A Bergen County teenager was arrested over the weekend after police say he carried a loaded semiautomatic handgun into Westfield Garden State Plaza.
The 17-year-old, who is from Lodi, was arrested about 8 p.m. Saturday after security officers “were made aware of a person with a handgun” inside the mall, which is off Route 17 in Paramus, according to police.
The officers found the teen among a group of juveniles. “While interviewing the suspect, the officers located a fully loaded (gun) located in the front fanny pack being worn by the 17-year-old male,” Paramus Police Chief Ken Ehrenburg said in an email.
The officers arrested the teenager without incident and turned him over to Paramus police, Ehrenburg said.
The teen was taken to police headquarters, where his parents were notified of his arrest, Ehrenburg said.
He was charged as a youthful offender with unlawful possession of a handgun and taken to the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center in Teterboro to await a first appearance in court.
