BENSALEM, PA – At approximately 1:08 a.m. Friday, Bensalem Police responded to the Karco Gas Station at Street Road and High Avenue for a reported armed robbery. According to police, a juvenile male entered the store and demanded free merchandise before escalating the encounter.
The clerk told officers the suspect displayed what appeared to be a firearm and said, “Do you want this?” Fearing the weapon was real, the clerk stepped back to avoid further confrontation. The suspect then took a piece of candy and fled the store.
Rapid identification leads to arrest
The clerk provided a detailed description, allowing officers to quickly begin a search. Within minutes, a Bensalem Police detective spotted a juvenile matching that description on the township’s camera system entering the Wellington Estates neighborhood.
Officers responded and located the suspect at the intersection of Cheltenham Drive and William Penn Drive, where he was taken into custody without incident.
Charges filed, weapon identified
Investigators later determined the suspect, a 14-year-old Bensalem resident from Bristol Pike, had been carrying an airsoft pistol during the robbery.
Police said the juvenile has been charged with robbery, a felony, and was transported to the Bucks County Youth Detention Center.
Officials noted the speed of the arrest was tied to coordinated efforts and technology used during the response. “This arrest is another example of the rapid response and coordinated efforts of Bensalem Police officers and detectives, whose use of technology and teamwork helped quickly identify and apprehend the suspect,” the department said.