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VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - A 16-year-old was arrested after reportedly robbing a Circle K late Friday night with a gun.

At around 11:50 p.m. on Friday, August 15, law enforcement officers from the Valdosta Police Department, Valdosta State University Police Department, Remerton Police Department, and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of an armed robbery at the Circle K located at 511 N. St. Augustine Road.

The gas station clerk who reported the robbery told officials that the offender had a “rifle-style firearm” that he waved at him before grabbing an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register.

Law enforcement officers arrived at the convenience store within moments of the call being dispatched.

VPD said that officers found a black rifle-style BB gun lying in a field near the store. Officers located the 16-year-old male hiding behind a school near the store.

Police say the juvenile cooperated with officers and was taken into custody without incident.

Detectives with the VPD investigated the robbery, and they spoke with the Department of Juvenile Justice, who authorized the juvenile’s detention at a Regional Youth Detention Center for the charge of armed robbery.

Chief Leslie Manahan said, “The quick response and teamwork by several law enforcement agencies resulted in this juvenile being arrested quickly. The BB gun used by this juvenile did not look like a toy. Thankfully, he had dropped the BB gun and cooperated with officers. This situation could have turned out very differently if law enforcement had encountered him while he was still carrying it, especially in an area that was not well-lit.”

If anyone has any further information on this case or any other cases, please get in touch with the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department.

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