UPDATE:
A 13-year-old in Cape Coral pulled a gun on a child to steal their electric scooter - then hours later, ended up at Burton Memorial Park, threatening another kid there.
Around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, crime scene tape surrounded the Burton Park playground as police investigated. But, police said this all started earlier in the day in Northeast Cape, when 13-year-old Jiovanni Jesus Peguero walked up to a child and asked to ride his electric scooter. When told no, he flashed a gun.
Watch Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski's report:
“The child feared for his safety, obviously since there was a gun involved, so he let him try the scooter and he rode off with it, stealing the scooter,” said Officer Mercedes Simonds, Cape Coral Police Department PIO.
Officers said they reviewed ring camera footage and recognized Peguero from previous run-ins. So, they went to Peguero’s home, and said his guardian told them he had run away hours earlier and her gun was missing.
Then, a second call came in - another child reported being threatened at Burton Park.
“So, we respond to Burton Park and we find that there are actually these parents that had noticed that one of their children had come and said ‘Hey, this kid has a gun and threatened to shoot me with it’,” said Simonds. “So, several fathers got involved and detained Peguero until police got there.”
Detectives say Peguero still had the loaded gun tucked in his waistband. Officers confirmed he has a history of past cases and has regularly been a “runaway”, but court records are sealed. Peguero was arrested and faces felony charges including armed robbery and aggravated assault.
Leonard Chenault lives across the street from the park and said he’s shocked by what happened. “It’s very disturbing. It makes me feel like something needs to be done,” said Chenault.
As a father of three, Chenault said he hopes Peguaro receives better influence in his life.
“He might be, you know, watching the wrong shows or watching something to influence him to do something of that nature,” said Chenault. “Nevertheless, he needs some positive encouragement and a role model to discourage him from those types of things.”
ORIGINAL REPORTING:
The Cape Coral Police Department says a teenager robbed a child at gunpoint over a $400 electric scooter.
On Tuesday, police say Jiovanni Peguero, 13, approached a child under 12 and requested to try out the scooter at Burton Park in Northeast Cape Coral.
According to the report, the child denied the request.
The department says Peguero then displayed a black handgun tucked into his waistband.
The child then allowed Peguero to ride the scooter.
That's when the teenager then left the scene with the scooter - valued at $400, according to the department.
Ring camera video helped an officer to identify the suspect, who police says was recognized from prior interactions.
A guardian of the teenager confirmed he had run away hours earlier.
During their investigation, police received a second call regarding Peguero.
The report says Peguero was seen threatening another child at Burton Park.
He was detained by multiple fathers, and a loaded handgun was found in his waistband - a gun that matched the description provided by the first child, police say.
Peguero was arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
He's charged with the following:
Jiovanni Peguero was arrested, taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center, and charged with the following:
--Robbery with a Firearm, a Felony of the First Degree
--Minor in Possession of a Firearm
-- Improper Exhibition of a Firearm
--Aggravated Assault (x2)
