Teen to be charged as adult in Lakewood Ranch murder case

The 17-year-old charged in the murder of a 23-year-old will be prosecuted as an adult, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Alan Baily was arrested Feb. 24 and was being held at the juvenile custody hold at the Manatee Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Bradenton in connection to the death of Alexander Cherp, who was found with upper body gunshot wounds in Greenbrook Park on Feb. 5.

Jose Hernandez, 19, is also charged in Cherp’s death and both face murder and armed robbery charges. He was arrested on Feb. 18.

According to the sheriff’s office, Cherp would buy marijuana from a person named “Alan,” later to be identified as Baily. The 17-year-old had his mother’s cell phone with him the night of Cherp’s death, which was used to contact Cherp six times, and was analyzed to be in the Greenbrook Park area during those hours.

The teen initially denied having seen Cherp, but his palm print was found on the inside front passenger door.

A witness told detectives that Baily had said he wanted to rob a man named “Alex” and that Hernandez had told Baily to “finish him off.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Teen to be charged as adult in Lakewood Ranch murder case."