Woman Pushed, Robbed While Walking On El Rio Trail; Boca Police Make Quick Arrest

Lapaul Jackson (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

Boca Raton police arrested a man suspected of robbing a woman walking on the El Rio Trail after pushing her to the ground over the weekend.

Lapaul Jackson, 36, of Miami Gardens, was charged with robbery without a firearm or weapon and resisting an officer without violence, Boca Raton police said. He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail after being arrested Saturday. The incident occurred about 12 noon Aug. 1 on the El Rio Trail near 549 NW Spanish River Blvd., a public path popular with walkers and cyclists.

A woman walking on the trail – whose name has been withheld – reported she was approached from behind by a suspect described as a middle-aged black male who forcibly pushed her to the ground and struggled with her while trying to take her blue Apple iPhone 15, valued at about $800, a probable cause affidavit filed in Palm Beach County circuit court states. The man allegedly gained control of the phone and fled south on foot along the trail.

A police sergeant in uniform spotted the man running from the area and ordered him to stop multiple times, the affidavit says. Two other officers joined a foot pursuit and took the man into custody without further incident after he was taken to the ground and handcuffed.

The woman was brought to a nearby location for a “show-up” identification and positively identified Jackson as the person who attacked her and took her phone, police said. During a search of a black backpack Jackson was carrying, officers recovered a blue iPhone with a white case featuring three cats and a navy-blue baseball cap. The woman identified both items as hers. A black face mask, which the woman described as having been used during the robbery, was found in the pants Jackson was wearing, according to the affidavit.

Spanish River Boulevard near the El Rio Trail crossing, Aug. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Jackson was taken to Boca Raton Regional Hospital for medical clearance before being processed at the Boca Raton Police Department and transported to the county jail. He remains lodged in the jail in lieu of $15,000 bail on the robbery charge and $5,000 bail on a resisting charge.