By Kevin Deutsch
A man with at least 35 active criminal charges in Broward County was arrested this month for robbing a Tamarac CVS and repeatedly punching a store manager in the face, court records allege.
Darius Chappell, 25, of Northwest 21 St Street in Lauderhill, allegedly busted open a display case and swiped oral hygiene products from the CVS at 6900 N. University Dr. on Jan. 15, according to an arrest affidavit.
Chappell, wearing a security guard uniform, filled two bags with products and walked toward the store exit, making no attempt to pay for the merchandise, according to Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest records filed Feb. 17.
A store manager stepped in front of Chappell, trying to get him to pay for the items, records show. The accused robber then tripped, dropping both bags before punching the manager in his face several times and grabbing two items he had dropped, deputies allege.
Chappell fled the store and jumped into the passenger side of a waiting gray car, which drove away the affidavit states.
A CVS surveillance camera captured the entire robbery.
After the crime, deputies lifted fingerprints from the broken display case, one of which matched Chappell’s, records allege.
One manager at the store later identified Chappell as the robber in a double-blind photo array, while a second manager did not identify anyone in the lineup, according to the affidavit.
While speaking to detectives, Chappell denied committing the robbery and said he had never been inside the CVS, records show.
“He could not explain how his prints got on the metal display case,” investigators wrote.
Chappell, who is on probation for multiple criminal cases, is charged with robbery, grand theft, burglary, petit theft, dealing in stolen property, providing false information for pawn items, and multiple probation violations, records show.
He was being held without bond Sunday at the North Broward Bureau jail.
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