Police charged Lavarus Deleon Atwater, 16, of Chapel Hill, George Lavon Gattis, 17, of Carrboro, and Kimberly Carol Sue Nicholson, 18, of Hillsborough with armed robbery and conspiracy in the holdup of a couple at Royal Park Apartments on April 11. They are accused of stealing a purse, wallet, cell phone and cash worth nearly $700 from the couple.

Police charged Atwater with two counts of assault, saying he pointed a black pistol at Jose Ayala and his 6-year-old child. They also charged Gattis with assault inflicting serious injury, alleging he violently grabbed Veronica Ayala Sanchez' purse, bruising and spraining her finger so that she needed medical attention.

Atwater and Gattis are also charged with armed robbery and conspiracy in separate holdups April 5. They are accused of taking a wallet and $35 from Af Ra Fat and a wallet and $310 cash from Andres Martinez the same night.

Police say they threatened the victims with a black pistol and pepper spray.

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