South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Cops: 3 teens indicted in killing of man
getaway driver in a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck.
Griffin, a former paramedic, was making a latenight run to a Walmart pharmacy, about 1:25 a.m. Oct. 12, to pick up medicine for a sick co-worker when he was confronted by the three teenagers.
Griffin and t he coworker had landed at Mi- ami International Airport about 6 p.m. Oct. 11, returning from a business trip to Germany. He dropped off the co-worker and then went home.
About 12:33 a.m. Oct. 12 the co-worker called him about an upset stomach and he offered to take her to a hospital emergency room. She asked for some medi- cine instead so he went to the pharmacy.
A neighbor’s security camera recorded Griffin leaving his home about 1:14 a.m. and Walmart parking lot surveillance video showed him arriving about 1:25 a.m. Griffin walked up to the south side entrance but the doors were locked.
As he went back to his car, surveillance video shows the Avalanche driving up, Prendergast getting out of the passenger side, having words with Griffin, then stepping back and firing several shots at Griffin who collapses and dies beside his Camaro.
Prendergast got back in the Avalanche and tossed the gun to Soto in the back seat.
Soto later told detectives that he asked Prendergast: “Why did you shoot the man?”
According to Soto, Prendergast answered: “He was testing my gangster.”
Police ultimately recovered the gun Oct. 25 from a 911 caller who said he found the pink gun in his brother’s bedroom and knew the distinct-looking weapon belonged to Soto.
Soto was arrested that same day on an unrelated warrant and during police questioning admitted to being in the Avalanche and then identified Prendergast as the shooter, records show.
Soto said the gun was his and he brought it along for a drug robbery the group had planned that night. He would not say where or how he got the gun.
The trio was arrested following investigations involving Coconut Creek police and other local, state and federal authorities.
wkroustan@sunsentinel .com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan