ABBEVILLE – Three Abbeville teenagers face the death penalty for allegedly robbing and killing a Vietnamese for less than $100.

The juveniles, whose names are withheld, were arrested and charged with first degree murder.

David Hardy, who is in charge of the investigation department for the Abbeville Police Department, said two are 16 and the other is 15.

They were placed in a juvenile facility last week. A judge is to decide today if the three juveniles could be released into the custody of their parents or return to the juvenile facility.

According to Hardy, the three teens meant to allegedly rob the male, but instead, they allegedly beat him up, which may have caused his death, during the robbery.

After the robbery/murder occurred at the intersection of South Lyman Street and Felicity, the teens left the victim on the street.

The teens left the scene and then returned and saw the man was not moving. One of the teens called 911 and reported a man on the ground.

The Abbeville Fire Department and Acadian Ambulance responded to the medical call. The man was still alive when the first responders arrived but died the next day at Abbeville General Hospital.

The detectives obtained a copy of the 911 call and learned the identity of the caller, who was a juvenile.

The officers made contact with the mother of the juvenile and had the juvenile brought to the police department.

The juvenile and his mother soon arrived at the police department also bringing another juvenile and his mother.