B86 Radio reported on Monday that an 83 year old female had her vehicle stolen in the parking deck at Valley Hills Mall in Hickory. When she exited her vehicle, she was approached by a black male wearing a dark colored hoodie and a dark colored mask covering his mouth and nose. He was displaying a black or dark gray handgun when he approached the victim and stated, “keys, keys”. The victim complied with the male and gave him the keys to a burgundy 2001 Buick Century.
The male entered the vehicle and drove away heading south towards Catawba Valley Boulevard SE. The incident was not captured on surveillance cameras because they were not recording.
Today, the Hickory Police Department released the following information
On Thursday, February 24, 2022 the victim’s burgundy 2001 Buick Century, NC License Plate: TFR-4308 was located at a gas station in Palm Coast, Florida by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office had received the B.O.L.O. (Be On the Lookout) submitted by the Hickory Police Department’s Communication Center in reference to the robbery and stolen vehicle. An alert deputy observed the vehicle parked at the gas pumps at a Shell Gas Station. The vehicle was occupied by four juveniles to include one 15 year old male, one 15 year old female, one 16 year old female and one 17 year old male. The 17 year old male and the two females had previously been reported missing to the Hickory Police Department. The 15 year old male had been reported missing to the Long View Police Department. The 15 year old male matched the description of the robbery suspect and a black Sig Sauer P365 BB air pistol and a black ski mask was located in his jacket pockets.
All four juveniles were placed under arrest for grand theft of a motor vehicle and the 15 year old has an additional charge of carrying a concealed weapon while committing a felony. The NC Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Florida Department of Children and Family are working together in order to facilitate the transportation of the juveniles back to North Carolina.
Related Story
https://860wacb.com/woman-has-car-stolen-at-gunpoint-at-hickory-mall/