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Hoover police said they are concerned at the similarities between the teen's BB pistol and an actual .22 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun. (Hoover Police Department)

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An armed robbery in the parking lot of a Hoover store led to the arrest of a 13-year-old Alabaster boy.

Officers responded about 5:30 p.m. Monday to a report of an armed robbery in the parking lot of Academy Sports on John Hawkins Parkway. The victim told officers he was walking toward his vehicle when he was approached by a young man.

The suspect then brandished a pistol and demanded money, said Hoover police spokesman Lt. Keith Czeskleba. The victim, however, realized the weapon was a BB pistol and wrestled it away from the boy.

The young robber fled the scene, but was quickly captured by on off-duty Hoover detective as well as a patrol officer who were both in the area of John Hawkins Parkway when the call was dispatched.

Police are not releasing the teen's name because of his age. He is charged with first-degree robbery and was taken to the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police said the boy's weapon looked real.

"The resemblance of the suspect's weapon to an actual gun is unnerving and we are fortunate that no one got hurt,'' Czeskleba said. "What's more concerning is that we have a 13-year-old committing a crime of this magnitude. The responding officers did an excellent job in bringing a quick resolution to this case."

Other law enforcement agencies have expressed similar concerns about the BB pistols. Just last month, Birmingham police received a call regarding four males who were carrying guns on Graymont Avenue West. The teens scattered in different directions when officers arrived.

Police were able to catch three of the juveniles after multiple foot pursuits. Officers confiscated what looked like a semi-automatic weapon from a 15-year-old suspect, and later discovered the weapon was a BB gun.

"This incident is very concerning for us in law enforcement and our community," Birmingham police Sgt. Brian Shelton said. "It is extremely dangerous for these juveniles to walk down the street brandishing realistic looking BB guns. It's no laughing matter for the citizen who called us or the officers who responded."