Community Affairs Officer Barbara Clifford of the St. Augustine Police Department informed local news reporters at Historic City News that two men and one juvenile were taken into custody yesterday after police say they robbed and beat a man on Anastasia Island.
About 1:45 p.m., Police Officer Brittany Garmon responded to a fight call at the Anchorage Inn, located at 1 Anastasia Boulevard.
The victim told Garmon that he was riding his bike when a green Chevy van drove by him and a white male began yelling at him.
The van pulled into the motel parking lot, according to the incident, and three white males starting punching and kicking the victim.
The attackers took the victim’s wallet, jumped back into the van, and fled the scene.
The victim reported that his assailants had t-shirts over their faces, but he recognized one of the robber’s voices as that of his 20 year-old ex-roommate, Joseph Rizzo.
The victim received minor injuries and was treated on scene.
About 20 minutes later, St Augustine Beach Police officers made contact with the green van and its three occupants; Rizzo, another 17 year old juvenile, and 18 year-old James W Hill. Rizzo and Hill both say that they reside at 1667 Masters Drive in St.Augustine.
The suspects claim that the victim owed Rizzo $1500. According to their statement, they spotted the victim riding his bike as they were on their way to the beach.
The three say that they pulled over in the motel parking lot, tied the shirts around their faces, and began punching the victim; who was transported back to the pier and positively identified all three as the ones who “beat him up”.
All three were taken into custody and charged with robbery. The two adults are in jail at this time in lieu of posting a $25,000 appearance bond.
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