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Teens accused of stealing 4-wheeler at gunpoint
FOX 26 Reporter Sherman Desselle has more on what happened.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Two juveniles are facing aggravated robbery charges after a violent incident Friday afternoon outside a Target store in Spring, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Deputies reported.
Deputies are searching for two suspects, believed to be between the ages of 14 and 18, who are accused of stealing a four-wheeler at gunpoint.
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The robbery reportedly took place in the parking lot of the Target located on the 19000 block of Interstate 45.
According to authorities, the victim had arranged to sell the four-wheeler through a Facebook Marketplace transaction. After becoming suspicious, the victim decided to cancel the sale. At this point, the suspects allegedly pulled out a firearm and demanded the recreational vehicle. The suspects fled the scene and drove through the North Hills Estates neighborhood before abandoning the four-wheeler and escaping on foot.
Captain Jonathan Zitzmann of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office expressed concern about the increasing involvement of younger individuals in violent crimes.
"It's unfortunate that we feel like the suspects in these very violent crimes are getting younger and younger and younger," Zitzmann said.
Video footage obtained by FOX 26 shows the suspects speeding through the neighborhood on the stolen vehicle. The incident did not result in any injuries, and no shots were fired.
Youth advocates emphasize the need for community intervention to address rising youth crime and gun violence. Damion Walker, Executive Director of Cognitive Justice International, urged for collaborative efforts to address these issues.
"So we have to go back and say 'okay, again, how can we work with the kids we have? How can we work with these communities that we have? How can we bring everybody together to address the issue of gun violence?'" Walker said.
Authorities are urging families and community members who may know the identities or whereabouts of the juveniles to come forward.
"While it didn't result in an injury, brandishing a firearm, threatening to harm somebody in a well-lit, populated area, that kind of level and display of violence is just not acceptable or tolerable," Zitzmann added.
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In a separate, but unrelated incident, deputies reported another robbery involving two suspects at a Gringo's restaurant across the North Freeway around the same time.
Deputies also encourage residents to conduct online sales transactions in person at a police station, or somewhere with a lot of surveillance video for safety.