3rd suspect arrested in connection to murder of 3 teenagers in Florida

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A third suspect reportedly involved in the murders of three teens in Marion County, Florida, has been arrested, officials say.

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In a news release Saturday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said that U.S. Marshals, along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office near Groveland took Tahj Brewton, 16, into custody for his alleged involvement in the murders.

Brewton was arrested on outstanding warrants for carjacking with a firearm, aggravated assault, grand theft of a motor vehicle, feeding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and tampering with an electronic monitoring device, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Billy Woods held a news conference on Friday sharing that two others were arrested, according to WFTV. They were identified as Robert Robinson, 17, and Christopher Atkins, 12. Both are facing first-degree murder charges.

Deputies believe both the victims and the suspects were involved in burglaries and robberies and that “each and every one of them, in some shape or form, is associated with a gang,” the sheriff said.

Two girls and a boy were found dead with gunshot wounds days apart, according to WFTV.

Deputies found Layla Silvernail, 16, shot near the rural community of Forest Lakes Park in Marion County on March 30. Authorities said she later died of her injuries.

The next morning, deputies found a 17-year-old boy dead of an apparent gunshot wound beside a road about a half mile from the area where Silvernail was found. On Saturday, authorities found Silvernail’s car partially submerged in a pond about 9 miles from where she was injured. In the trunk of the car, deputies found a 16-year-old girl who appeared to have died of a gunshot wound.

According to the news outlet, Woods said that all three suspects left the scene after the three teens were killed at the same time.

“They fled but left a lot of evidence in their wake,” Woods said, according to WFTV.