Gun Incident in Byron Leads to Arrest of Rochester Teenager

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - An incident linked to recent vehicle thefts in the Byron area led to the arrest of a Rochester teenager on Friday.

Olmsted County Sheriff's Captain Scott Behrns says an arrest warrant was issued for the 16-year-old boy based on alleged probation violations after he was identified as the person who was allegedly involved in a confrontation Thursday morning at a park in Byron. A group of Byron teenagers told deputies they were approached by the Rochester teen, who they say rode up on a bike and threatened them while waving a gun. The Byron juveniles indicated he was asking for information about the person who had beaten up another Byron youth who is considered to be the "ringleader" of a car theft ring blamed for the string of vehicle thefts this summer.

The Rochester teenager was located Friday morning at a residence in the 2400 block of 15th Avenue Northwest in Rochester and Captain Behrns says he fled through a back door when deputies arrived. They caught up with him as he was attempting to climb a fence in the backyard, where he allegedly fought with the deputies, who were finally able to subdue him after he was shocked with a taser.

He is now facing felony charges stemming from his arrest while the Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the incident in Byron. Captain Behrns noted that the 16-year-old's criminal history includes previous incidents where he was accused of brandishing both fake and real guns.

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