The Georgia man who was gunned down in Riviera Beach last month after trying to buy pills was a father of two and was in the city on business, a family member said today.
James Price, 41, of Flowery Branch, Ga., a city about 50 minutes northeast of Atlanta, was fatally shot Sept. 17 in the parking lot of 1689 West 28th St.
Three men, Armaquis Robinson, 20, of Lake Worth, Isaiah Brooks, 18, of West Palm Beach and Lavonnte Jerry, 21, of Riviera Beach have been arrested and face charges including first-degree murder and grand theft. The three, whom police say Price met at the Days Inn Hotel, are being held in the Palm Beach County Jail without bond.
Price arranged to buy pills from the three men but the trio’s plan all along was to rob him, police say.
Police say Brooks told Jerry about the robbery plan and offered him $50 to sit in a parking lot pretending he had the pills for Price to buy.
Brooks, Jerry and Robinson then arrived on 28th Street and when Price asked Jerry if he had the pills, Brooks tried to distract him. Price ignored Brooks and went to his rented white Chevy Malibu to retrieve beer out of the front seat and was hit on his head by Brooks.
Price was told to “give it up” and was held at gunpoint while the men searched his pockets and came out with an iPhone and $100 cash.
After Brooks told everyone to get back in the cars, Price tried to jump in the Malibu and was shot in the shoulder by Brooks, police said.
A a gunshot recognition system called a shot-spotter alerted Riviera Police officers to the shooting.
Price worked for a business installing computers and cameras for companies, said Price’s uncle, 63-year-old Kenny Berry. He was in Riviera Beach for the first time to work at a local Toys R Us.
Berry said he wasn’t surprised when he heard that Price was trying to buy pills as he likely needed them to help with a back injury he suffered in a car accident six months ago.
“That’s why he was trying to buy pills. He had a prescription of oxycodone. That didn’t make him a drug dealer,” Berry said of his nephew. “He was probably buying pain pills, I don’t doubt that and I hate it, but that’s the way life is.”
Berry’s son, Matthew, worked with Price and was in Florida with him a week before the shooting. The two drove down to Florida and drove back to Georgia because Matthew Berry was done with the job. Berry said Price then flew back to Florida because driving was causing pain in his back. He was supposed to fly back to Georgia the day after the shooting, Berry said.
Price didn’t like traveling for work, Berry said, because it took him away from his two sons, ages 9 and 11, and his wife Amanda.
He coached his sons’ baseball and football teams, attended church every week and even raised thousands of dollars for a woman in his town battling cancer last year.
“He was a good person,” Berry said.
The case is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Riviera Beach Police at (561) 845-4123 or Crime Stoppers (800) 458-TIPS.
Twitter: @alexseltzer
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