A Riviera Beach man is facing a second-degree murder charge with a firearm in a fatal shooting that took place in January, according to court documents. Carlos Peavy Jr. is the man charged. A second suspect, Travis Javares Towns, is also named in a probable cause affidavit.
The investigation began Jan. 2, when Riviera Beach police officers responded to the 2600 block of President Barack Obama Highway after a ShotSpotter alert reported five gunshots. Officers found a man with a gunshot wound to the head inside a BMW. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Investigators said surveillance video and other records tied a white Mercedes SUV to the shooting. The vehicle was tracked through West Palm Beach and south toward Fort Lauderdale. Hours later, law enforcement tried to stop the Mercedes, but the driver fled. Officers later found the SUV abandoned in Boynton Beach, the affidavit says.
Detectives said Peavy’s palm print was found on the outside of the SUV, and DNA testing linked him to evidence inside the vehicle. Investigators said ballistic and DNA evidence connected Towns to ammunition tied to the homicide.
Police also relied on cellphone location records, license-plate readers and vehicle data. Investigators noted that location data alone does not prove who had a device at a given time.
The affidavit says investigators believe Peavy and Towns acted together or helped in the shooting. They have not determined which man fired the fatal shot. Both are accused of second-degree murder as principals under Florida law.
