URBANA — Bond has been set at $250,000 for an Urbana teen charged with the armed robbery of an Urbana business earlier this week.
Denashio S. Tester, 15, who listed an address in the 2000 block of Fletcher Street, asked for more time to hire an attorney after he was charged on Thursday with felony armed robbery.
Judge Richard Klaus set Tester's next court appearance for Oct. 25.
Tester is being charged as an adult because a firearm was involved in the incident.
According to an Urbana police report, officers were called to Check 'n Go, 1815 Philo Road, at 1:37 p.m. Tuesday, in response to a holdup alarm going off.
Police said the youth entered the store and moved to the counter after the clerk finished helping a customer. The robber then displayed a handgun and demanded money. After the clerk opened the register drawer, the robber reached across and grabbed money.
The robber ran out of the store and around the north end of the building. He then headed west toward an apartment complex in the 1800 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue.
Urbana police Lt. Bryant Seraphin said police learned on Wednesday that the teenager was hiding out at a motel in Champaign.
Police then arrested Tester at the Economy Hotel, 914 W. Bloomington Road, C, at 10:07 a.m. Wednesday, after they saw the teen walking on the hotel property.
They're charging him as an adult because he had a gun? Wouldn't it make more sense to charge him as a juvenile because he's 15 and not an adult?
Really...???.......Really...???.......Really...???
Because if they put him in a different enviroment till he's 21, he may come out a better person. If they just lock him up in prison, which is where he will go as soon as they can transfer him, his life may as well be over. Even if he gets out, it will just be a bigger, angrier problem to deal with.
they're charging him as an adult but he's only,15. he is a juvenile so he should have a juvenile punishment.
My confusion is... 15? ... armed robbery? Was the payment on his bicycle past due or what? Wait... let me guess .... it's all about the drugs. n e way... he pointed a gun at someone. Go ahead & lock him up.
Maybe they mean that charging him as an adult is because he committed an adult crime (by using a gun). So when a 21 yo rips off a gass station with a BB gun, s/he can be sent to juvenile detention.