A 13-year-old juvenile was apprehended by the Texarkana Police Department on August 11, 2023, after attempting to break into a North Stateline Avenue business. The incident took a peculiar turn when it was revealed that the young suspect had gone missing just minutes before the attempted break-in and returned home in a suspicious state shortly after the incident.
The sequence of events began when the juvenile's mother placed a frantic call to 911, reporting her son missing. Officers were dispatched to their residence to gather basic information. As officers were still interviewing the concerned mother, a separate alarm call was received from a nearby business. Officer Seth Mahar responded to the call and arrived at the scene to find a shattered glass door. Despite the visible damage, it appeared that no entry had been made into the building.
Surveillance footage from the business revealed a person wearing a black hoodie and no shoes approaching the glass door. The individual threw a large rock at the door multiple times in an attempt to gain access. Failing to break in with the rock, the suspect briefly disappeared from view before returning with a crowbar. After striking the door with the crowbar, the individual fled the scene on foot.
In a bizarre twist, the missing juvenile returned home shortly afterward, drenched in sweat and without shoes. Initially attempting to convince both his mother and the responding officers that he had been at home all along, his story quickly unraveled. Officer Kevin Cornelius discovered a discarded black hoodie and crowbar near the house, further raising suspicions.
However, any lingering doubts were dispelled when Officer Brady Cooper presented the boy's mother with a screenshot from the business' surveillance video. Without hesitation, the mother identified the individual in the image as her own son. This crucial identification solidified the young suspect's involvement in the attempted break-in.
Following the compelling evidence, the 13-year-old was placed under arrest and charged with Criminal Mischief. Subsequently, he was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center to await further legal proceedings.
