3 teens arrested in Jax Beach hotel robbery

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Three teens were arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a Jacksonville Beach hotel early Monday morning.

Jacksonville Beach police were called to the Quality Suites hotel in the 100 block of First Street North.

The victim told police three men attacked him in the hallway as he tried to enter his hotel room just after midnight.

Police said the suspects pushed the man into the room, displayed handguns and demanded money and property from him. The suspects then fled the area.

"They took his cash, his wallet, his keys, his ID and fled the area. All three were armed with handguns," said Jacksonville Beach Police Public Information Officer, Stefanie Shaughnessy.

Within an hour of the robbery being reported, officers located the three suspects together at First Avenue South and State Road A1A. One suspect was taken into custody and the other two fled, police said. They were captured after a brief foot chase.

Police said all three suspects had a firearm in their possession. Officers said two of the firearms had the serial numbers removed.

The three suspects arrested are 19-year-old Jeremy Wright, 18-year-old Travis Couser and a 17-year-old whose identity was not released because he's a juvenile. All are from Jacksonville.

Wright is charged with home invasion robbery with a firearm, possession of a concealed firearm, and alteration of a firearm serial number.

Couser is charged with home invasion robbery, possession of a concealed firearm, and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.

The 17-year-old is charged with home invasion robbery, possession of a concealed firearm, alteration of a firearm serial number, and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.

Channel 4 spoke with Crime Analyst, Ken Jefferson about this story, he said hotels are places that people need to be particularly careful.

"Tourists can easily be vulnerable because they're in a relaxed environment, vacationing and not thinking about being robbed," said Jefferson.  "Crooks are in hotels all the time, you just don't see them or know they're there until they try to strike you or make you a victim."