Ponte Vedra Beach teen arrested in recent robbery

An arrest was reported to Historic City News today of the person law enforcement authorities say committed the armed robbery at the Kangaroo convenience store located at Marlin Road and the 100 block of SR-A1A on Sunday, September 15th.

Taken into custody yesterday morning was 16-year-old Zachary James Boothby who resides at 162 Bay Cove Drive in Ponte Vedra Beach. He is facing felony charges of robbery with a firearm and larceny; but, because he is still a teenager, Boothby was transferred from the St Johns County Jail to a juvenile detention facility.

The clerk on duty at the Kangaroo told investigators that a man wearing a mask came into the store and demanded money from her. After he threatened the clerk with a firearm, she says the robber fled the store on foot with a small amount of cash and cigarettes.

According to Kevin Kelshaw, media relations officer for the St Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Boothby is a person of interest in other crimes that have recently occurred in the Ponte Vedra Beach area. Four car burglaries were reported on Clearwater Drive early Wednesday morning and a burglary at Barbara Jean’s Restaurant occurred early Monday morning. Boothby was positively identified by school officials as the person observed breaking into at least eight vehicles in the Ponte Vedra High School parking lot.

While detectives were questioning the teen about the vehicle burglaries, they located, in his bedroom, the mask said to have been used in the convenience store robbery. They also recovered a b-b gun from Boothby’s vehicle that is believed to have been used in the robbery.

The investigation is continuing.