Edmond Teen Arrested For Attempted Robbery

A former Edmond Memorial teen is looking at possible jail time, after attempting to rob a Jack-In-The-Box.

Police say he admitted his motive was money to buy drugs.

A park in a neighborhood around the corner from the Jack -In-The-Box is where police found their suspect within minutes of the 911 call.

Police spotted Ben Childress on a swing nervous and sweaty.

The note read "don't make a scene, I have a gun. Put all the bills in front of me.” Edmond police said 18-year-old Ben Childress wore a black hoodie and yellow scarf to conceal his identity and pointed a modified air soft gun, and quietly demanded money.

Police said Monday's attempted robbery at the Jack-In-The-Box was something Childress planned to do for the past week.

Childress admitted to police he staked out other places to rob, but bailed on them because they were too busy.

But inside the Edmond Jack-In-The-Box, without a sale the cashier couldn't open the register so she went to get her manager.

“Once he realized he wasn't going to get the money immediately from that cashier he grabbed the note and ran out," said Jenny Monroe, Edmond Police.

But he didn't get far.

“We had officers that were in the area, close. And we had someone that we found in a park in the neighborhood just south of the jack-in-the-box sitting on a swing,” said Monroe.

In a bag stashed at the park they found the hoodie, scarf, and air soft gun.

Once in custody investigators said he fessed up to his plan saying he never intended to hurt anyone just intimidate them.

“He told our officers that he was robbing the jack in the box because he needed money for drugs,” said Monroe.

If convicted, Childress could be looking at a minimum of five years in jail in addition to the fine for having the modified airsoft gun.

Childress is out on bond right now.

Edmond Public Schools tell us Childress unenrolled as a student during the fall semester of his senior year.