Suspect in Missoula Marijuana Dispensary Burglary is Just 14-Years-Old
Early Friday Morning, December 7, an alarm was tripped at a Missoula business when someone managed to cut their way inside. Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh explains.
“At about 3:01, officers responded to the report of a burglary alarm at a business in the 1500 block of South Third Street West,” Welsh said. “The business is a medical marijuana dispensary. When the officers arrived there, they found the business unoccupied. However, there was a broken window. “When the owner of the business arrived, they were able to look at surveillance video and see a young man entering the business unlawfully.”
A witness reported hearing someone climb a nearby chain-link fence and police quickly notice a teenager walking in the vicinity. They decided to pull up to ask a few questions.
“Given the time of night, that being after 3 a.m., the likelihood of random pedestrians out on the street was very low,” Welsh said. “The suspect is a 14-year-old male who is a Missoula resident. It appears that at one point he entered an outbuilding, obtained some power tools and was able to force entry by cutting the lock on the main door.”
Missoula had another Medical Marijuana dispensary burglary last week in which 27-year-old Victor Gray was arrested after police followed his footprints in the snow. The identity of the 14-year-old won't be released because he is a juvenile, but Welsh says items from the store were found on his person and that footage of the robbery was captured by surveillance cameras.