By Shereen Siewert
One of two Wausau-area men accused of robbing a 15-year-old acquaintance at gunpoint and threatening to kill his family appeared this week in Marathon County Circuit Court, where he was ordered held on a $10,000 cash bond.
Devlin Benes, 18, faces charges of robbery with the use of force and four counts of bail jumping. Thc charges were filed Sept. 23 but Benes made an initial appearance Oct. 10 with Circuit Judge Jill Falstad presiding. Court records show Benes has five additional open cases in Marathon County and was released on a $250 cash bond the same day the alleged robbery took place.
An additional suspect, 18-year-old Davin Smith, of Schofield, faces felony charges of armed robbery with the use of force and is also being held on a $25,000 cash bond. Smith was due in court Friday, Oct. 11 for a review hearing but refused to appear, according to online court records.
Court documents allege the two men picked up the alleged victim to “hang out,” then eventually drove to Rib Mountain State Park where Smith pulled out a black, Glock 19 9-mm pistol with hollow-point ammunition, pointed the gun at the victim’s head and ordered him to empty his pockets and give the contents to Benes. The victim then turned over cash, a vape pen, an iPhone 8 cell phone and the code to access his phone, according to the police report. The men also allegedly took the victim’s shoes.
The alleged victim also told police Smith pointed his gun at the head of a teenage girl inside the vehicle and threatened to kill her, a story the girl later corroborated during an interview with police, according to court documents.
Police say Benes then drove the victim back to his home while Smith warned the victim not to tell anyone or the police or he would come back to the home and kill the victim and his entire family, court documents state. The alleged victim reported the incident to a teacher at his school the next day.
Benes is due back in court Oct. 21 for a preliminary hearing, where a judge will determine if his case will head to trial. Future court dates for Smith have not yet been set.
