An 18-year-old man is facing attempted homicide and attempted robbery charges after Boynton Beach police say he shot a man during a robbery attempt at a gas station Tuesday morning.
Officers were called around 11:12 a.m. to reports of gunfire at the Marathon station at 1610 S. Congress Ave, according to a Boynton Beach Police Department arrest report. Investigators said the victim had just left the store and was walking to his car when a suspect demanded his belongings. When the man refused, the suspect shot him in the ankle and threatened to kill him, police said. Additional shots were fired as the victim ran off.
The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, the report said.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the station and nearby cameras and identified the suspect as Christopher Porta, according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators said the footage showed him pointing a handgun at the victim and firing several times. Police later located Porta at a home in West Palm Beach, where he was taken into custody without incident. Officers said a handgun was recovered near the home after Porta allegedly tossed an object into an alley. The victim later identified Porta in a photo lineup.
Porta faces charges of attempted homicide with a firearm and attempted robbery with a firearm. The investigation is ongoing.
