Teen arrested in connection with Conway armed robbery

A 17-year-old boy is behind bars in connection with an armed robbery that happened earlier this month and involved two men, one of which allegedly fired a gun during the incident, and a second suspect is still being sought by Horry County police.

Tyler Tamel Harris of Conway is charged with armed robbery, robbery while armed or allegedly armed with a deadly weapon, according to J. Reuben Long Detention Center records.

Harris was arrested Monday and is being held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on $35,000 bond, records show.

The charge stems from an incident that happened on Feb. 8, according to an Horry County police report.

Officers were called about 7:50 p.m. to the Cornerstone Apartments on Legacy Way, off Singleton Ridge Road, in the Conway area in reference to an armed robbery, police said.

A 26-year-old male victim told authorities he was bringing money to a friend who had asked to borrow some to pay bills. When the victim arrived to meet his female friend, she was with Harris, who had been her boyfriend for a few days, according to the report.

The victim’s friend said she had to give some of the money he gave her to a friend who was waiting nearby. After she left the car the group was in, Harris reached over and turned off the car and the victim grabbed his hand in an attempt to stop him from getting his keys, police said.

Harris then shouted at an unknown man, who came around a building and fired three gunshots, according to the report. The victim looked around to see where the shots were coming from, and Harris allegedly grabbed the victim’s backpack. Harris and the other unknown suspect then ran toward the apartment complex.

The victim told police he met with his female friend because she was going to give him a small amount of marijuana in exchange for her borrowing $300 to help her pay bills. However, the victim’s friend told police she called the victim to purchase two ounces of marijuana for $600, police said.

The victim’s friend said she and Harris sat in the victim’s car while the victim weighed out the drugs and then she gave him the money. She told police Harris then asked her to take some money to his friends waiting nearby, which she did then went home to wait for Harris to bring the marijuana, but he never showed or responded to her text messages, according to the report.

Police met with Harris Monday in the parking lot of Legacy Way, and he denied involvement in the actual robbery, but said he did meet with the victim to purchase marijuana, and that a robbery took place.

Harris told police he didn’t hear any gunshots, but did grab the victim’s backpack and run after a suspect approached the car and brandished a gun. He said he took the backpack to use as a shield against potential bullets, according to the report.

The other suspect has not been positively identified yet, and the investigation remains ongoing, authorities said.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 12:46 PM with the headline "Teen arrested in connection with Conway armed robbery."