Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery at an ARCO gas station in Stockton involving a suspect who may be in the sixth grade, authorities said.
Customers and staff of the station on West Benjamin Holt Drive say the robbery was surprising. Even more surprising, they say, is the suspect’s age — police estimate he’s roughly 11 years old, KTLA sister station KTXL in Sacramento reported Tuesday.
“It’s just very sad to see someone this young try to do something like this,” ARCO employee James Ratto said.
It was Ratto’s coworker who had a gun pointed at her face by the child.
“She just screamed for our coworker,” Ratto said. “The kid got frightened, I’m assuming, and ran off.”
The robbery was caught on surveillance video.
“We can always see what happens in this store,” Ratto said.
The boy was seen wearing a grey hoodie, a black and white backpack and a purple bandana concealing his face.
The station staff now want to track the boy down so he stops his early exploration into a life of crime.
“I’m sure this was his first time thinking of doing it,” Ratto said. “Hopefully he doesn’t try to do it again.”
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Stockton Police Department at 209-937-8377.