Suspect arrested in Florida after killings of 3 teens
OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A 16-year-old boy wanted as part of an investigation into the killings of three teenagers in central Florida was captured by authorities, days after another teenager and a 12-year-old were charged in the deaths.
The teen was arrested Saturday by U.S. marshals in Groveland, Florida, located 30 miles west of Orlando. He is facing charges of carjacking with a firearm, aggravated assault, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and tampering with an electronic monitoring device, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The two suspects previously in custody were charged with first-degree murder last week. Prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine whether the suspects will be charged as adults. The Associated Press does not publish the names of juveniles unless they have been charged with adult crimes.
The shooting suspects and victims were all in a vehicle belonging to 16-year-old Layla Silvernail at the time of the killings, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at a news conference last week. Authorities say Silvernail was killed, but they have not released the names of the other two victims, a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy.
Woods said everyone in the vehicle was involved in gangs and the three who died were in there of their own free will.