Teen who was subject of Amber Alert arrested in connection with Ponte Vedra Beach home invasion

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The teen who was the subject of an Amber Alert triggered after a Ponte Vedra Beach home invasion, has now been arrested in connection with that home invasion.

Marcus Anthony Hatch, 16, of Jacksonville, was arrested on charges of grand theft auto, principal to home invasion robbery with a firearm and principal to false imprisonment, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Hatch was booked into the St. Johns County Jail on no bond and then turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Deputies now believe Hatch faked being kidnapped while the victims were tied up and robbed.

The home invasion happened on Jan. 9 in the 100 block of Great Harbor Way.

A man and woman answered the door just before midnight and two males with handguns "forcibly entered" the home, SJSO said.

The males "ransacked the residence" and then left and took the victims' 2009 Subaru Legacy, SJSO said. According to a police report, they "took property to include clothing, computers, cellular phones, jewelry (and) $1,800 in (cash)" and "the victims were held against their will in their residence for approximately four to five hours."

Hatch is accused of stealing the vehicle and driving away.

Two arrests have been made so far in connection with the home invasion, and deputies are seeking more suspects.

Brandon Gianuzzi, one of the victims of the home invasion, told us shortly after that he, his girlfriend and roommate were robbed. He recognized Hatch and believed he was set up from the get go.

"They made it look like he was getting robbed too or something, but nah, he was in on it," Gianuzzi said.

Action News Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said there could be even more charges to come for Hatch.

"He's going to be held responsible and charged for all his actions, particularly falsifying a police report, and then he was the driver of a stolen vehicle as well, so his charges are mounting up and the more this thing opens up, he could get even more charges," Jefferson said.

When the incident first happened, Jefferson said it sounded as though the victims were targeted by people they knew and he said Hatch's arrest took some time because he was at first reported to be a victim.

"Well, the police had to handle it very carefully. I believe they felt the same way in the interim, but they can't reveal that they have to investigate it on the merit of how it's reported and then look for the facts," Jefferson said.

Cox Media Group