YORK — A York teen was charged Tuesday after police say he robbed a former York High classmate of all his possessions — including the bottle of iced tea he was carrying.
Kendridge Merritt, 17, is charged with robbery, theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property in the incident, which occurred Monday at 9:29 p.m. on East 5th Avenue in North York. Merritt will be charged as an adult, according to Northern York County Regional Police.
The investigation began when the victim’s aunt called police. The victim, a 17-year-old male, had his cell phone taken during the robbery, police say.
The victim told police he went to Big Mouth Pizza on the 1300 block of North George Street and purchased an Arizona tea. When he left the business, he was approached by the suspect, whom he knew as “Kendridge,” a former classmate at York High whom he hadn’t seen in “about a year and a half.”
The suspect, who was accompanied by a young boy of about eight years old, began walking with the victim south on North George Street, the victim told police. The suspect continued to try and get the victim to take one of the side streets off North George Street, telling him it would be “quicker,” the victim said.
As they turned onto 5th Avenue, the victim told police, the suspect pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants and told the victim, “Yeah, I’m gonna need everything you got.”
The victim put his hands in the air, and the suspect took a cell phone, phone charger, and the bottle of iced tea from the victim.
The suspect and the boy accompanying him then fled on North George Street, the victim told police.
On Tuesday, the victim contacted police and said he found the suspect’s Facebook profile, which was identified as “Kunta Kendridge.” The victim positively identified a photo of Kendridge Merritt as that of the suspect.
Further investigation revealed that Merritt was the suspect in the armed robbery, police say.
Merritt was charged Tuesday.
