Three Arrested in Dunkin Donuts Attacks

Detectives got the break they wanted. Now three men are under arrest in connection with four violent armed robberies from Delray Beach to Sunrise.

The arrests were announced Wednesday afternoon at the Broward County Sheriff's headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale. Behind bars are 23-year old Jonathan Jackson, 20-year old Calvin Weatherspoon and 19-year old James Herard, all of Broward County.

They all claim allegiance to a violent South Florida gang.

Police say the men admitted to their involvement or connection to last week's robberies at Dunkin Donuts shops in Delray Beach, Tamarac and Sunrise, as well as a hold-up at a Pompano Beach 7-Eleven.

Four people were hit by gunfire in the Delray Beach hold-up, including an 84-year old man who was shot in the face. A man wounded at the Tamarac donut shop, is still in the hospital fighting for his life.

Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti said law agencies were still looking for at least one, maybe two, more suspects. The Sheriff said the three men in custody all had extensive criminal pasts and claimed to be members of a gang. When one of the men was asked why he targeted elderly customers, Sheriff Lamberti said, "his reaction was he just wanted to up his body count."

The break police agencies needed came Tuesday in the Broward County community of Lauderhill. Police there say they spotted two men jump out of a car and attack another man who was walking his pit bull. Police say when the two men stole the dog, officers arrested them along with the driver of the car. Officers noted the men's car was a white Toyota Camry, matching the description of a car seen in surveillance video from one of the robberies. At that point police brought the three men to Broward Sheriff's Office for questioning. Lauderhill Police Chief Ken Pachnek called it "good police work, and a little luck."

"I just can't tell you how happy I am to have some closure to this," said Delray Beach Police Chief Tony Strianese, following the news conference announcing the arrests. "You know with the holidays upon us and folks out shopping."

Chief Strianese decried the attack at the Delray Dunkin Donuts. "These folks were on the ground, they weren't doing anything, the property was taken, and they were basically shot as the robbers were going out the door," said the chief.

Customers at the donut shop on West Atlantic Avenue were pleased to hear about the arrests. Ann Bornstein said, "It'll be at the back of my mind and I'm probably going to be more careful since it's happening so much.

A man at the shop late Wednesday afternoon commented, "It bothers me. The one thing I hate to see is old people and little kids getting hurt."