Norman Police crack down on underage tobacco sales

Norman Police are cracking down on convenience store clerks who sell tobacco to juveniles.

Norman Police spokeswoman MPO Jennifer Newell stated in a press release Norman Police have arrested 63 juveniles for possession of tobacco since Jan. 1.

“We have also received several citizen complaints about convenience stores selling tobacco to minors,” Newell stated. “Because of this information, the Norman Police Department conducted an operation to see how many clerks would sell [tobacco products] to a minor.”

Newell stated out of 21 stores being investigated, six stores had clerks that would sell to minors.

“In all of the cases where tobacco was sold to the minor, an ID indicating the subject was under 18 was shown to the clerk, but they sold tobacco to them anyway,” Newell stated. “The goal of this type of event is to identify the businesses currently selling tobacco to those under 18 and deter them from doing so in the future.”

According to a Norman Police report, one clerk was fined at the 7-Eleven located at 2800 Chautauqua Ave. south of Traditions Square Apartments-West for selling tobacco to minors.

Two arrests made in burned body homicide

Oklahoma City Police arrested two people in connection to a dead body found in the back of a burned car Nov. 15.

Antonio Cordell Mendoza, 23, and Shelia Renee Starr, 24, of Oklahoma City were arrested by Oklahoma City Police and transferred into Norman Police custody on first-degree murder charges in connection to the death of Julian Ramirez Cazarez Nov. 15.

Police found Cazarez’s body in the trunk of a burning car near the northeast side of Lake Thunderbird in east Norman.

Norman Police spokeswoman MPO Jennifer Newell stated the two suspects will be held in the Cleveland County Detention Center and will be held without bond.

Newell stated formal charges will be filed today.

Norman Police looking for two suspects wanted in armed robbery

Norman Police are looking for two men who robbed a cell phone store at gunpoint Friday.

Norman Police spokeswoman MPO Jennifer Newell stated that two men walked into the Global Mobile around 7 p.m. Friday with a handgun.

“Officers determined that two male suspects entered the store armed with a handgun,” Newell stated. “The suspected fled the area with an undetermined amount of cash and merchandise and remain at large.”

Newell stated both men wore masks and are identified as two black males, one wearing a gray sweatshirt, approximately 6’1” and 250 pounds; the second man was wearing a navy blue sweat shirt and is approximately 5’10” and 190 to 220 pounds.

“No one was injured in the robbery,” Newell stated.