THREE
JUVENILES CHARGED IN SERIES OF ARMED ROBBERIES
Three teenagers - 14,
14, and 15 - were arrested before dawn Sunday and charged with
committing a number of armed robberies that afflicted an area
of east-central Clearwater over
the past two weeks.
The teenagers, said
CPD Detective Laura Spelman, would usually approach their victims
under cover of darkness and use anything from a knife or a handgun
(probably a BB gun that looks like a Smith & Wesson handgun)
to a metal pipe to reinforce their verbal threats in intimidating
their prey into complying with their demands.
No one was hurt in
the as-many-as eight robberies in the Wood Valley neighborhoods
since January 27.
Clearwater Police Criminal
Investigations Division Robbery/Homicide Detectives combined intelligence
and resources with the Patrol Division's two "Community Problem
Response" (CPR) teams to identify and capture those responsible
for the robberies, most of which were aimed at people walking
along the streets or in the parking lots of apartment complexes
just north of the area of Drew Street and Fairwood Avenue. Last
week, CPR officers were assigned to the Wood Valley and attendant
geographical areas, working throughout the night to identify and
locate the robbers.
Invariably, the bandits
were masked and gloved, keeping investigators from compiling detailed
descriptions of the robbers; but the methods, circumstances and
proximity of the robberies led Detectives to believe the same
people were responsible for the multiple crimes.
Arrested and charged
with two counts of Armed Robbery and one count of Attempted Armed
Robbery was DERICK CLAUDE GRAY (06-14-91) who has been residing
at the 2001 Brigadoon Drive apartment where the trio was taken
into custody. Also arrested were BENJAMIN TODD HAIGHT (12-03-92),
of 2866 St. John Drive in Clearwater, and DANIEL JAMAR BROWN (06-03-91),
who was staying at the Brigadoon address, both of whom were charged
with three counts of Armed Robbery and two counts of Attempted
Armed Robbery. None of the three was reported as missing or as
a runaway.
They were arrested
shortly after two people at a 511 Fairwood Avenue apartment were
approached by a lone gunman who confronted them around 3 o'clock
this morning (Sunday,
February 11) as they sat on their patio. When the robber discovered
the victims had no valuables in their pockets to surrender, he
ran eastward, and Police were notified.
CPR team members were
in the immediate area, and officers - already familiar with the
pattern of the crimes - flooded the neighborhood and called for
a K-9 tracking team. K-9 Officer Scott Dawson and his charge,
Koa, tracked the scent of the robber to the door of an apartment
at 2001 Brigadoon Drive. Police made contact with the three occupants,
and within short order, the juveniles had admitted to their involvement
in a number of the recent robberies.
The three told Detective
Spelman they had committed a number of crimes, and they even detailed
for the investigator how they lurked quietly in the darkness,
waiting for potential victims to enter the night's sphere of attack.
Investigators recovered a number of items believed connected to
the spate of robberies, including a realistic-looking BB gun.
All three suspects
were remanded to the custody of the Pinellas County Juvenile Assessment
Center; the investigation continues.
This is the extent
of information available about this case today. Additional details
will be released as circumstances warrant.
/s/
Wayne Shelor
Public Information Officer