What detectives describe as a staged drug deal in Boynton Beach ended in gunfire and a homicide, and now three young men are locked up with no chance of bond.
Police say 20-year-old Hakeem Reynolds of Lantana was found last Sunday inside a vehicle on the with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators allege Reynolds was lured to the spot under the guise of a drug sale, then targeted in a robbery where one of the suspects allegedly shot him twice in the back. Detectives also believe the same group carried out a separate armed robbery earlier that day.
Arrests and charges
In court Sunday morning, authorities identified the suspects as 18-year-old Ja'Quan Jeudi of Boynton Beach, 21-year-old Jamarrion Moore of Lake Worth and 18-year-old Javonte Sheppard of Boynton Beach. Police say Jeudi and Sheppard are charged with premeditated first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm. Moore faces those same counts, along with resisting arrest, obstructing justice and a probation violation.
According to WPTV, Moore was arrested Thursday with help from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office tactical unit. Jeudi and Sheppard were taken into custody Sunday with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. All three are being held without bond at the Palm Beach County jail.
What detectives say happened
Investigators say the trio arranged what appeared to be a drug transaction to bring Reynolds to the 2000 block of Northwest 2nd Street. Once he arrived, detectives allege, the men moved to rob him and Jeudi shot Reynolds twice in the back, killing him during the robbery.
Police also say evidence links Jeudi and Moore to a separate armed robbery earlier that evening, though details of that incident have not been publicly released. The wider Palm Beach County investigation remains active, and detectives say they are still tracking leads in both cases.
Legal outlook
As prosecutors weigh formal filings and next steps, the suspects remain jailed without bond. Under Florida law, premeditated first-degree murder is a capital felony, which means a conviction can bring life in prison or the death penalty, according to Florida Statutes §782.04. Boynton Beach police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators as the case moves through the court system.
