CRIME

Two juveniles accused of burglarizing Safeway, Target pharmacies — one faces gun charge

Joshua Kellogg
Farmington Daily Times

FARMINGTON — Two juvenile males have been arrested by Farmington police for allegedly trying to burglarize two pharmacies on the night of Feb. 26.

One of the 16-year-old males is charged with felony counts of aggravated burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, while the second 16-year-old male is accused of aggravated burglary and conspiracy, according to a Farmington Police Department press release.

The names of the suspects were not released by police.

Farmington police officers were dispatched around 5:19 p.m. on Feb. 26 to the Target store at 4900 E. Main St. on reports of two teen boys with a gun trying to access the back area of the CVS pharmacy.

A store employee tackled one of the teens and the gun was dropped.

Multiple employees detained one of the teens until police arrived. The second teen fled the store before officers arrived.

Officers were able to obtain a description of a second teen and the vehicle he left the scene in using surveillance footage from Target.

Around 5:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to the Safeway grocery store at 3540 E. Main St. on another report of a teen attempting to steal medication from behind the pharmacy counter.

Officers arrived on scene and took the teen into custody. He matched the description of the suspect who fled Target.

The teen facing the assault charge was the suspect taken into custody at Target. The teen facing the conspiracy charge was arrested at the grocery store, according to Farmington Police Department Spokesperson Nicole Brown.

The defendants were being held at the San Juan County Juvenile Detention Center. 

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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Crime