Teens Try To Rob Vape Store, Assault Employee: Montgomery County Police

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Two 14-year-old boys have been arrested after police say they robbed a Germantown store.

On July 7 at approximately 6 p.m., Montgomery County police officers were dispatched to the Tobacco and Vape Zone in the 13000 block of Wisteria Dr. in Germantown. Earlier that day, at approximately 3:15 p.m., a store employee was sitting outside the store when three teenagers approached the front of the store. The employee recognized the three teens and told all three they were too young to enter the store and to leave. Words were exchanged between the teens and the employee, and the teens left, according to a police report.

A short time later, two of the juveniles retuned, with one wearing a black ski mask covering his face and head. He walked quickly to the front door and entered the store. As the employee stood up to stop him from going inside, the other teen attempted to hit the employee, the report noted.

Once inside the store, the teen wearing the ski mask went behind the store counter. The employee followed and attempted to remove him from behind the counter. There was a physical altercation between one of the teens and the store employee. A teen then grabbed several tobacco products while the employee attempted to call 911 but the teen knocked the phone out of his hands, according to a police report.

The second teen who had been waiting outside put on his ski mask and went into the store, then both took off running behind the shopping center.

On July 8, a 5th District patrol officer recognized the suspects from the robbery after seeing their pictures. He saw three juveniles walking along Century Boulevard near Crystal Rock Dr. The officer left his marked patrol car and asked the group to stop but all three teens took off running. After a brief foot chase, one teen was caught and taken into custody. The second suspect was found a short time later.

One teen has been charged with robbery while another teen has been charged with attempted second-degree assault. The Montgomery County Department of Juvenile Services was notified of their arrests and both have been released to their parents.