Ceres teen arrested with $16 worth of junk food in his shirt

A Ceres teenager with a shirt full of junk food escalated his shoplifting attempt to a robbery when he allegedly struggled with the clerk who was trying to stop him.

The suspect entered Country Market on Pine Street in Ceres at about 3:38 p.m. Monday and proceeded to stuff candy and chips under his shirt, said Sgt. Jose Berber. The items were a bag of Takis chips, Cheetos, Ruffles, Starburst candy, two packs of Skittles and a bottle of Squirt soda.

The clerk confronted the suspect, 18-year-old Tyler Underwood, as he attempted to leave, Berber said. The clerk tried to pull the items out from Underwood’s shirt but he allegedly pushed the clerk.

As the clerk chased Underwood through the store another person called police and an officer happened to be driving by.

The officer arrived right away and arrested Underwood on suspicion of robbery. The items he was allegedly trying to take cost $16.41, Berber said.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Ceres teen arrested with $16 worth of junk food in his shirt."