Local News
Man pleads not guilty to robberies
— A 17-year-old Palestine man charged in connection with a pair of convenience store robberies this past fall has pled not guilty to the charges, while a second suspect in the same offense has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial.
On Friday, Erikk Ramone Traylor Jr., 17, of Palestine was arraigned in a local state district court and pled not guilty to felony charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated robbery.
Traylor and Peter Jermaine Dudley, 19, of Palestine, along with a male juvenile, were arrested shortly after 8 p.m. on Oct. 15 following the commission of an aggravated robbery of Pic N Go convenience store in the 1000 block of West Palestine Avenue.
Earlier this month, Dudley was deemed “mentally incompetent” to stand trial and is in the process of being transferred to Vernon State Hospital for treatment, according to Stanley Sokolowski, assistant district attorney for Anderson County.
Sokolowski said the state is hopeful Dudley will be mentally competent to stand trial some time later this year.
Palestine police had staked out Pic N Go following similar robberies on Palestine Avenue on the previous two days, police have said.
Following the Pic No Go robbery, Dudley, Traylor and the juvenile suspect, who was 15 at the time, ran south out of the store with an undetermined amount of cash, according to police.
Palestine Police Det. Charles Steen, assisted by a citizen, detained Traylor, while a local homeowner was able to detain Dudley until officers’ arrival, police have said.
The male juvenile was taken into custody the following day, authorities have said.
The suspects also are suspected of robbing Brianna’s convenience store in the 400 block of West Palestine Avenue on the previous night, according to police.
Last Thursday, the juvenile suspect, Ray Charles McQueen Jr., who is now 16, was certified to stand trial as an adult on two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity in relation to the convenience store robberies.
McQueen was certified by Anderson County Court-at-Law Judge Jeff Doran following a hearing.
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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com
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