SLO County teen arrested after trying to steal bicycle using a pellet gun, police say
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A Santa Margarita teenager was arrested on suspicion of robbery Thursday in Atascadero after police say he used a pellet gun in an attempt to steal a bicycle before leading officers on foot pursuit.
The chase caused two nearby high schools to go on lockdown.
At around 3:20 p.m., officers responded to a report that suspect tried to steal a bicycle “while brandishing a gun” in the 6700 block of El Camino Real.
The suspect fled the scene on foot, police said, and was last seen in the creek near the pedestrian tunnel heading toward Atascadero High School.
The high school and nearby North County Christian School were both placed on lockdown “out of an overabundance of caution,” police said.
The California Highway Patrol’s helicopter helped officers with the search.
Then, a juvenile matching the description of the suspect jumped over a fence in the 6400 block of Nacimiento Avenue “directly in front of an officer.”
The suspect was detained and identified by the victim.
A California Department of Fish and Wildlife K-9 helped locate the weapon, which was believed to be discarded during the pursuit.
It was a pellet gun, found wrapped in a black beanie near the suspect’s backpack.
The suspect — a 15-year-old Santa Margarita resident — was arrested and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Juvenile Services Center on suspicion of robbery.
This story was originally published September 7, 2023 at 6:12 PM.
