Police seized a loaded gun from a 12-year-old boy in Ajax and laid a slew of charges against him after he eluded officers in the city Thursday.
After further investigation, officers also linked the boy to a bank robbery that had happened the day before.
Concerned residents called police Thursday just before 3 p.m. after spotting a boy with a gun. When police officers came to inquire, they were directed to a nearby ravine where they saw a youngster riding on his bike.
The officers managed to catch up with the boy, who jumped off the bike and reached into the waistband of his pants. Police said an officer drew his gun and demanded the boy put his hands up. That's when the boy tossed a loaded 38-calibre gun over the fence. He was arrested.
The youth had been linked to a robbery on May 19 at a Food Basics on Westney Road North in Ajax.
The boy, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, faces 19 charges including robbery, careless use of a firearm and possessing a loaded gun.
He was kept in custody until appearing at a bail hearing.