Social Media Setup Leads to Armed Robbery Attempt in Coral Square Mall; 18-Year-Old Suspect Arrested

Giovanni Alexander Marci Comarcho. {BSO}

By Ryan Yousefi

A man was arrested for armed robbery with a deadly weapon following an investigation into an incident inside a bathroom at the Coral Square Mall.

On August 15, the Coral Springs Police Department responded to reports of an attempted armed robbery at the Coral Square Mall stemming from a social media setup involving the victim and multiple suspects. 

According to records, the incident led to a complex investigation involving online interactions and personal disputes. Following interviews with the victim and suspects involved, a man identified as Giovanni Comarcho, 18, of Coral Springs, was taken into custody and charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon. 

According to the victim, the incident began after he was first contacted on Instagram by a user named “Julia,” eventually leading to a conversation, exchanging phone numbers, and plans to arrange to meet at the Coral Square Mall, with the victim believing it was for a date. 

However, the victim told detectives that after eating with her, he was inside a restroom at the mall when he was ambushed by three suspects wearing black ski masks, with one brandishing what appeared to be a black handgun, believed to be a Glock 17 or 45.

Despite demands to hand over his belongings, the victim told investigators he fought back, even managing to put one of the suspects in a headlock, and that eventually, a custodian’s intervention led to the suspects fleeing the scene.

According to the victim, Julia had already left the area before he exited the restroom. The investigation into Julia’s involvement led to the discovery of her real name and that she is a resident of Deerfield Beach.

Upon contact, her mother cooperated with investigators and confirmed her daughter’s identity. 

Further investigation found that Julia was not fully aware that the meeting would escalate to an attempted robbery and that she had only been asked by Comarcho to set up the victim.

One of the suspects in the case who was contacted and interviewed by police stated that the victim had reportedly been involved with one of the suspects’ girlfriends, and there were allegations of him treating the woman poorly. However, no police reports were ever filed. 

The suspect also told officers that the original plan was not to rob the victim but to engage in a physical altercation. However, the situation got out of hand, leading to Comarcho allegedly using a BB gun that looked like a real handgun.

Comarcho later confessed to striking the victim with the BB gun during the altercation. He also told officers how he demanded the victim’s phone, which led to armed robbery charges. 

Based on the evidence and confessions gathered during the investigation, Comarcho was taken into custody on September 7 and transported to the Broward County Main Jail. 

Coral Springs Talk is withholding the identity of minors involved in the incident.

Send Your News to Coral Springs #1 Award-Winning News Site Here. Don’t miss reading Parkland Talk, Tamarac Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, and Margate Talk.