Police Arrest Suspect in Armed Robbery
Las Cruces police have arrested a 15-year-old boy believed to be responsible for the May 15 armed robbery at a local Dollar Tree store.
The teenager, who police will not publicly identify because of his age, is charged with two counts of armed robbery and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
About 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery committed at the Dollar Tree store, 1701 E. University Ave. Officers arrived and learned the suspect used a semiautomatic handgun during the robbery. He used the gun to threaten two employees before fleeing with cash from the store’s register.
The suspect was last seen heading north toward the Country Crest Apartments near the corner of Locust Street and Wyoming Avenue.
Through the course of their investigation, detectives learned of a suspect who, sometime before the armed robbery, reportedly stole a handgun from a car parked at the Mesilla Valley Mall. That suspect matched the same physical description of the armed robbery suspect.
Investigators obtained body-worn camera footage from a previous police encounter with the teenager. In the video, where police positively identified the teenager, the teen can be seen wearing the same hoodie the suspect wore during the armed robbery. Other evidence obtained during the investigation also linked the teenager to the armed robbery.
During execution of a search warrant at the teenager’s home, Las Cruces police located the hoodie worn during the armed robbery. Police also recovered the gun he is believed to have used to commit the crime.
The teenager was arrested Tuesday afternoon at 2200 Corley Drive, just a short distance from where the robbery occurred. The suspect was booked into the juvenile section of the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he will be held until his first court appearance.
