Morgan Hill Police arrested a 16-year-old boy who robbed a local department store by brandishing a firearm at a store employee, according to authorities.
About 7:46pm Feb. 13, Morgan Hill Police responded to Target, 1061 Cochrane Road, to investigate a report of a robbery that had just occurred. When officers arrived, they learned a Target loss prevention employee saw a young man walk out of the store without paying for several items, Morgan Hill Police said in a press release.
When confronted by the employee, the suspect displayed a handgun and made threatening statements, police said. The Target employee disengaged and allowed the suspect to leave the store.
Morgan Hill Police later identified the suspect as a 16-year-old juvenile from Morgan Hill, authorities said.
On Feb. 16, MHPD officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which the youth suspect was a passenger, police said. The teen was taken into custody without incident.
MHPD detectives later served a search warrant at the youth’s residence, where they found several of the stolen items, police said. Also found at the suspect’s home were firearms and narcotics.
The suspect was later transported to Santa Clara Juvenile Hall on suspicion of robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and possession of brass knuckles, police said.
“The Morgan Hill Police Department would like to commend the Target Loss Prevention employee for his actions which likely prevented the situation from escalating into a violent confrontation,” MHPD said in the press release.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can call MHPD Det. Adrian Sapien at 669.253.4995 or email Ad***********@mo********.gov.
Information can be provided online, anonymously, at https://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/FormCenter/Police-14/Morgan-Hill-Crime-Stoppers-88, or by calling 1.800.222.TIPS.
