Pearland, TX — A juvenile suspect accused of assaulting and robbing a 79-year-old man outside a Walgreens in Pearland has been returned to Texas after being located and detained in Miami, Florida.
According to the Pearland Police Department, the aggravated robbery occurred June 19 at a Walgreens in the 11600 block of Shadow Creek Parkway.
Police said the 79-year-old victim had withdrawn cash from a nearby ATM and was returning to his vehicle when he was approached by a male suspect wearing a white shirt and black pants. The suspect assaulted the man, causing bodily injury, before stealing his wallet and the cash he had withdrawn.
A witness recorded the robbery, and Pearland Police later released the video while asking the public for help identifying the suspect.
On June 30, police announced that investigators had identified the suspect as a juvenile and were working to take him into custody.
Investigators said information provided by members of the community helped lead authorities to Miami, where the juvenile was located and detained with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Multiple Texas and Florida agencies then coordinated the juvenile's return to Texas through the Interstate Compact for Juveniles. Members of the Pearland Police Department Special Investigations Unit, Texas DPS Violent Crimes Unit – Houston and Texas DPS Aircraft Operations Division – Austin traveled to Miami and returned the juvenile to Texas.
The juvenile was taken to the Brazoria County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with Aggravated Robbery of an Elderly or Disabled Person, a first-degree felony.
Pearland Police thanked community members who provided investigative leads, along with the local, state and out-of-state agencies that assisted in identifying, locating and returning the juvenile to Texas.
The charge is an accusation. The juvenile has not been convicted and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty through the judicial process.