Police: Woman robs 2 stores with BB gun

Alachua County Sheriff's Office booking photo of Keshunte Taylor

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 19-year-old woman is charged with two counts of armed robbery after she held up two stores Monday with a BB gun, the Gainesville Police Department said.

Keshunte Lashay Taylor is facing two first-degree felonies and is being held on $50,000 bond.

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Police said Taylor attempted to rob the Cox Cable store on SW 35th Boulevard but the clerk recognized the weapon as a BB gun and refused to give her any money. The clerk told her to get the BB gun out of his face and for her to leave.

Police said Taylor then went to a Game Stop on SW Archer Road, where after wandering around the store for several minutes, she pulled a black handgun from under the front of her shirt and pointed it at the clerk, telling him to give her everything in the safe. After the clerk told Taylor that he could not open the safe, Taylor removed the cash from two registers and left through the front door; about seven minutes after arriving, police said.

Taylor, who was wearing a bright green, long T-shirt, dark shorts and a blue "Nike" string bag, got into a Gainesville Cab, police said.

A Gainesville detective called the cab company, got in contact with the driver and shared direction of travel to patrol units responding.

When she figured out police were on the phone with the cab driver, Taylor tried to jump from the moving cab near SW 16th Aveue and Williston Road, where she was confronted by two Gainesville officers.

Taylor was taken into custody and identified by both victims, police said. The BB gun was recovered from the cab.

A GPD spokesman commended the efforts of victims, witnesses, and patrol officers, who were able to take Taylor into custody within 13 minutes.