Pearl teen sentenced for armed robbery at Sonic restaurant

An 18-year-old from Pearl has been handed a lengthy jail sentence for armed robbery and possession of a stolen gun.

On April 7, 2023, officers with the Pearl Police Department responded to a report of an armed robbery at Sonic on Highway 80. A juvenile victim, who had just attended his high school’s prom, reported that two masked individuals approached his vehicle, displaying firearms and demanding all his belongings.

The victim recognized Dylan Josiah Fletcher by his voice, even though a mask partially concealed his face. Surveillance footage confirmed the sequence of events, showing the masked robbers approaching the victim’s car shortly after he arrived at the restaurant.

While out on bond for the armed robbery incident, Fletcher was arrested again five months later for having a stolen Glock 17 nine-millimeter pistol. The weapon had been reported stolen during an automobile burglary in Rankin County.

“The quick thinking and cooperation of the victim played a crucial role in identifying the assailant and ensuring justice was served,” Rankin County District Attorney Bubba Bramlett said. “Fortunately, this armed robbery incident did not lead to further violence. As a community, we must act against gun violence. I urge our citizens to safeguard their firearms and limit access by securing them in locked vehicles.”

Fletcher has been ordered to spend 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with 18 years suspended, leaving 12 years to serve, followed by five years of supervised probation for armed robbery. He will serve a concurrent sentence of five years for the possession of a stolen firearm.