Florida teen's mom turns son in for attempted robbery after seeing photo shared online by sheriff's office

Florida teen's mom turns son in for attempted burglary

A 15-year-old was arrested in connection with an attempted armed robbery that occurred outside a convenience store on December 17, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A 15-year-old was arrested in connection with an attempted armed robbery that occurred outside a convenience store on December 17, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

At approximately 12:17 p.m., the victim, Ken Sanders, was seated in his vehicle outside the Qwik King convenience store on Oak Road when the teenage suspect approached.

Authorities said the teen initially asked Sanders for money. When the victim declined, the suspect pulled down a ski mask, pointed a gun at him, and demanded both cash and the vehicle.

"I said, 'No I don't have any cash, sorry.' And he walked off, but then he came back quickly and pulled out the weapon and started banging on my window demanding me to get out, or 'Give me the money@!' or 'Give me the keys!' or something," Sanders told FOX 35's Manny Martinez.

The suspect fled the scene on a bicycle after apparently believing the victim might also be armed. Sanders said he was shocked by the incident but not scared.

"He also wasn't wearing anything on his face until I asked him if he was serious. That's when he pulled his little mask down and said, 'Yes I'm serious.' And that's when I feigned that I had something, and he took off. I scared him."

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Investigators obtained an image of the suspect from security footage and shared it on the Sheriff’s Office social media platforms. The suspect’s mother saw the post, recognized her son, and brought him to the Sheriff’s Office to turn himself in.

During an interview with detectives, the teenager admitted to the attempted robbery and said he had used a BB gun. He told investigators he discarded the weapon after seeing his photo circulating on social media.

The suspect was arrested and charged with attempted robbery with a firearm. He was transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Documents show the teen also said he was sorry for what he did and even dictated this short letter to Sanders, which read:

"I apologize for what I did that day. I had a lot going on in my mind that day. I feel like I learned my lesson and I will never do this again. I hope you will accept my apology."

"I can accept his apology, and I hope he's sincere about that statement," Sanders told FOX 35.

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