Man, 37, is charged with 3 gas station robberies in 1 day
LANTANA — A Greenacres man is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail on charges that he robbed gas stations in Lantana, Lake Worth and Greenacres over a two-hour period last week, according to arrest reports.
Billy Ferrell Martin III, 37, is facing two counts each of robbery by sudden snatching, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and burglary of an occupied structure, as well as one count of robbery with a firearm.
The robberies took place Nov. 21 between 2:50 a.m. and 4:16 a.m., according to the reports.
The first robbery took place at the Chevron gas station at Dixie Highway and Sixth Avenue South in Lake Worth. Palm Beach County sheriff ’s deputies say Martin entered the business, then jumped over the counter and went through a security window to take money from a cash register. The clerk pushed Martin backward, causing him to flee.
At 3:12 a.m., Martin walked into Dailey’s gas station on West Lantana Road just east of Interstate 95 and attempted to steal a cash register, police said.
When two clerks confronted him, Martin reached into his pocket as if to retrieve a weapon, Lantana police said.
“If either one of you don’t get back here and open this cash drawer, I am going to kill you with the gun I have in my pocket,” Martin told the clerks, police said. The clerks fled and phoned 911. Martin left the store with two packs of cigarettes.
Martin finished his run of robberies at 4:16 a.m. at the Cumberland Farms gas station at Military Trail and Melaleuca Lane in Greenacres, deputies said. Martin approached the clerk and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash register, Martin jumped over the counter and took cash, deputies said.
The clerk grabbed Martin by the arm and took the stolen money from his hand, a sheriff ’s report said. Martin jumped into a 1999 Mitsubishi Mirage and fled.
Martin was arrested by Palm Beach County sheriff ’s deputies at the intersection of 10th Avenue North and Congress Avenue in Palm Springs about 45 minutes after the Cumberland Farms robbery. He tried to flee through a parking lot in the Mitsubishi but crashed, the report said.
Martin told deputies he robbed the businesses to support his drug habit.
Prison records show that Martin was released from prison Aug. 2 after serving more than five years on charges including vehicular manslaughter and burglary. He is scheduled to remain under community-supervised release through August.
A 27-year-old woman accompanying Martin was detained but was not arrested.