Five men in Florida are facing serious charges after allegedly robbing a man of a $30 vape pen as he walked home from work. This incident took place around 9:36 p.m. on a Sunday in Winter Haven, as reported by the Winter Haven Police Department.
According to investigators, the victim was approached by a pickup truck while walking home. Five men exited the vehicle and demanded the victim hand over everything in his pockets. The victim informed them he only had a cellphone and a vape pen.
The police reported that one suspect showed a gun tucked into his waistband and demanded the items.
The men searched the victim’s pockets and took the vape pen. They also asked for his cellphone, but the victim refused, mentioning it had a tracker. The suspects then fled the scene in the pickup truck.
Officers later tracked down the truck at a nearby residence and saw men matching the suspects’ descriptions. Once approached, the men ran into the house and initially refused to come out. However, they were eventually detained.
Involved in the crime were 18-year-old Damarius Jamel Taylor, 18-year-old Tayshawn Williams, 19-year-old Javon Prince Jackson-Roby, 19-year-old Martice Spears Jr., and 19-year-old Deshawn Antwon Lampkin. All were charged with robbery with a weapon and petit theft.
A 17-year-old girl in the truck that night told investigators she had gone with her boyfriend and friends to several stores before stopping near a cemetery. She did not witness the robbery but recalled hearing yelling and later saw one of the men return to the vehicle with a green vape pen.
Damarius Jamel Taylor faced additional charges due to an outstanding warrant in Highlands County. Additionally, two 17-year-old girls were charged with resisting arrest without violence, with one providing a false birth date and the other refusing entry to police officers during the arrest.
Efforts to contact the Winter Haven Police Department for more details were made by Fox News Digital. Brittany Miller, a Fox News Digital writer, has contributed to this report.