Juvenile arrested minutes after robbing North Charleston convenience store, police say

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – North Charleston police officers said they arrested a juvenile just minutes after robbing a convenience store Tuesday night.

According to the North Charleston Police Department (NCPD), an officer patrolling Spruill Avenue saw someone running out of the Circle A store around 9:00 p.m. with two bags in his hands.

“Believing that the person had just stolen items from the store, the officer chased the suspect,” said a spokesman with the police department. “After the brief chase, the suspect was caught. He was found with a large amount of cash and e-cigs in the bags.”

Officials said a second officer went to the store and was told the suspect had just robbed the business. Another officer followed the suspect’s path and found a gun in the grass behind the store.

“It turned out the gun had been stolen,” a department official said.

The suspect – who is a juvenile – was arrested on several charges including armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, unlawful carry of a handgun, possession of stolen goods, and possession of a firearm by a person under 18.

He was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice.