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.
Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News - The Community's News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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 I’d been collecting for years….and my fishing tackle box.Another neighbor told me it was him,and when I contacted the Police about it,they could not make an arrest based on what I’d been told,and could do nothing about it.What I did was try to “coax” him back into coming by again…I hid my truck,called in sick to work,and waited for him to return for two late nights…and,now,looking back at it,glad he didn’t,cause if he had,it wouldn’t have ended well for him.A couple years ago,I had been informed by a friend I had back in Oregon that this “kid”( now 27 years old ) that robbed me back in 1999 had been arrested for voluntary manslaughter,with a D.A. pushing for a tougher charge than that.From what I understand,a botched robbery where a person lost his life.
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 prior run ins with the law.In this day and age,when your 17,you better start growing up…adult prison is just around the corner if ya keep it up.
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 sure, the bad guys stand out like pink cows up in PO-Dunk, move him to the city so he can blend in on Wall Street and help people out of their retirement. Or perhaps DWP is hirin’, it sounds like the kid has a nack for negotiation.
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 can’t make assumptions.
I know what I would do under the above circumstances; burn some kids on the street and go into Rite-Aid for cigarettes.
What the kid is lacking are life and coping skills, self esteem, self sufficiency and a way to succeed.
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 put up a fight ?..Would people be so compassionate and understanding if these kids ended up in the hospital….or worse ?..Robberies,such as this,can turn very violent in a drop of a hat.If a 17 year old has a long rap sheet,and is forced to wear an ankle bracelet,the most obvious conclusion is he hasn’t learned his lesson yet…or never really had to face consequences for his actions….yet….Maybe with this crime he will…if not,he’ll be 18 soon…no more kid gloves when he’s a legal adult.
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 find
out why he is as he is now, as you say, before he is officially an adult.
Benett
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!!!!