A teen who robbed two Circle K stores in Plant City and Thonotosassa was arrested Jan. 23 after an unsuccessful attempt to flee from the police.
According to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Rhys McGall, 18, entered the Circle K convenience store at 4704 W. Trapnell Road at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 22 and handed the cashier a threatening note. McGall got money from the register and left the scene in a white Kia minivan. At 8 a.m. the next morning, McGall did the exact same thing at the Circle K store at 12850 Morris Bridge Road, Thonotosassa.
But deputies quickly spotted McGall’s minivan after the Thonotosassa robbery and attempted a traffic stop. McGall sped away and tried driving through a chain link fence, at which point he exited the minivan and tried to lose the deputies on foot. He was caught and arrested shortly afterward.
McGall was charged with armed robbery (less than $300), aggravated fleeing to elude, written threats to kill or do bodily injury, robbery with a deadly weapon while wearing a mask and possession of a controlled substance.
“This teen was seriously mistaken if he thought he could rob our local convenience stores and get away with it,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a press release. “Through good detective work, our deputies were able to locate and arrest this thief before he could strike again. We hope he learns his lesson early in life that this behavior has serious consequences and will not be tolerated.”