WEST PALM BEACH, FL — Three more teenagers have been arrested in the armed robbery of an aspiring barber at Okeeheelee Park, pushing the number of people charged in the Palm Beach County case to seven.
Investigators say the robbery was planned over several days and set up through Instagram, where the victims were led to believe they were arranging a legitimate haircut. Deputies say several suspects gathered at the park before the meeting, and surveillance video showed some of them handling firearms before hiding in the woods.
When the victims arrived, deputies say the suspects came out of the woods and attacked. One victim was held at gunpoint while the teenage barber was tackled and beaten, and barber equipment worth about $1,200 was taken.
Arrests add Licona, Funes Cartagena and Diaz Cruz to case
Palm Beach County deputies arrested 18-year-old Aaron Nehemias Licona, 18-year-old Edwin Funes Cartagena and 18-year-old Jan Marcos Diaz Cruz on Tuesday. Each was charged with two counts of robbery with a firearm.
The three arrests follow earlier arrests in the same case and bring the total to seven suspects. Deputies have not publicly laid out each person’s specific role in the robbery, but the probable cause affidavit says the group worked together as part of a coordinated plan.
According to investigators, the robbery was not a spur-of-the-moment crime. The affidavit says the suspects had been discussing it for days before the park meeting was arranged.
Deputies say the robbery was motivated by revenge
Investigators believe part of the motive came from a separate incident involving one of the suspects. The affidavit says Jan Marcos Diaz Cruz had been robbed about two weeks earlier while trying to sell a firearm and wanted revenge.
Deputies say that led the group to target the teenage barber instead. The arrangement through Instagram appeared to be a haircut appointment, but investigators say it was used to draw the victims into a place where the suspects were already waiting.
The case details show deputies believe the park was chosen deliberately and that the suspects used the wooded area as cover before confronting the victims.
Surveillance video showed firearms and suspects hiding in the woods
Surveillance footage played an important role in the investigation, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives say it showed several suspects handling guns at the park before they moved into the woods and waited for the victims to arrive.
Once the victims got there, investigators say the group rushed out. One victim was threatened with a gun while the teenage barber was physically assaulted, leaving the barber equipment behind in the robbery.
The stolen items were valued at roughly $1,200. Deputies say the box containing the clippers was among what was taken during the attack.
Suspect identified others after robbery, affidavit says
One of the already arrested suspects, Josue Jesus-Mejia, later helped detectives identify two of the newly arrested men in surveillance images, according to the affidavit. He identified Funes and Diaz from the footage.
Jesus-Mejia also told detectives that Diaz hit the teen in the face with the butt of a gun and took the box holding the barber’s clippers. The affidavit says he reported that two other suspects admitted they had hit the victim as well.
Those statements gave investigators another view of how the attack unfolded and how the suspects allegedly divided up roles after the robbery.
Detectives say more people may still be involved
After the robbery, deputies say the group went to a Papa John’s on Military Trail. Investigators are still working to identify additional people they believe took part in the crime.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says the case remains open. With seven arrests already made, detectives are continuing to piece together who else may have been involved and how the planning developed before the park meeting.
No further details were immediately released about the remaining suspects or whether additional charges are expected.
