A third teenager arrested in connection with the armed burglary of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper's home and the shooting of his retired police dog was "the principal of the other two co-defendants," a state representative told a judge Thursday.
The 17-year-old, who did not say much in court Thursday aside from "yes, sir" to the judge, will wait in a juvenile detention center until the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office decides whether he will be tried as a juvenile or an adult. The state has 21 days to makes its decision.
Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Donald Hafele told the teen, who was arrested Wednesday on a burglary charge, that he is to have no contact with the victim or the other two teens arrested in the case.
"These are extremely serious charges," the judge said. "I would strongly advise you, as the juvenile judge, that you should not speak to anyone other than (your) attorney."
The state representative told Hafele that the 17-year-old is considered "the principal of the other two co-defendants," who each face armed burglary charges. Those charges are first-degree felonies, punishable by life in prison, the woman said.
She also informed the judge that the teen was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Records show that the teen has had three arrests since November 2010 on charges such as burglary, larceny, battery and marijuana possession.
Two others have been charged in the incident. Gilson Gilles, 19, was charged Dec. 11 with shooting into a building, felony cruelty to animals and armed burglary.
Ivins Rosier, 16, of suburban West Palm Beach, was arrested Nov. 29 on the same charges. Rosier is a student at Royal Palm Beach High School.
Investigators believe that three people broke into a suburban West Palm Beach home Nov. 18, knowing it belonged to a Florida Highway Patrol trooper.
Rosier allegedly committed the crime while wearing an ankle monitor designed to track his whereabouts by the Department of Juvenile Justice, because of a previous arrest.
He told police he intended to steal guns.
But before he got to the guns, detectives say, the three shot the trooper's 5-year-old German shepherd, a retired police dog.
After surviving several days, the dog, Drake, was put down because the wounds were too extensive.
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