‘I was bored.’ Teen tries store robbery after PS4 video game breaks, Florida cops say

A boy who just turned 16 says he got bored after his PS4 game quit, and sought entertainment by attempting a store robbery with an Airsoft pistol in Florida, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 24, at the Deltona Food Mart in Spring Hill, and investigators say the plan was foiled when a store clerk refused to cooperate. Spring Hill is about 50 miles north of Tampa.

No one was hurt and the teen was arrested not far from the store, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“The clerk advised the suspect entered the store and waited for other customers to leave,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Once the other customers left the store, the suspect lifted his shirt and displayed a handgun, described as a ‘black semi-automatic handgun.’ The suspect removed the handgun from his waistband, pointed it at the clerk, and demanded money from the cash register.”

The clerk refused, ordered the teen out “and immediately called 9-1-1,” officials said.

A sheriff’s office tracking dog located the teen at home around the corner, about 350 feet from the store.

“Deputies immediately took the suspect, who matched the physical description provided by the clerk,” the sheriff’s office said. “Deputies located a black replica Airsoft pistol in a trash can inside the residence.”

When questioned, the teen reportedly told deputies he had been involved in the store incident, calling it “a mistake.” He also said he never intended to take money from the store, officials said.

“I was bored and my PS4 wasn’t working,” he was quoted telling deputies.

Detectives charged the teen with one felony count of attempted armed commercial robbery, officials said.

This story was originally published March 28, 2023 at 10:28 AM with the headline "‘I was bored.’ Teen tries store robbery after PS4 video game breaks, Florida cops say."