Two adults, three juveniles arrested after firearm reportedly brandished during incident

Two adults and three juveniles were arrested after deputies responded to reports of an alleged break-in wherein a gun was brandished.

On Jan. 18, Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputy Jaxon Thomlinson was dispatched to West 785 Road after four individuals reportedly broke into a residence and pointed a firearm at the homeowners. Dispatch advised that the group left the area in a gold Tahoe with a black bumper.

"Myself and other deputies told dispatch to notify all surrounding agencies of the vehicle and to stop and hold it, if found," Thomlinson said in his report.

Deputies met with the victims, who said the individuals broke into their residence, pointed a firearm at them, threw their TV off the stand and broke it, broke a window, and slashed two of their tires.

"[An individual] found an insurance card on the ground that belongs to the Tahoe that left the scene. The VIN number to the vehicle was on the insurance card, I ran it through dispatch. The return came back to a gold 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe, which they identified was the correct vehicle," Thomlinson said.

Thomlinson asked one of the victims if the perpatrators blocked the door while they pointed the firearm and she said they did. The victim said that a juvenile family member was gone and didn't know if they were with the perpetrators, and they recognized one of the suspects as Juan Fernando Molina.

"Dispatch advised us over the radio, Fort Gibson Police Department had the vehicle stopped at Highway 62 and Georgetown Road, near the casino," Thomlinson said. "[Deputy Seth Morgan] and I went to Muskogee County where the vehicle was stopped to take custody of the individuals."

Officers said they had six people in custody, four males and two females. A firearm was located in the backseat of the vehicle and the magazine was in the rear pocket of the driver's seat. A 17-year-old juvenile was accused of being the one who pointed the firearm during the alleged incident.

Xochitl Moreno-Salas claimed there was an argument between her and a family member that was turning physical when she called Molina to come get her. She said a juvenile family member asked to leave with her. She allegedly said Molina got to the residence and one of the juveniles brought the firearm.

Thomlinson said two 17-year-olds, a 15-year-old, Molina, and Salas were taken into custody.

Molina eventually agreed to speak with deputies and reportedly said the 17-year-old didn't have a firearm. Salas gave Thomlinson consent to go through her phone to see the messages between her and Molina.

"I found messages between them before the incident occurred. The messages stated plan to disable [a family member's] car with sugar and water. She asked him if she should have water bottles ready, for when he got there. She also had asked him if [a family member] could go with them. She also stated to him which side the gas tank was on," Thomlinson said.

Salas said they didn't put sugar and water in the fuel tank of the vehicle when asked about the messages. She and Molina were transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center while the male juveniles were taken to the sheriff's office.

The 17-year-old, who was accused of brandishing the firearm, spoke with deputies and explained what happened.

"He said when they got to the residence, the other guys got out of the vehicle and went to the house. He heard a lot of arguing and got out of the truck. He walked up to the house and seen everyone going back and forth with each other. He told them that they should leave," Thomlinson said.

The juvenile said the firearm wasn't shown nor visible while he was in the vehicle. Thomlinson advised there were witnesses who saw the weapon, and the boy reportedly said, "The only time you can say I had it is when they were at the main door, and I took it away and threw it in the truck." The boy claimed it was the other 17-year-old who had the gun but he was holding it around his waist and keeping it with him.

Thomlinson said witnesses accused that boy of being the one who had the firearm and pointed it at the homeowners. He allegedly protested that he was never near the homeowners or inside the residence. He said he didn't know the firearm was in the vehicle as they were driving to the residence.

Additionally, the boy claimed he didn't know how the tires were slashed and didn't know who went inside the residence, but he could hear items being broken.

Thomlinson asked the juvenile's parents if he could go through the boy's phone and they said signed a written consent form.

"While going through his phone, I found messages on his Instagram account with another account stating he had an 'ARP for sale' and [him] replying back saying when he got with his girlfriend, he had to 'give up his pole'", Thomlinson said. "I also found a picture in his camera roll of the weapon that was used and another firearm, with a caption that said, 'new ARP.'"

Thomlinson confronted the teenager with the information and the boy allegedly denied making the post, and claimed it was someone else who made the post and took the photo.

The deputy then spoke with the 15-year-old, who said the group entered the residence to speak with the family member who was allgedly "threatening" Salas. The boy claimed he broke the TV because he became mad but he didn't know who broke the window. He also said a firearm was present during the incident but it was pointed at the ground.

"I asked whose knife, and he said it was his. I asked who slashed the tires, and he said he did," Thomlinson said.

The deputy asked the 15-year-old's family member for consent to search the phone and was told he couldn't. Thomlinson advised he was keeping the phone and would obtain a search warrant for it.

The other 17-year-old claimed he had the firearm during the incident and he was the one who broke the window, the TV, and slashed the tires. Thomlinson asked for consent to search the boy's phone and advised he would obtain a search warrant as well.

All three boys were arrested and transported to juvenile detention centers.

Molina was booked for first-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit felony, kidnapping, malicious injures, defaces or destroys other's real or personal property. Salas was booked for conspiracy to commit felony.

These are arrests, not convictions.