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Early Morning Meetup Turns into Life-Threatening Robbery

Four suspects are in custody after a meeting Wednesday morning turned into an attempted robbery of one man outside the Economy Inn at 3520 W. Silver Springs Blvd in Ocala.

Chele Johnson, Raul Parrilla, Rafael Santana and Jason Hernandez were arrested for robbery with a firearm after Ocala police say they attacked Darrick R. Brockington Sr.

Hernandez was also charged with tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm by a juvenile, according an Ocala Police Department news release.

According to the release, Brockington flagged down officers at a nearby Race Trac gas station at around 3 a.m. after fleeing the motel parking lot.

Brockington went to the motel to meet Johnson. As he helped Johnson take off her backpack, Brockington said three men approached him carrying firearms. Brockington told police the suspects took a cell phone, car keys and cash from his pockets. He then broke away and ran. The suspects continued to chase him.

After the Ocala Police Department set up a perimeter, Officer M. Gauthier saw two men matching the description of the suspects at the Village Green Complex at 500 SW. 33rd Ave.

When the men attempted to leave with a female, he conducted a traffic stop on their vehicle, identifying them as suspects. The fourth suspect was also found and identified. Brockington identified Parrilla, Hernandez and Santana as the men that robbed him and Johnson as the woman he met.

Glenn is a senior journalism major at UF. He has written for The Gainesville Sun and the Independent Florida Alligator.