The Ocala Police Department arrested a 15-year-old boy on Monday after a loaded firearm was found in his possession.
At approximately 4 p.m. on Monday, multiple OPD officers responded to the area of Highland Memorial Park Cemetery located at 1515 NE 3rd Street. A concerned citizen had reported that an armed individual wearing dark hooded clothing was walking in a nearby alleyway, according to the police department.
Upon arrival at the scene, an officer located two teenage boys a few blocks away, and they matched the description that had been provided by the citizen. The teenagers were detained, and the officer noticed that one of the teens, identified by OPD as a 15-year-old boy, had a black fanny pack around his chest.
The officer patted down the fanny pack and felt the outline of a firearm. The 15-year-old boy was detained in handcuffs and a search of the fanny pack was conducted. During the search, the officer found a loaded handgun and drug paraphernalia, according to OPD.
The 15-year-old boy was arrested and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice facility. He is facing felony firearm charges along with a charge for possession of drug paraphernalia.
A pat-down search of the second teen was also conducted and no contraband was found. The second teen is not facing any charges and was released into the custody of one of his parents.
“Reporting suspicious activity is essential to maintaining community safety, and we applaud the citizen who took the initiative to report the armed subject,” stated the Ocala Police Department on its Facebook page. “Their willingness to report suspicious activity helped our officers respond promptly and locate the individuals matching the description.”
In the social media post, OPD added that the officer’s quick thinking, observation skills, and experience helped prevent a potentially dangerous situation from escalating.