BOY WITH LOADED RIFLE AND MASK ARRESTED OUTSIDE YUCCA VALLEY GROCERY STORE

A 17-year-old boy was arrested Thursday after he was spotted with a rifle and wearing a mask outside a Yucca Valley grocery store. Deputies were called to the old Stater Brothers grocery store in the 57000 block of 29 Palms Highway at 1:19 p.m. by a passer-by who noticed the boy sitting on a bench outside the store while wearing a bandana over his face and carrying a rifle case. The masked boy and his loaded .22-caliber rifle were still there when deputies arrived and he was detained without incident. The boy, who was not identified due to his age, has had prior run-ins with the law, and has a no-bail warrant for a probation violation. He was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and for his probation violation, and booked at Juvenile Hall. Prior to the deputies’ arrival, another 17-year-old boy was apparently hanging out with the boy at Stater Brothers, but left and went to the Yucca Valley Community Center, where he allegedly committed a strong-arm robbery. Deputies say he took a cell phone from a child at the park. Deputies located the second boy and he was arrested for investigation of strong arm robbery and booked into Juvenile Hall.