On Saturday March 23rd Mammoth Lakes Police investigated a robbery that had occurred earlier in the evening. 12 year old boys were waiting at the stop in front of the Mammoth Lakes Rite-Aid when a suspect approached and demanded money and threatened to take their skateboards if they didn’t comply. In fear of the 17 year old suspect, they gave him cash. The victims recognized the suspect as a local resident, but didn’t know his name. The victims also told the officers that the suspect had gone into the Rite-Aid store after the robbery.
On Tuesday March 26th, MLPD Sergeant Marc Moscowitz and School Resource Officer Andy Lehr conducted a follow-up at Rite-Aid. Rite-Aid Loss Prevention Officer Samuel Ruiz assisted by providing officers access to the store’s security video. Given the description of the suspect, Ruiz immediately identified him from prior contacts and cued the video to show the suspect walking into the store at the time the victims reported he entered. SRO Lehr recognized the suspect as a student and knew his name from multiple prior contacts.
The suspect was further identified by the victims through a photo line-up and by accessing data from the AB 109 funded GPS monitoring device he was wearing as a condition of his probation for prior arrests. The data clearly showed the suspect at the scene of the crime at the time it occurred.
The suspect, a 17 year old juvenile resident of Mammoth Lakes was arrested for robbery and transported to the Juvenile Detention Facility in Independence.
Benett…I can see your point with your last comment and reply to my last comment…maybe what it is that I could be bias to young people and crimes they commit.When I was living in Oregon,I was burglerized by a 14 year old neighbor twice..stole a bunch of old silver dollars… Read more »
I hear you, Wayne.
BK
Unfortunately, more likely than not the only thing that will keep bully’s like this from repeating this behavior is a skateboard in the face the next time he tries this.
too bad hes a juvy,cant post his name,id love to see some background on this moron
It almost sounds like this kid has no idea of right and wrong. I hope he gets some help.
Trouble….He already got some “help”…financial help by robbing two kids in front of a business….17 year olds should know better than that….especially those that’s already had run-ins with the law.
Maybe he has a lot of trouble at home. We don’t know and can’t make assumptions.
Benett
Benett….In my lifetime,I’ve known LOTS of kids (teen-agers) with a tough up-bringing…..and probably can include me to that list…but few of them,and certainly not myself,has ever commited a crime like this,or never had a long rap sheet at the age of 17…including having to wear an ankle bracelet because of… Read more »
That’s very true, but so is the possibility of rough circumstances that need to be realized to help the young person, as you say, before it’s too late.
Benett
Sure Wayne, heck it could be me or my wife who ends up being his next victim. I’m not sayin’ there should be no consequences for his action. I just think throwing him in the trash is gunna smell bad down the road, metaphoricaly speaking of course. One thing for… Read more »
I’ll bet most every adult and peer in his life has betrayed him and he has just given up. -Abandonment? -Marginalization? -Divorce? -Rejection? -Infidelity? -Emotional and Physical Abuse? -Drugs? -Alcohol? -Public Humiliation at school and by parents? Thank you for the compassionate response BK & TROUBLE. We don’t know and… Read more »
Tim…could very well be….and if he was ,say,13 or 14 years old,maybe I’d have more compassion….but a 17 year old ,in lots of people’s eyes is an ADULT…including in the eyes of the law,in many cases….What would have happened if these two 12 year olds said no to his request,or… Read more »
The late Inyo Superior Court Judge Don Chapman used to take juvenile crime cases very seriously and said once that it was a last chance to help an individual. One would hope a 17-year-old would know right from wrong but if he doesn’t, then it’s a good idea to really… Read more »
Hard to believe this punk is so stupid….rob two kids in front of the store…then go into the store with THEIR money he just stole,make a purchase…and leave…and the idiot has priors….Just out of curiosity,would like to know what he bought at Rite Aid with the stolen money….
This is the PERFECT scenario to demonstrate the need for reserve officers…it’s a long hall to Indy and back, and with a reserve transporting this future convict to the slammer, it doesn’t leave Mammoth with one less cop on the street for 4 hrs.or more.
Why don’t you stop by and pick up an application, Big Rick? We could use your services. We currently have a small number of reserve applicants in processing, but we can always use more.
What’s the age limit Chief…I’m 54 years young.
No age limit, Big Rick. You’re still a young man. But, if you have no prior experience, you’ll have to go through the Reserve Academy at Cerro Coso College.
what a bright boy this 17 year old is…sheesh, enjoy your time in juvy dude…no more ankle bracelet for you!
Way to go Moscowitz! He’s been a big help to me in the past, glad that things are getting done by officers who care. 🙂
GREAT investigative work by MLPD!!!!