Alamo teens charged with Harlingen robbery

HARLINGEN - Two 16-year-old boys from Alamo were arrested Wednesday after police said they robbed a convenience store armed with a gun and a baseball bat.

The two were charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest in connection with a robbery at the Stripes store at 3801 E. Harrison Ave., police said.

Before their arrest, the boys led police on a car pursuit that ended miles away in Elsa, Harlingen police spokesman Sgt. John Parrish said.

A clerk at the store called police after two young men walked into the store with a gun and a bat and demanded money, according to a news release from Parrish.

The two took an undetermined amount of money, then fled in a black 1998 Pontiac four-door car, Parrish said.

Police spotted the car in the area and pursued it into Elsa, Parrish said.

"The vehicle stopped (there) and all three bailed out," Parrish said of three occupants of the car.

After the Pontiac stopped, three boys, including the two who were arrested, fled the area on foot, Parrish said.

Police caught and arrested one of the boys, and a second was arrested a few hours later with help from Hidalgo County officials, Harlingen police spokeswoman Sgt. Miryam Anderson said.

After the first 16-year-old was arrested, he was positively identified as the boy involved in the Stripes robbery, the news release states.

The two arrested 16-year-olds are from the Alamo area, and police are still searching for the third suspect, Anderson said.

The two suspects arrested were taken to the Darrel B. Hester Juvenile Detention Center Wednesday, Parrish said.

Because the arrested boys are juveniles, officials are not allowed to release their names, Parrish said.