Palmetto Teen Arrested for Armed Robbery of Taxi Driver

A 16-year-old Palmetto resident has been arrested and charged in connection with the armed robbery of a taxi driver that occurred Thursday afternoon in Bradenton.

On May 22, 2025, at approximately 1:48 p.m., a driver for “Taxi Caribe” called 911 to report a robbery at gunpoint in the 500 block of Martin Luther King Avenue West. The driver stated he had picked up a customer known as “Bob” in Palmetto—someone he had provided rides for multiple times over the past three months.

According to investigators, the suspect, later identified as 16-year-old Tremaine Brooks, requested to be dropped off in the same Bradenton neighborhood where the robbery occurred. After paying in cash and requesting change, Brooks allegedly pointed a firearm at the driver when the cash compartment was opened and fled with the money.

Detectives linked Brooks to a previous case at the Palmetto address associated with the ride request. After a positive identification in a photo lineup, Brooks was taken into custody Thursday evening.

He now faces multiple charges, including armed robbery with a firearm, juvenile in possession of a firearm (subsequent offense), violation of probation, and violation of a Risk Protection Order.