JACKSONVILLE, FL – Authorities have arrested three teenagers in connection with the deadly beating of a 64-year-old homeless man, Roger Borkum, whose life ended nearly a quarter-century after he narrowly avoided the World Trade Center attacks.

Police said Marcavion Lacey, 19, Robert Pope, 17, and Justin Curry, 13, are facing murder charges stemming from an October 19 assault in a Jacksonville neighborhood. All three remain in custody as of Sunday.

Officers arrived at the scene after reports of an aggravated battery and found Borkum lying on the sidewalk in a pool of blood, according to an arrest affidavit. Borkum was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries four days later.

Investigators believe the trio approached Borkum as he sat on the ground, based on surveillance footage reviewed by law enforcement. The video reportedly captured the teens sneaking up behind him before launching a violent attack, repeatedly kicking and stomping the victim, then fleeing the area.

Approximately 20 minutes later, video evidence showed the suspects returning to the scene and attacking Borkum a second time, this time rifling through his backpack before fleeing again. Detectives linked the same group to a robbery that occurred close to the site of the assault.

A witness who observed the beating was able to identify the suspects, providing essential details that led to the arrests. Authorities tracked Lacey, Pope, and Curry through witness statements and surveillance footage.

Following his arrest, Lacey told investigators he did not intend to kill Borkum and claimed the incident was sparked after the victim allegedly insulted one of the assailants. During questioning, one of the teens said Borkum had disrespected his deceased friends, though he could not name them, according to police.

The sheriff’s office called the attack an urgent reminder of the consequences of youth crime, urging parents and caregivers to get involved in their children’s lives and seek out community resources to prevent such incidents.

Borkum, originally from New York, had previously worked as a consultant in the World Trade Center and lost his job just months before the September 11, 2001, attacks — an event his obituary noted he narrowly escaped, though he later became homeless after his wife died on a humanitarian trip to Africa. His family had not seen him for more than two decades before receiving the news of his death.

Jacksonville detectives continue to work with prosecutors as the investigation moves forward. All three suspects, including Curry, who had just turned 12 at the time of the crime, remain in custody as the case progresses.