Lake Worth man arrested, charged in home invasions
He took part in two incidents in 2016 in Lantana, police say.
A 22-year-old Lake Worth an occupied dwelling with man is being held withassault or battery and kidout bail in the Palm Beach napping with a firearm. He County Jail for his part in has been held at the jail withthe invasion of two homes out bond since his arrest. in Lantana in 2016, accordThe arrest report indicates ing to an arrest report. that the third man involved
Raul Gongora Jr., who was in the home invasion has not arrested Friday, is facing six been arrested. counts of home invasion with Gongora and the third a firearm. man approached a resi
Gongora is one of three dent outside his home on men who allegedly barged the 400 block of Gator Drive into two apartments at a at about 2 a.m. and ordered building near Federal High- him inside the apartment at way and Lantana Road on gunpoint, the report said. Jan. 25, 2016, and robbed six They robbed the two resimen of $5,300 in valuables. dents of the apartment, then
Brandon Thomas Ryan, 21, went next door, where they of Lake Worth was arrested robbed four more people in August 2016 and is fac- inside their home, the report ing charges of burglary of said.
The home invaders made a couple of choices that helped lead to their arrests, according to the arrest report.
First, Gongora and the third man repeatedly called Ryan by his first name during the robberies, the report said.
Secondly, cellphones that were stolen from the victims were left on, allowing Lantana police to track the devices to several locations, including a Walmart.
A surveillance video from the Walmart “clearly” identifies Ryan walking into the store, police said.
Police also found Ryan’s Facebook page, which shows him and Gongora posing with firearms. One of the home-invasion victims identified Gongora in a police lineup “without hesitation,” the report said.