Teen Accused In Broadwalk Robberies In Bond Court

FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - One of the five teens arrested in connection with a string of violent robberies along Hollywood's Broadwalk made his first appearance in bond court on Thursday.

During the hearing, the judge granted Alejandro Perez, 19, a bond amount of $30 thousand.

Hollywood police say Perez along with 17-year old John Wakula, 17-year old Alejandro (Alex) Balais, 18-year old Zackary Gonzalez and 19-year old Jason Noval committed a string of strong armed robberies in March and April.

According to police, they got a break in the case when detectives tracked items taken in a March 10th robbery on the Broadwalk to Family Pawn located in the 2700 block of State Road 7.
Investigation revealed that Noval had pawned the items. Noval was taken into custody and during question gave information that led to the arrest of Balais and Perez.

Marian Salgado, a counselor with Hollywood's Teen Achievement Association says Balais and Gonzalez called her, and she helped bring them in. She says her organization has counseled them for years.

"They've been neglected from one home, to another home," said Salgado.

And despite the cruel acts police have charged them with, Salgado says the teen boys are not bad people.

"They're quiet, they'll listen to you and they need love."

According to police reports, on March 10th there were two robberies at the beach. The first happened around midnight in the 600 block of the Broadwalk when three males and a female stole a purse from a woman. A short time later the group also beat up a man in the same area and stole $16 thousand in jewelry.

Further investigation, led to a witness to one of the robberies who told investigators she was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Perez on March 9 just before 11:00 p.m. and watched as Balais, Gonzalez and Wakula got out of the vehicle and robbed Ihar Miatselitsa in the 12-hundred block of Hollywood Boulevard. The woman said the trio got away with Miatselitsa's bag of groceries which they later threw away.

Police say they've also been able to tie the teens to a March 5th robbery, also in the 600 block of the Broadwalk.

Don Hendrickson said he was walking home early in the morning when a teen approached and asked him for a dollar.

"I said, 'Sorry. I don't,' Hendrickson said. "I started to walk away. In the meantime, I turned my back and the other three guys jumped me."

Hendrickson said the attack lasted 10-15 minutes and left him with two black eyes, swollen ears and various cuts and scrapes.

"My son said I looked like I went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali," he said.

His attackers got away with his wallet and about $300.

Two of the teens were also charged in the April 10th robbery of 76-year old Paul Spates.
The snowbird said he was in the 500 block of the Broadwalk in the middle of his morning walk when he saw two guys walking towards him who appeared to be drunk. When they got near to him, Spates said they jumped him.

"He said 'Do you have any water' and I said 'I don't have any water, I don't have any money, I don't have nothing'," recalled Spates. "Right away he punched my face and then I fell down and he started kicking me and I 'Don't hurt me, don't hurt me'."

Spates said one of his attacker then grabbed a rock or brick and slammed it into his head. They got away with Spates' $19 Timex watch and his house keys.