The youth tried to run from police, but they caught him and recovered the loaded, sawed-off shotgun he was carrying, authorities said.
CAMDEN -- Camden County police have arrested a 15-year-old male who they caught carrying a loaded, sawed-off shot shotgun in the city, authorities said.
A 15-year-old was arrested by Camden police after they found him with a sawed-off shotgun, authorities said. (File Photo) Around 1 a.m. Monday, Officer Pascual Irizarry was in the area of Broadway and Viola on directed patrol addressing quality of life issues when he observed a male juvenile who was acting suspiciously near several parked vehicles.
When Irizarry approached the teenager to investigate, the male immediately ran from the scene. Irizarry and Officer Kevin Hiller chased the subject and saw him toss a shotgun while running.
The officers were able to catch and arrest the juvenile and recover the weapon he discarded -- a loaded, sawed-off Mossberg International 702 Plinkster, authorities said.
The youth was charged with possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of a weapon and remanded to the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center.
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From the launch of the Camden County Police Department on May 1, 2013, through Friday, Sept. 4, officers responded to 4,581 calls for a person or persons with a gun -- making 540 arrests and recovering 521 guns.
"Utilizing their training, these officers acted intelligently to defuse a potentially dangerous situation and remove a powerful deadly weapon from the hands of a juvenile," said Deputy Chief Joseph L. Williams.
Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
