Los Banos teen arrested in armed robberies, burglary

A 17-year-old from Los Banos was arrested and charged earlier this week with armed robbery and a commercial burglary in Merced.

The juvenile was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of taking about $1,700 in cash from A&M Market at West 23rd and K St. in Merced and stealing a vehicle in Los Banos, the Merced Police Department said in a news release Thursday.

According to police, the juvenile was seen inside the CVS store at the Merced Mall on Saturday morning. He is suspected of stealing a hammer from the store and distracting mall security by saying there was a fight in the parking lot, police said.

Video surveillance shows the teen attempting to break the glass case at the Maciel & Co. jewelry store but unable to get into it, officers said.

Video also shows him getting into a black BMW, which was determined to be the vehicle taken in an armed carjacking earlier that morning in Los Banos, investigators said.

Police said the robbery at the A&M Market occurred at 8:51 a.m. Saturday, about the same time Merced Mall security was notifying police about the incident at Maciel & Co.

When the juvenile was arrested in Los Banos, he had $1,300 in cash, and the hammer stolen from CVS was in the glove box of the stolen vehicle, according to police.

Officers searched the juvenile’s residence and found a .40-caliber handgun, which police believe is the weapon used during at least two of the incidents, including the carjacking, Sgt. Scott Skinner said.

The clothing the juvenile wore at the time of his arrest matched what was worn during the robbery, police said. During questioning, the juvenile admitted being responsible for the thefts, police said. The juvenile has no prior arrest history.

This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Los Banos teen arrested in armed robberies, burglary."