4 charged in early-a.m. armed robbery
Tracking app on stolen cellphone helped in arrest.
WEST PALM BEACH — Three men — two of them under age 20 — and a juvenile were arrested by West Palm Beach police after they allegedly held up three people early Saturday at gunpoint downtown, according to an arrest report.
The three victims were walking eastbound on Gardenia Street near Quadrille Boulevard at about 3:30 a.m. when a vehicle pulled up beside them. LeJuan Nekia Townes jumped out of the car and pointed a handgun at one of the victims, the report said.
Townes allegedly grabbed one victim by the chest and demanded his valuables, including a cellphone. He then allegedly stole a female victim’s purse.
When the female’s boyfriend interceded, Townes allegedly pointed a gun at the man’s head.
T h e v i c - t i ms we r e able to provide police with the getaway vehicle’s license tag. A tracking app on the stolen cellphone helped Palm Beach County sheriff ’s deputies locate the car in western Palm Beach County. PBSO pursued the vehicle which ended up crashing on Crestwood Boulevard, just north of Okeechobee Boulevard, in Royal Palm Beach, the report said.
Townes, o f West Pa l m Beach, is facing several felony counts including robbery with a firearm and assault with intent to commit a felony. He is being held without bond after violating the terms of his release in connection with an arrest in May on multiple counts of possession of a weapon by a felon.
Townes, 20, is identified in his arrest report as a student at John I. Leonard High School in Greenacres.
Jakevious Andrews of Belle Glade and Ronald Tarver of West Palm Beach are also facing several charges including armed robbery.
Andrews, 18, and Tarver, 19, also are being held without bond.
The juvenile, 17, is in custody at the Juvenile Assessment Center.