Teen Charged With Robbing Three Students At Gunpoint Tells Austin Police He Was Just Joking

NORTHEAST AUSTIN, TX — A teenager accused of pulling a gun on three high school students and robbing them of their belongings last week told police he was only joking, according to an arrest affidavit.

Kelvin Lance Holmes, 17, is behind bars at the Travis County Jail under a $20,000 bond facing an aggravated robbery charge over the incident, according to jail records. Citing an arrest affidavit, the Austin American-Statesman reported the teen allegedly used a gun to rob three Liberal Arts and Science Academy students of their phones, wallets and other possessions.

Holmes told police he saw the trio of students jump over a brick wall in the 7100 bock of Crystalbrook Drive, about a mile from the high school, at about 4:30 p.m. last Thursday. When he came upon them, he told police he smelled marijuana and wanted to partake.

When the three students refused, Holmes is said to have admitted pulling out the gun and taking the other youths' belongings, according to the Statesman-cited affidavit. The victims were able to flag down a school district police officer and Holmes was quickly detained before anyone was injured.

But what started off as a joke to Holmes could cost the young man dearly. The aggravated robbery he faces is a first-degree felony that is punishable by up to 99 years in prison.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

Booking photo via Travis County Jail records.