Guadalupe County, NM- On Friday, March 15, 2019 at about 5:09 p.m., the New Mexico State Police responded to an armed robbery at the Milagro Gas Station located off Interstate 40, near mile post 243, west of Santa Rosa, NM.

The initial investigation determined two individuals armed with a firearm, later determined to be a BB gun, entered the gas station, robbed the business and left with an undisclosed amount of money.  The individuals fled eastbound onto I-40 in a grey passenger car after the robbery.     

At about 5:50 p.m., State Police officers located the suspect vehicle traveling east on I-40 near mile post 265. A felony traffic stop was conducted at mile-post 273 and four occupants were found inside the vehicle.  All four were detained and eventually arrested, including the two male individuals who were described in the robbery.

Through the investigation, it was learned the four individuals arrested were entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as endangered runaway juveniles from Nebraska and Utah.  The four admitted to committing similar armed robberies in Texas and Colorado.  New Mexico State Police is working with law enforcement agencies from Texas, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska for other possible criminal charges on the four individuals.

The seventeen and sixteen-year-old male juveniles, both of Columbus, Nebraska were charged with Aggravated Armed Robbery (2nd Degree Felony).

A sixteen-year-old male juvenile of Provo City, Utah and a sixteen-year-old female juvenile of Columbus, Nebraska were both charged with Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Armed Robbery (3rd Degree Felony). 

All four juveniles were transported and booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Santa Fe, NM. There is no further information currently available.