15-Year-Old Accused Of Holdup, Assault
POSTED: Wednesday, January 9, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 15-year-old police say was caught on tape during one of three recent robberies of Family Dollar stores and accused of sexual battery on clerks was taken into custody on Wednesday morning during a SWAT callout.
According to police reports, Asa Harris’ crime spree began on Dec. 30 at the Family Dollar store on Normandy Boulevard. Investigators said Harris pulled a gun and demanded money, then forced a cashier to undress and then ordered her to suck on his finger.
Police said Harris struck again on Jan. 5, this time at the Family Dollar on Arlington Road. Police said he ordered the clerk to perform a sex act on him before he left with cash.
Two days later, police said Harris was at the Family Dollar on Shirley Avenue, threatened workers with a gun and left with cash.
Customer Elly James said she was just walking by when she saw a man behind the counter. She called 911.
"I was like, 'What was he doing?' So I was like, 'Oh my God, they're getting robbed,'" James told Channel 4's Laura Mazzeo. "(I was) very scary because he looked real young, but what was going on in his head?"
Harris was taken into custody early Wednesday after heavily armed police surrounded his Talleyrand neighborhood to serve arrest warrants. He surrendered without any resistance and is charged with one count of armed robbery and battery. Police said he is suspected in the other two holdups.
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