Twelve-year old arrested after robbing a Hartford gas station at gunpoint

 

HARTFORD, Mich. -- A Marathon gas station in Hartford was held up by a suspect just twelve-years old Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect, who has yet to be officially identified, was seen on camera walking up to the station's counter, where he drew a nine-millimeter handgun from a black backpack.

"Put the money in the bag," he demanded to the clerk.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

The suspect raised the pistol and fired a single shot into the ceiling.

"Yeah," he replied.

He ended up stealing $3,800 in cash from the gas station convenience store register before he took off from the scene. Hartford police officers received a call about the armed robbery around 3:52pm.

“We had about four units in the area," said Hartford Police Lieutenant Michael Prince. "We kept the young man contained. He was found by Chief Beltran probably about five minutes after the call came out.”

According to police, the twelve-year old did not resist arrest. He faces seven felony charges, including armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.

A friend of the suspect told investigators that the suspect planned to rob a gas station-- and had even asked him which one in town had the least amount of security. The friend suggested the Marathon station, believing it had the most security. 

The handgun, a Taurus PT111G2 according to the charging documents, was stolen from the suspect's step-father. 

“He said he forced it open, though we didn’t see any signs of forced entry. I think he had located the combination to that particular safe," Lt. Prince said. 

The robbery attempt has shocked the small community. 

“It was flabbergasting to say the least," said Lt. Prince. "I mean, to hear that at that time of day, there were people all over the place—there were people inside the gas station! To hear of an armed robbery and of a shot fired, it was shocking to find out that it was a twelve-year old boy that was involved.”

The suspect's motive to rob the gas station seems unclear; the twelve year old told investigators he was not after the money. He said he was planning to throw the cash into a sewer instead of keeping it.

According to the friend who was interviewed by investigators-- the suspect told him he had wanted to go to "juvy."

Right now, the suspect is being housed at the Allegan County Juvenile Detention Center.