POLICE: Teen arrested in Forest Village Apartments robbery

COLUMBIA — One arrest has been made in connection with a robbery Sunday at Forest Village Apartments. Columbia Police are still searching for two other suspects.

A 16-year-old male was arrested Monday on suspicion of first-degree robbery. The robbery occurred at 7:30 p.m. as a 23-year-old woman was exiting her vehicle when returning to her apartment complex at 3001 S. Providence Road. She was approached by a male carrying a shotgun who demanded her purse, said Officer Jessie Haden, spokeswoman for the Columbia Police Department.

The woman was approached by another suspect who carried a handgun. She handed over her purse, which Haden said contained a small amount of money and personal items. The purse has not been found.

"She did the right thing," Haden said. "You can always get more stuff. You can't get another you."

As the two suspects fled on foot, a third man joined them. A Boone County K-9 unit assisted in the search, but was unable to track the suspects.

A male witness identified the vehicle the suspects used before the robbery. The car, a gray 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, was impounded and searched. Haden said a shotgun and ammunition was found in the vehicle. The shotgun had been reported as stolen.

Police made contact with the car's owner, who was able to lead them to the arrested suspect who had borrowed the car, Haden said.

The woman described the second man, the one carrying the handgun, as a dark-skinned black male in his late teens. He is approximately 5-feet-5-inches to 5-feet-6-inches tall and weighs approximately 130 pounds. The woman was unable to describe the third suspect.