Video released of Dunkin Donuts armed robbery

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have released dramatic surveillance video of the robbery of a Dunkin Donuts that ended in the arrest of four suspects.

The video shows two men, barging into the restaurant located at the corner of North Federal Highway and Gulfstream Boulevard with their faces covered in black T-shirts, Wednesday. "One of them goes around a side counter, and the other one partially jumps over the front counter," said Stephanie Slater of Boynton Beach Police.

A 63-year-old customer tried to intervene and grabbed one of the armed subjects, who police identified as 18-year-old Abdias Jean-Baptise. However, Jean-Baptise tossed the elderly man to the ground and stomped on his head. Slater said, "[The video] then shows a customer of the store who tried to tackle one of the suspects, and in the process, the suspect actually threw him onto the ground and kicks him twice."

As the customer lied on the floor, the crooks pointed guns at the employees and demanded cash. The video showed the second suspect, identified as 20-year-old Actrice Alerte, as he took the drive-thru cash register drawer and handed it to Jean-Baptiste, who then grabbed the tip jar and put it in his bag.

During the armed robbery, other Dunkin Donuts customers remained on the ground in fear. "It's terrible," said a woman. "Violence is poor."

Jean-Baptise and Alerte can be seen walking out of the store, and they jumped into an awaiting getaway car.

Authorities said Franke Pierre-Louis was driving the getaway vehicle, and Ashley Silmone was the passenger. "After they left the store, they got into their getaway car, and the car was spotted going toward [Interstate] 95. Officers deployed stop sticks, and the car actually overturned and went down an embankment," said Slater. "Some of them took off, but all four were quickly taken into custody, and taken to local hospitals for treatment, and they're now in the Palm Beach County Jail."

The 63-year-old customer is doing OK, and is glad the suspects are now behind bars.

Three of the four suspects remain in jail.

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