Teen armed with replica handgun arrested, accused in Grand Prairie holdup

A teen was in custody Wednesday after police say he robbed a convenience store in a gas station using a replica handgun.

The 17-year-old ran from the store Tuesday night when officers arrived and one officer fired at the suspect when he turned toward the officers, police said.

The teen was not hit and led police on a brief foot pursuit before he was found hiding behind a tree.

Police identified the suspect as Quaylam Powell.

Detectives say they believe Powell is responsible for additional robberies in the area.

Police drove up on the robbery in progress at the Shell gas station at Interstate 30 and Belt Line Road on Tuesday night.

The teen fled the store, brandishing what officers believed was a handgun.

During the pursuit, the teen turned toward the officers and that's when one of the officers fired his weapon.

The teen continued to run into a field where officers called for help from the department's K-9 unit and a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter.

The teen was arrested without incident and faces charges of aggravated robbery.

Police said money taken in the store robbery was recovered. Authorities also discovered that the weapon was a replica of a black 9 mm handgun.

On Sunday afternoon, a suspected thief armed with a replica handgun was shot and critically injured by Arlington police at the Parks Mall.

Domingo Ramirez Jr.: 817-390-7763, @mingoramirezjr

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Teen armed with replica handgun arrested, accused in Grand Prairie holdup."