Employees of the Whitmore Avenue McDonald’s were alarmed to see two occupants of a van in the drive-thru lane were wearing masks and latex gloves and had a handgun with attached scope sitting on the center console so they called police Thursday evening, Oct. 24. Thinking they might be burglary suspects, they responded to the 11:27 p.m. call and began searching for the mini-van with a wheelchair lift. Acting on a check of the license plate provided, police scoped out a nearby house where the suspects turned up at 11:50 p.m.it and hit it with floodlights. Wearing latex gloves and a black mask which partially covered his face, driver Tyler Underwood, 21, of Ceres, bolted from the van and ran to the front door of the residence. Officer Souza jumped out of his patrol vehicle and ordered Underwood to stop. At that moment a 16-year-old boy exited the passenger side and also ran toward the front door. Officer Souza was able to detain Underwood at the front door while the juvenile made it inside the residence. He complied with orders to return outside. 

Two pellet guns closely resembling real guns, were inside the van. Underwood was on parole for a prior assault with a deadly weapon. He also had a restraining order preventing him from being at the residence he was headed towards.

Underwood was booked for parole violations, violating a criminal protection order and driving with no license.

The juvenile was released.