Two Bend teens arrested in marijuana robbery

Two Bend teens, ages 18 and 17, have been arrested on charges of robbing a 16-year-old of a “large quantity” of marijuana he’d offered to sell them, police said Tuesday. The 18-year-old also is accused of pointing an apparently replica handgun at the younger teen to demand the return of a stolen cellphone.

Officers responded around 5:40 p.m. Sunday to a reported robbery in the 19000 block of Ashwood Drive in southwest Bend, Lt. Clint Burleigh said.

The 16-year-old male reported he had made arrangements with Jarron Forbes, 18, and a 17-year-old male to sell them a “large quantity” of marijuana, Burleigh said in a news release.

The suspects were quickly identified as Forbes and a known 17-year-old. The 17-year-old was driving a Toyota RAV 4 and Forbes was in the front passenger seat the time, Burleigh said.

An investigation determined that when the two older teens arrived to meet the 16-year-old, the marijuana was handed to the other two teens, but they refused to pay for it, prompting the 16-year-old to try to take the marijuana back.

The 16-year-old was unable to recover the marijuana but grabbed a cellphone belonging to Forbes, Burleigh said. At that point, Forbes grabbed the 16-year-old’s arm and pinned it to the car while the driver began to accelerate and drive away from the younger teen’s home, police said.

Forbes held onto the victim’s arm for a short distance before letting go, Burleigh said. The 16-year-old suffered minor injuries from being dragged by the moving car, though he had not sought medical treatment when he called police.

Before calling police, the Toyota returned to the younger teen’s home, where the victim was still outside when police said Forbes got out of the car and pointed a handgun at the 16-year-old, demanding the return of his cellphone. The younger teen said he didn’t have it, so Forbes took the victim’s phone and left.

Detectives and officers continued their investigation Monday, learned where Forbes was and took him into custody without incident, Burleigh said. The 17-year-old agreed to meet investigators at police headquarters and also was arrested without incident.

Detectives have determined a replica handgun likely was used in the incident, but it has not been recovered, Burleigh said.

Forbes was taken to the Deschutes County Jail and booked on charges of first- and second-degree robbery, first-degree theft and recklessly endangering.

Forbes was arraigned Tuesday on a seven-count initial charging document (called an information) that also includes charges of fourth-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing. He remained held on $165,000 bail, jail records showed.

The 17-year-old was taken to the county Juvenile Department and also is charged with robbery, theft and recklessly endangering, as well as reckless driving.

Burleigh said he’d not heard if the 16-year-old will face charges as a minor in possession of marijuana but that investigators are looking into it.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact Bend police detectives at 541-693-6911.