HYATTSVILLE, Md. — A 15-year-old boy who was caught sleeping with an AR-15-style rifle was taken into custody in Hyattsville, Maryland, Sunday, Hyattsville Police Department said.
Hyattsville Police Communications received a call from a home in the 3500 block of Madison Place for an armed person just after 8 p.m. on Nov. 27. The parent of the teen told Hyattsville police officers that they found their son sleeping with a gun.
After officers asked the family to leave the home, several Hyattsville police officers entered the home using a rifle shield and approached the teen's room.
Once officers made entry into the room, they found a 15-year-old boy asleep in his room with a short barreled AR-15-style rifle with a black 30-round magazine inserted into a magazine well to the left of his body, according to police.
"We are grateful this incident was quickly and peacefully resolved. Because he is a juvenile, we cannot make any additional statements about our engagement with him,” City of Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers said.
Hyattsville police say the rifle was loaded with a 30-round P-mag, which contained two .223/.556 rounds.
One of the officers quickly picked up the rifle from the teen and rendered the weapon safe. Police say one of the officers woke up the teen and took him into custody without incident.
Officers couldn't locate a serial number on the rifle because the serial number was covered by a black glue substance.
Towers said the parent did the right thing to keep everyone safe and police have been in touch with the boy and his family in the past. “We have done everything in our power to encourage him to make better choices," Towers said.
The Prince George's County State's Attorney's office is charging the teen as a juvenile. He faces charges including being under the age of 21 and in possession of a firearm and altering the gun's serial number.
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