A 12-year-old Paxton, Fla., boy allegedly made away with an undisclosed amount of cash after using a toy gun to rob the Paxton Tom Thumb on Thursday night.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Mike Gurspan said the unidentified juvenile made his way into the store shortly after 7 p.m., pointed a wooden barreled, long gun at the clerk and demanded money from the cash register.

“After handing him (the money), the clerk said the boy said, ‘Thank you,’ before leaving the business,” Gurspan said.

Shortly after the incident, Walton County deputies noticed a boy matching the suspect’s description walking north on U.S. Hwy. 331. He attempted to flee before being stopped and handcuffed by the deputy.

“The boy, who lives in the vicinity, was crying, and told the deputy, ‘Please don’t take me to jail,’” Gurspan said.

The boy was first transported to the Walton County Jail and then to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Crestview, Fla.

— Stephanie Nelson