Boynton Beach police said a 19-year-old is in custody after a man was killed and two others were hurt in a shooting Sunday night at Pence Park.
Investigators said three men had been playing soccer on the field at 600 S. E. 4th St.
A robbery occurred and one man, identified as Tomas Pedro, 31, of Boynton Beach, was shot and died at the scene around 10:50 p.m., according to police.
Two other men were injured and treated for their injuries at the hospital.
Those men, Robert Mateo, 31, and Diego Mateo, 35, told police two men approached them and shouted give me “everything you got.”
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They told police one man punched them and another shot Pedro.
A K9 officer and his police dog found Miguel Figueroa inside an apartment on Southeast 4th Avenue.
Police arrested Figueroa, 19, of Fort Myers, Fla., and charged him with felony murder and robbery with a firearm. Detectives continue to search for a second person they believe was involved in the shooting.
Friends and family remember Pedro as a hard-working man who never bothered anyone.
Maria Francisco met him at church and bought a car from him.
“He always had a smile on his face, he liked to make people laugh and it’s shocking. It’s hard to believe he died,” she said while visiting a memorial of flowers and candles at Pence Park for him.
His brother told NewsChannel 5 Pedro worked in landscaping. He said his brother believed in working hard for his money and it’s sad he died in what police describe as a robbery.
Francisco said she’s surprised the shooting happened so close to Pence Park.
“Honestly, I used to live around here and it’s kind of weird this is happening. This shouldn’t be happening,” she said describing the neighborhood as safe.
Steven Sanchez said it’s happening too often. He saw the police helicopter and SWAT team last night. He said crime scenes are becoming too common of a sight. Police say two men were killed by a man they tried to rob Saturday morning on the city’s northwest side.
“I do get a shock, but within this month or two, it’s just like wow,” he said.
Sanchez said he’s seen more police officers around since Sunday’s shooting. But he thinks more of a police presence is only the first step toward making the community a safer place.
“Even if [the police] were to do something, it’s people that live in the community that have to stop it,” he pointed out.
It’s something he admitted won’t be easy.
Anyone with information about Pedro’s death is urged to call Boynton Beach Police at 561-732-8116 or Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 800-458-TIPS.
