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Ocala
Friday, March 29, 2024

Ocala police arrest 15-year-old boy after officers find stolen gun, marijuana

A 15-year-old boy was arrested by the Ocala Police Department after he was accused of possessing a stolen firearm and marijuana.

On Sunday, March 26, the Ocala Police Department received a call from a concerned citizen stating that juveniles were in possession of a gun near the basketball courts at Parkside Garden Apartments, according to OPD.

After receiving the report, officers responded to the apartment complex and observed two subjects who were walking away from the basketball courts. OPD stated that one of the subjects matched a description that was provided by the reportee.

When officers gave a verbal command to stop, the two subjects fled on foot. An officer in a nearby patrol car observed one of the subjects – later identified as a 15-year-old boy who had a prior guilty adjudicated delinquent conviction – running from another officer. According to OPD, the teen was clutching his waistband.

The officer drove closer to the 15-year-old boy and joined the foot pursuit. OPD stated that the teen approached a dumpster with a three-sided wooden fence, and he hid behind it. When the officer began to clear the backside of the fence, the teen stepped out from the other side of the fence with his hands up, and he was taken into custody, according to OPD.

The other subject who had been observed near the basketball courts was not located.

An officer searched the dumpster area and found a loaded 9mm handgun that was wedged into a gap under the wooden fence. Due to how the handgun was positioned, OPD stated that it appeared to be clean and free from any debris or rust, which indicated that it could have been placed there recently. According to OPD, the recovered handgun was reported stolen out of Marion County.

Ocala police arrest 15 year old boy after officers find stolen gun marijuana 1
The stolen 9mm handgun was found by OPD officers in a gap under a wooden fence (Photo: Ocala Police Department)

During a pat-down search of the 15-year-old boy, 19 grams of marijuana were found in his pocket, according to the police department.

Ocala police arrest 15 year old boy after officers find stolen gun marijuana 2
An OPD officer holding the marijuana that was allegedly found in the 15-year-old boy’s pocket (Photo: Ocala Police Department)

The 15-year-old boy was arrested, and he is being charged with possession of a stolen firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by a delinquent, resisting without violence, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.

In a social media post, the Ocala Police Department stated, “Great work to all of the responding officers for their quick action and steadfast commitment to keeping our community safe.”