Teen arrested in Marin County e-bike armed robbery; tracking device leads to suspect
A tracking device on a stolen electric bicycle in Marin County led to the arrest of a teenager suspected in the armed robbery last week, according to police.
On Friday just after 11 p.m., two juveniles were sitting on a bench of a multiuse pathway along the Corte Madera Creek near Elizabeth Circle in Greenbrae when they were approached by a teenage suspect. The suspect allegedly pulled out a handgun with an extended magazine, pointed it at the juveniles and made threats to kill them if they didn't turn over the keys to one of their e-bikes. The suspect then fled on the bike. The juveniles were unharmed.
Central Marin Police Authority officers arrived at the scene and learned that the e-bike had a tracking device attached to it. Since the suspect allegedly had a firearm, more law enforcement agencies responded to assist in the case.
At about 11:43 p.m., the stolen e-bike's location was tracked to the area of Frances Avenue in Larkspur. Shortly after, an officer located the suspect on the e-bike, but he fled up Murray Lane into Kentfield.
A command post was established, along with a multi-agency perimeter and a request for California Highway Patrol air support.
The suspect was located by a Central Marin officer on the stolen e-bike around midnight in the area of Hillcrest Lane at Oak Knoll Road in Kentfield.
The suspect was taken into custody and the e-bike was recovered. Officers searched the suspect and area but did not locate a firearm, they said. Two Petaluma Police K-9 Officers that specialize in firearm detection also responded but could not locate a gun.
The 15-year-old suspect, a Tiburon resident, was arrested and booked into Marin County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, grand theft and making criminal threats.
According to police, out of public safety concern over the outstanding firearm, the following day, Marin County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue unit, a team of highly-trained and dedicated volunteers, responded to conduct a coordinated daylight search for the firearm. After an exhaustive search of the residential area where the suspect was located, fled and taken into custody, no firearm was located.
