CLEWISTON – Between the dates of Tuesday, March 24 through Friday March 27, Detectives with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office were investigating a string of armed robberies which occurred in the Clewiston area. Two victims were shot during theses robberies.

It was learned through the investigation into these robberies, that the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was also working a string of robberies during the time period; with similarities to the robberies occurring in Hendry County. HCSO Detectives were able to identify the same vehicle used in several of these robberies, and is registered to a subject who lives in the Clewiston area.

On Friday March 27, at approximately 8:45 p.m., reports were received of an armed robbery that had occurred in the Pahokee area of Palm Beach County. The description of the suspect vehicle was provided and matched the description of our previous reports.

The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Unit, Criminal Investigations Division, K-9 Division, Road Patrol and HCSO Detectives along with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office took positions at the Hendry/Palm Beach County line covering all roads coming into Hendry County. At approximately 9:50 p.m. Deputies observed the suspect vehicle entering Hendry County.

Deputies quickly surrounded the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop, closing down both eastbound and westbound lanes of traffic on U.S. 27 for approximately 30 minutes.

The stop resulted in the arrest of five violent felons. HCSO Detectives with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office recovered three firearms, Mac 10 handgun, a 40 cal. handgun, and a 9mm handgun along with a stolen cell phone from inside the vehicle.

The following five individuals were taken into custody and transported to the Hendry County Jail:

Three of the individuals - Darquan Dewhawn Balkcom, 19, of Clewiston, Florida, Javon Ja’tavious Jones, of Clewiston, Florida, 19, and Jacobie Jones of Pahokee, Florida, 19, were all arrested on charges of robbery with a firearm, attempted felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, firing missile into a conveyance, and use or display of a firearm during a felony and are being held with no bond.

Jacorris Javoris Foreman, of Pahokee, Florida, 16, was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Palm Beach County on charges of robbery with a firearm and aggravated battery. Foreman was transported to a Department of Juvenile Justice facility.

Jajuan Hakeem Brown of Pahokee, Florida, 20, arrested on outstanding warrant from palm beach county for robbery with a firearm and aggravated battery, also being held with no bond.