Man Wanted in Connection with Armed Robbery Turns Himself In

UPDATE: Prosecutors withdrew charges against the two men accused of robbing a 15-year-old boy at gunpoint in April, according to a report in The Morning Call.

All charges against Justin Aracelio Caban and Kewdy Santa-Mella were withdrawn after an investigation revealed there wasn't enough evidence to support the allegations, said Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Patricia Mulqueen.

Gary Asteak, the attorney representing Justin Aracelio Caban, said police did not properly interview witnesses in the case.

ORIGINAL STORY: The alleged gunman in an April 13 armed robbery in Nazareth has turned himself in, according to Thomas Trachta, Nazareth's chief of police.

At 1:35 p.m., Justin Aracelio Caban, 20, of Saylorsburg, was being arraigned before , Trachta said.

Police believe Caban was the gunman in the robbery of a juvenile male , a  senior.  Santa-Mella already has been charged.

An was issued for Caban on Thursday, May 12.

In an affidavit for the charges against Santa-Mella, the juvenile victim reported that he was walking in the area of N. Cedar and E. Chestnut streets when a black BMW pulled up to him.

Through the open driver-side window, the youth recognized Santa-Mella, 18, as the driver. According to Detective Fred Lahovski, both Santa-Mella and the victim are Nazareth High students.

According to the affidavit, there was also a female in the front passenger seat and two males in the back.

The victim told police that one of the males in the back got out of the car, walked around to the driver’s side and pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at his head from two feet away.

The man told the victim to empty his pockets, and the juvenile removed $120 cash and handed it to the gunman, according to the affidavit.

The victim then reported the male with the gun got in the front seat, and Santa-Mella drove the car away.

After being shown "a photographic array of similarly featured individuals," which included a photograph of Caban, the victim identified Caban as the man who exited the vehicle, pointed the pistol at him and told him to empty his pockets, the affidavit said.

Caban was charged with three counts of robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, theft, receiving stolen property, possession of a weapon, making terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, harassment and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery.

He was sent to Northampton County Prison under $100,000 bail.