Crime & Safety

Vernon Police Investigating Street Robberies

Two 16-year-olds are already in custody.

Vernon police have released more details on the 16-year-old accused of carrying a doctored BB gun around Rockville. Another youth has been charged as part of an investigation into street robberies, police said late Wednesday night.

said they are investigating two separate street robberies in the Rockville section of town that took place over the past two nights. Both criminal investigations are ongoing and more arrests are likely, police said.

On Tuesday just before 3 p.m., a citizen on Elm Street observed a black male chasing a group of males on Elm Street in the area of the Town Hall Annex building, police said.

The citizen saw that the boy was carrying a black handgun in his right hand as he chased the group and the citizen called 911 and reported the incident, police said.
 
Several officers responded to the area.

The male with the gun was seen running onto the property of the YMCA day care center at 23 Elm St, police said.

Vernon police arrived on scene and set up a perimeter. Vernon Police located the suspect hiding in the woods in the rear of the YMCA day care property and he was taken into custody, according to a news release.

After a search of the area, officers located a Beretta BB handgun in the woods where the male was hiding. The male was also armed with a steak knife during the incident. Earlier on Wednesday, police said the BB gun was doctored to appear like a real handgun and that the threw the knife in some much near Town Hall.

Further investigation revealed the incident began when the 16-year-old was robbed earlier in the day and was looking for the group that robbed him.

The 16-year-old was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon, the illegal use of a facsimile firearm, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree threatening, police said.

Names of juveniles are exempt from disclosure under state law. The case remains under investigation, police said.

Police said that on Wednesday at about 5:23 p.m., a 73-year-old woman was leaving the store at 42 Windsor Ave. and pushing her cart when a 16-year-old boy snatched her purse.

The woman struggled to keep her purse but the 16-year-old was able to get it away from her, police said.

The 16-year-old was with a group of males ranging in age from 14 to 17, police said. After the purse was taken from the woman, the juveniles fled the area on foot, police said.

Vernon officers responded to area and began searching for the suspects. A short time later, the suspects were located walking through the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex, police said.

The investigation resulted in the arrest of a 16 year-old boy, police said.

He was charged with third-degree robbery, third-degree assault of an elderly person and second-degree larceny, police said.

The case remains under investigation and may be connected to other similar incidents, police said.

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