all three fatal shootings, both Hernandez and Rivera also face first-degree murder charges. Under Florida law, if anyone is killed during a felony, such as burglary or robbery, all of the individuals involved in the alleged crime can also be charged with homicide even if they did not cause the death.
This month, former Flor- ida Atlantic University student Donovan Henry was found guilty of second-degree murder, armed robbery and armed burglary in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Nicholas Acosta in 2015. Though Henry was not the gunman, he was part of the group of men involved with stealing a bag of marijuana from Acosta when another man shot and killed him. Henry could face up to life in prison when he is sentenced.