MARY ESTHER, Fla. – The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) said it has arrested three teenagers suspected of the armed robbery of a Mary Esther business.
Two of the suspects live in Crestview, and the other is from Niceville, the OCSO said.
According to the OCSO, Watercloud Vapes at 300 Mary Esther Boulevard was robbed at gunpoint around 4:20 p.m. on August 14. The victim reported that two young Black males entered his store and asked to see specific products in the rear of the store. The OCSO later identified the suspects as 15-year-old boys, one from Crestview and the other from Niceville.
The victim said he walked into the back of the store, and the boys followed.
When the victim turned around, he said one of the boys displayed a gun with blue coloring and put it against his head, demanding cash. The OCSO said the boy holding the gun was the Crestview teen.
When the victim replied he didn’t have any cash, he said the teen became very agitated and searched his pockets, reportedly uttering threats to “blow his head off.” The 15-year-old is alleged to have then pulled the slide back on the gun, chambering a round.
The other boy allegedly filled a box with approximately $ 3,000 worth of various brands of legalized THC vape products. Both defendants reportedly ran out of the store and got into a vehicle allegedly operated by Chase Michael Davis, 18, of Crestview.
The OCSO said it located all the suspects and reported that deputies recovered a Glock-style handgun with blue coloring and another firearm from a home in Crestview.
According to the OCSO, distinctive clothing allegedly worn by the Crestview teenager during the robbery and some of the stolen products from the store were also recovered.
The three teenage suspects face charges of armed robbery and grand theft.
