2 juveniles charged with armed robbery of Bradenton grocery store

BRADENTON -- Two juveniles were arrested after one held a grocery store employee at gunpoint and stole money from the cash register on Thursday, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

A 15-year-old, who was not named in the report, walked into La Marketa grocery store at 2230 Manatee Ave. E. in Bradenton and held a black pellet gun to an employee's head, according to a release. The juvenile then physically forced the employee to move through the store, emptying a cash register of money.

The juvenile ran away with an unknown amount of money and the employee called law enforcement. The employee was not injured.

Detectives identified the juvenile and a 17-year-old accomplice as suspects in the case. The 15-year-old was charged with kidnapping and armed robbery and the 17-year-old was charged with being an accessory to armed robbery. The pellet gun was recovered as evidence, police said.

Anyone having information regarding this case is asked to call Officer Michael Page at 941-932-9314; or to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000, call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-634-8477 (TIPS); or send an anonymous tip on the web at www.manateecrimestoppers.com.

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 11:18 AM with the headline "2 juveniles charged with armed robbery of Bradenton grocery store ."