FELLSMERE — A 17-year-old was arrested and faces a charge of filing a false report after he told Fellsmere Police in October he was robbed at gunpoint on his way home from work.
Instead, authorities now believe the teen was never held up.
During their investigation into the teen’s claim of the armed robbery investigation, Fellsmere Police have found evidence that have led them to believe the victim made a false report, according to authorities.
The alleged incident occurred Oct. 4 when a 17-year-old male reported he was walking home from work and was robbed at gunpoint in the vicinity of Oregon Avenue and N. Hickory Street, according to police. (The original article can be read below.)
Fellsmere Police found that the necklace matching the description of the one reportedly taken during the robbery was pawned at ATM Jewelry and Pawn in Palm Bay, according to authorities. The person that pawned the necklace was the brother of the victim. The necklace was pawned for $800.
The “victim” now faces a misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting a crime, according to police.
“The Fellsmere Police Department is releasing this information to inform the community that this robbery incident was fabricated and there is no one running around at large, robbing people at gunpoint,” according to their press release.
Oct. 5, 10:11 a.m.
FELLSMERE — The Fellsmere Police Department is investigating an armed robbery that happened Saturday night, according to police.
Around 10:15 p.m., officers of the Fellsmere Police Department investigated the report of an armed robbery in the vicinity of Oregon Avenue and N. Hickory Street, according to the department.
The victim told officers he was walking home from work at a nearby business when an unknown suspect robbed him at gunpoint.
The victim described the suspect as a black male approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, possibly in his 30s, according to authorities.
He was wearing dark colored pants, a dark colored hooded sweatshirt, and a “beanie” on his head.
The suspect “jumped out” of a wooded area on the south side of Oregon Avenue near N. Hickory Street and pointed a handgun at him, according to the victim. Details regarding the handgun have not been released.
The suspect demanded the victim empty his pockets and when told they were empty, he ripped two chains from the victim’s neck and fled on foot, heading north on N. Hickory Street, according to police.
Officers and deputies from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office set up a perimeter and attempted to track the suspect with an Indian River County Sheiriff’s K-9 unit, but could not locate him.
It is possible that the suspect got into a vehicle to make escape, but whether or not he acted alone has not yet been determined, according to police.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Fellsmere Police Department at (772) 571-1360 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-8477.