Juvenile charged with two Albany armed robberies

ALBANY — A juvenile was arrested Thursday in connection with the recent armed robbery of two convenience stores.

Michael Alexander, 15, is charged by the Albany Police Department with armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a crime in connection with the Sunday robbery of Woodall’s food store and gas at 1500 N. Slappey Blvd., police officials say.

The clerk on duty told police that two unknown males, one with a pink revolver, entered the business shortly before 3 a.m., and demanded money from the register. According to a spokeswoman for the APD, the gunman fired a single shot into the ceiling and the clerk gave him all that he could grab. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Also, Alexander is charged by Dougherty County police with armed robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of false imprisonment, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and cruelty to a child in connection with the early Monday robbery of a Flash Foods store at 2336 Liberty Expressway.

According to Lt. Chad Kirkpatrick with the DCP, evidence shows that the same two juveniles robbed both stores, although in the Flash Foods incident, Alexander was not the gunman.

Police officials say that during the Flash Foods robbery two customers, one a 12-year-old, were forced to lie face down on the floor while the robbery was taking place. The bandits fled after taking an undisclosed amount of cash from the register, a DCP detective said.

A second suspect, 16-year-old Ryshun Raybon Jackson is sought in connection with both robberies. Police officials say Jackson is charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault for the Woodall’s robbery. In the Flash Foods robbery, his charges match those of Alexander’s.

Both robberies were investigated as a joint effort by the Albany and Dougherty County Police Departments, Kirkpatrick said.

According to Banks, although the suspects are minors, they are charged as adults and will be housed at the Dougherty County jail.

Georgia law allows for minors to be tried as adults when charged with any of the “seven deadly sins,” including armed robbery, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, murder and kidnapping.