Moss Point police: 16-year-old identified in food mart armed robbery will be charged as an adult

MOSS POINT, MS (WLOX) - Police in Moss Point have arrested 16-year-old Darius Melun Bland of Moss Point for Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault Wednesday.

Police say Bland will be charged as an adult and is currently housed at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center.

Bland was currently out on bond for a 2017 armed robbery which happened in D’Iberville. His bond for the current robbery charge is set at $150,000 and $50,000 for the assault charge.

The robbery happened just before 1am Wednesday at the A & A Food Mart Gas Station on Main Street. When officers arrived at the store, they found the clerk bleeding from a gunshot wound to his abdomen. The victim said the robber came into the store, pulled out a handgun, and demanded money from the register.

That’s when the clerk pulled out his own weapon and the two exchanged shots. The robber ran from the store and got away.

The clerk was taken to Singing River Hospital and immediately went into surgery. Police say he remains critical but is in stable condition as of 9:30 Thursday morning.

Moss Point police released two surveillance photos from the store and asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspected gunman. A few hours later, officers closed in on their suspect at a home in Moss Point and took him into custody.

If you have any information about this crime, contact Detective Kimberlee Snowden or the Moss Point Police Department at (228) 475-1711. You may also contact Crime Stoppers at 800-787-5898 or visit the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers website at mscoastcrimestoppers.com.