Suspects stole motor oil, police say. Sounds like what they needed was gas.

An 18-year-old man and 15-year-old boy were arrested after an armed robbery of a market east of downtown Modesto on Monday morning.

The pair went into the B-Z Mart on the 1500 block of Miller Avenue, just northeast of La Loma Avenue and Yosemite Boulevard, said Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves.

A store employee observed them behaving suspiciously, Graves said. The 18-year-old, Travis Holt, picked up some motor oil, at which point the 15-year-old left the store.

Holt then walked out of the store without paying for the oil, Graves said, and the employee gave chase. Holt pulled out a handgun, the employee retreated, and the suspects fled in a vehicle.

They drove east but ran out of gas in less than half a mile, Graves said. Officers who responded to the robbery report spotted the suspect vehicle and located the pair in an alleyway between Fusco Avenue and San Juan Drive.

They were taken into custody without incident, Graves said, and a handgun was found in the vehicle.

The store employee went to the arrest scene and identified the pair as those who robbed the store, said Lt. Mark Weiglein.

Holt faces charges of robbery and possession of a loaded firearm. The 15-year-old faces charges of robbery and being accessory.

This story was originally published March 5, 2018 at 10:52 AM with the headline "Suspects stole motor oil, police say. Sounds like what they needed was gas.."