Police in Winter Haven, Florida, have charged five men with felony robbery after an incident involving a stolen vape pen valued at approximately $30. The robbery occurred around 9:36 p.m. on Sunday as the victim was walking home from work.
According to the Winter Haven Police Department, the victim encountered a pickup truck from which five men emerged, demanding his possessions. The victim informed them that he only had a cellphone and a vape pen. One suspect revealed a gun in his waistband, insisting on the handover of these items.
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Damarius Jamel Taylor faces charges of robbery and theft as authorities linked him to the group involved in the robbery, according to police. Officers stated the men took the vape pen and asked for the cellphone too, but the victim did not comply, claiming his phone had a tracker.
The suspects then left the scene in the truck. The police later traced the vehicle to a residence, where they identified several individuals matching the suspects’ descriptions. As officers approached, the men attempted to elude capture by rushing inside but were eventually detained once they exited the building.
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Among the detained was a 17-year-old girl who had been with the group during the incident. She informed investigators she had joined her boyfriend and others on a trip to several stores before halting near a cemetery. While in the truck, she heard someone shouting and later saw one of her companions return with a green vape pen.
Deshawn Antwon Lampkin was arrested as one of the suspects identified in the armed robbery, police reported. The list of those charged includes Damarius Jamel Taylor, 18, Tayshawn Williams, 18, Javon Prince Jackson-Roby, 19, Martice Spears Jr., 19, and Deshawn Antwon Lampkin, 19.
Charges against them involve robbery with a weapon and petit theft. Taylor’s arrest also included an outstanding warrant from Highlands County. Additionally, two 17-year-old girls faced charges for resisting arrest without violence, the police indicated.
One minor reportedly gave false information regarding her birth date, while the other initially blocked officers from entering the residence after the suspects fled inside.