A man and a woman have been arrested after four BCs were snatched from a Florida dive-store, and an employee who tried to foil the theft was hit by the getaway car.
Justin Malik Simmons, 29, and Anne Elizabeth Izatt, 25, face charges following the robbery at a Force-E Scuba centre in Boynton Beach on 17 November.
Simmons was said to have entered the store in mid-afternoon with another man, appearing to be browsing customers. Simmons then grabbed the BCs and ran outside, followed by the employee, who initially managed to catch him.
The two men fell to the ground as they fought, according to local news reports quoting police sources.
Simmons dropped three of the BCs in the struggle, but kept hold of the most expensive model – the four items together were said to have been valued at around $5,000 (£3,800). He ran into the car park, chased by the staff-member, as a Nissan Altima car was driven up to him with a rear door open.
Izatt, later identified as the driver, accelerated towards the employee, who was forced to hurl himself onto the bonnet to avoid being run over. He sustained abrasive injuries to his arms and legs as he rolled off onto the ground. The car was driven away with Simmons, who later got out to flee on foot.
Aggravated battery
The Nissan was traced to Izatt’s father, and CCTV footage and a Boynton Beach Police Department line-up the following day confirmed that she had been driving it during the getaway. Simmons was also identified through CCTV footage and a further police line-up, on 19 November.
Izatt has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and co-ordinating retail theft over $3,000, while Simmons faces a charge of grand theft of items between $5,000 and $10,000. Both suspects were being held in Palm Beach County Jail.
Force-E Scuba has five outlets in South Florida, with Boynton Beach, established in 2022, being the newest. On the day the pair were charged, the company was celebrating 45 years as a PADI dive-centre.
In September Divernet reported on a diving-related robbery at a floating restaurant at Disney Springs in Florida, in which a man made off with thousands of dollars using scuba gear.
