On September 24, 2016 at about 12:35 A.M. Porterville Police Officers responded to an address on East Kanai Avenue, north of East Morton Avenue, in Porterville regarding an attempted robbery.
Officers contacted the victim, who reported that she just arrived home when two male suspects approached her, both armed with guns. The suspects pointed a rifle at the victim and attempted to enter her vehicle, but for unknown reasons, they left in an awaiting vehicle.
About 15 minutes later, officers were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of East Presidio Avenue regarding an armed robbery that just occurred. The victims in the second incident provided a similar description as the incident on Kanai Avenue.
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Minutes later, an officer spotted the suspect vehicle in the 400 block of South “E” Street and attempted a traffic stop. However, the occupants abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. One of the occupants was observed armed with a rifle.
Assisting officers began searching the area and located a 16 year old male juvenile, along with a loaded sawed-off rifle nearby. The juvenile, who is a known gang member, was identified by victims and witnesses in both incidents and arrested. Efforts to locate the other suspects were unsuccessful.
Officers also determined the vehicle from which the suspects fled was taken in a carjacking on September 22, 2016 in the Porterville area that was reported to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department. The juvenile was later booked into the Tulare County Juvenile Detention Facility.
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Porterville Police Detectives responded and assumed the investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Porterville Police Department at 559-782-7400 or Detective Edgar Calderon at 559-782-7403.
