Crime & Public Safety.
The victim of a February robbery outside Thunderbird Lanes provides key details to authorities during separate investigation, leading to arrest of 16-year-old suspect
A Warminster Township juvenile and former William Tennant High School football player sits in Bucks County jail on 10% of $750,000 cash bail after being charged with seven felonies in connection with the gunpoint robbery of cash from a Montgomery County high school student behind Thunderbird Lanes bowling alley in February.
The 16-year-old defendant of the 700 block of St. Charles Avenue was charged March 18 by Warminster authorities with two felony counts of robbery by threatening immediate serious bodily injury, felony robbery-taking of property by force, and three additional felony conspiracy to commit robbery charges, according to court documents.
The boy was also charged with felony carrying a firearm without a license and misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, receiving stolen property (two counts), theft by unlawful taking, conspiracy to commit theft, and possession of a firearm by a minor.
On March 9, at 10:10 p.m., Warminster Police received information from Upper Gwynedd Township Police regarding a robbery at gunpoint that occurred in Warminster, as the victim was at their headquarters for an interview regarding a separate incident, according to the affidavit.
During the interview, the victim told police that he was robbed in the rear parking lot of Thunderbird Lanes in Warminster Township. Police said the victim was buying specialty clothing from a 17-year-old friend who attended William Tennant High School and had purchased clothing a few weeks ago at the friend’s house.
The victim attempted to buy more clothes from the friend, but the friend was unavailable and sent the defendant to meet him for the transaction instead, police said. Initially, the meeting place was supposed to be near a shopping center on the 600 block of St. Charles Avenue on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m., but was changed last minute to the rear of the shopping center at 1475 W. Street Road, police said.
The victim arrived at the meeting place and time in his white Dodge Durango, and the defendant entered the victim’s car without any merchandise and with another man, alleged to be the defendant’s brother, police said. The defendant was wearing a black windbreaker, a black surgical mask, and a white shirt, police said, and the second man sat in the rear seat.
The victim asked about the clothing, and he got no response, police said.
Then, the juvenile pulled out a gun and demanded $600 cash from the victim, claiming it was intended for the clothing, police allege. The gun was described as tan, semi-automatic, with a four-inch barrel and extended magazine, police said.
The defendant allegedly pointed the gun at the victim, the victim said, “Seriously?” and then the defendant cocked the gun, aimed it at the victim again, and once again demanded money, according to the complaint.
The victim handed over the cash, and both men left the car, police said.
Warminster Police interviewed the victim, who told them he was added to a group chat on the day of the robbery with his friend and the defendant on Snapchat, according to the complaint. The friend told the victim that the clothing he wanted to buy was given to the defendant because he was preoccupied with his girlfriend, per the complaint.
After the robbery, the victim messaged the defendant on Snapchat, but found out he was blocked, police said. During a search of the defendant’s name, the victim discovered him on the William Tennant High School football page for the 2024 season, police allege. This find led the victim to the defendant’s Instagram, where photographs matched the man who robbed him, police said in the affidavit.
Furthermore, the defendant had requested the victim send him a photo of the $600, which the victim did, police said. The day after the robbery, the victim attended a party where he saw both the defendant and his friend in the same vicinity, police said.
The 16-year-old is represented by Bucks County public defender Lisa Douple. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 14 at 2 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Christopher E. O’Neill.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
