LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. — A 13-year-old arrested for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle into a California bakery, allowing a mob to ransack it, was arrested again hours later during another robbery, authorities said Tuesday.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that the teen allegedly rammed a vehicle into Ruben’s Bakery & Mexican Food in Compton on Jan. 2, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Luna said the juvenile is suspected of throwing a white Kia Soul into reverse and then slamming the vehicle three times into the storefront. The impact caused structural damage that allowed more than 100 people to enter and steal items from the store, according to the newspaper.
Damages and losses from the theft exceeded $40,000, KTTV reported.
Luna said the teen and four other suspects were arrested on Jan. 12 in connection to the break-in, the Times reported. The suspect was charged with felony vandalism, driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent and inciting a riot, according to KTTV. The teen was released to their family because they were a juvenile, the television station reported.
Hours later, authorities said the teen was seen on security video as one of four suspects attempting to rob a 7-Eleven store in Carson, according to KTLA-TV. The robbery was caught in a video that went viral, the Times reported.
Deputy Luis Cisneros said he happened to walk into the convenience store toward the end of the shift and witnessed the armed robbery, KTTV reported.
“As soon as I opened the door, I noticed that all the individuals were actually behind the counter,” Cisneros told the television station. “One of them was taking stuff off the shelves, one of them was reaching into the cash register, and one of them and one of them was against the cashier. Once I saw them, I immediately drew my weapon. After that, it was like something took over me and I did what I could to one, stay alive and make sure this outcome was resolved peacefully.”
Luna said that Cisneros foiled the robbery attempt, which involved multiple people, including juveniles, the Times reported.
“His actions resulted in the arrest of all those individuals,” Luna told reporters. “One of the juveniles in that case was the same juvenile who was arrested” in the Ruben’s Bakery incident.
“He was the driver of that Kia, so it’s all related,” the sheriff added.
The 13-year-old is currently being held in a juvenile hall, the Times reported.