2 juveniles arrested in teens' triple homicide in Central Florida, sheriff says
OCALA - A deadly shooting last week of three teens in Marion County was the result of gang-affiliated juveniles turning on their own.
That's according to Marion Co. Sheriff Billy Woods who said that two juveniles have been arrested and a third is being sought.
Investigators believe that the victims were involved with burglaries and robberies, and both the victims and the suspects were allegedly affiliated with criminal gangs, Woods said.
"Basically, in simple terms, there is no honor among thieves," Woods said at a press conference. "And at some point, these three individuals turned on our three victims and murdered them."
In a Facebook video, Woods shared a photo of a white Chevrolet Cruze that belonged to 16-year-old Layla Silvernail, who was found on the side of the road Thursday last week in the area of the Forest Lakes Park neighborhood. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition, where she later died.
"The following morning we responded to a location about a half a mile away and located a second victim, deceased on the side of the road from an apparent gunshot wound. Then on Saturday, April 1st, my deputies located Layla's car, abandoned and partially submerged in a pond about nine miles from the location where she was found. My investigators located the third victim inside of the car. And I'll go ahead and tell you because you've been asking me for specific details. She was located in the trunk," said the sheriff.
According to Woods, witnesses saw the white Chevrolet Cruze near the area where Silvernail's body was found.
"They heard gunshots then witnessed and saw the victim's vehicle slowly drive into a dumpster. This is where our first victim's body was out on the ground and then the vehicle left the scene very rapidly," he said.
"One of the key pieces of evidence, which we have, is we have surveillance video that depicts our victim's car just moments prior to the event and the moment just after the event," he added.
Woods said the three victims were friends and were "together leading up to the incident itself." He said all three teens were believed to be in the car, but he did not say whether they were all shot at the same time.