On the date listed above, at approximately 5:00 p.m., three suspects, later identified as Darius Limar Sonnier, 21; Wallace Diaveon Charles, 20; and Tye Joseph-Phillip Gobert, 18, and at least two other unnamed accomplices, committed a violent gunpoint robbery.
At least nine employees and two customers were in the store at the time of the robbery. Sonnier claimed he saw the store’s armed guard reach for his gun and at that point, he walked over to him and hit the guard in the head at the direction of his accomplice. The gun went off and the guard was struck by a bullet. Sonnier also said he did not mean to shoot anybody. Following the shooting, he wrote the guard a letter of apology.
However, an employee inside the store stated that she saw one of the suspects point a gun at the security guard, fire a shot and then the guard reached for his side. Another suspect hit the female employee in the back of the head with a gun.
Charles told investigators that he used a hammer to smash glass display cases containing high-end watches. Altogether the suspects stole $207,000 worth of items. Gobert denied his involvement in the robbery, even though he was found with clothing and gloves similar to those worn by the suspect from surveillance footage. The security guard suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and blunt force trauma to the head. The guard was rushed to the hospital and had surgery. The guard is recovering. Investigators are still looking for two other suspects. Click here to learn how law enforcement apprehended the three suspects below.
Mugshots:
Darius Limar Sonnier, 21
Tye Joseph-Phillip Gobert, 18
Wallace Daiveon Charles, 20