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A 17-year-old Spotsylvania County boy was charged with three criminal offenses following a wild incident late Tuesday during which the suspect was shot in the leg, authorities said.

Sheriff’s Capt. Liz Scott said the incident began shortly before 10 p.m. when a woman who lives on Forbidden Forest Circle saw an unknown male in her vehicle. When she confronted him, the male pulled a mask over his face and began walking away with items he had taken from her vehicle. The items included a bottle of liquor and a knife, authorities said.

According to Scott, the victim followed him, yelling for him to stop. After a neighbor saw what was happening, he and his wife got into their vehicle to assist their neighbor, Scott said.

The couple called 911 and reported that they were following the suspect and trying to stop him, Scott said. They eventually got off the phone and positioned their vehicle in front of the suspect.

According to Scott, the man got out and told the suspect to stop. The suspect responded by pointing two handguns in the direction of the married couple. Investigators later learned that the guns were toy guns that had been painted black.