12-Year-Old Charged with Aggravated Assault on Big Pine Key After BB-Gun Confrontation
Jose Alcides Guevara, 12, of Sugarloaf Key was arrested March 2 after deputies say he pulled what looked like a handgun and threatened another juvenile behind a Big Pine Key pharmacy; the weapon was later ruled a BB gun.
Monroe County deputies arrested 12-year-old Jose Alcides Guevara of Sugarloaf Key on Monday, March 2, 2026, after investigators say a weekend theft at a Big Pine Key pharmacy escalated into a threatening confrontation behind the store. Deputies charged Guevara with aggravated assault; no injuries were reported.
Investigators say the incident began on Saturday when three male juveniles were inside the pharmacy and two of them observed the third — later identified as Guevara — attempting to steal merchandise. A pharmacy employee was alerted and Guevara was removed from the premises before the encounter continued outside the building.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the two witnesses were met by Guevara when they later exited the store and he instructed them to follow him behind the building. One of the juveniles complied. Sheriff’s Office investigators report Guevara then produced what appeared to be a handgun, pointed it at the juvenile and said, "See what I got?"
The juvenile victim "told deputies he was in fear for his life and immediately fled the area," investigators said. Deputies subsequently located the weapon behind the pharmacy and determined it was a BB gun; officials have not provided make, model, or descriptive details of the BB gun.
Following the on-scene investigation, Monroe County deputies took Guevara into custody and processed him on an aggravated-assault charge on March 2, 2026. The Sheriff’s Office identified Guevara by name; the victim and other juveniles involved were not identified in the law-enforcement account and no physical injuries were reported.
Officials have not released the pharmacy’s name, the exact calendar date of the Saturday confrontation beyond describing it as a weekend incident, or details about juvenile-court filings and custody status. The Sheriff’s Office located the weapon behind the building and handled arrest processing, but investigative records, surveillance footage, and any potential filings with the State Attorney’s Office have not been publicly disclosed.
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