Columbia teenager accused of armed robbery from 2023

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia teenager is accused of armed robbery after authorities claim he pointed a gun at someone in November 2023 and took their phone.

Cortez Cook Jr., 18, was charged on Friday with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and drug possession. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A mugshot was not immediately available. A court date has not been set.

According to the probable cause statement, the victim called police on Nov. 23, 2023, after they were robbed at gunpoint on Santa Barbara Drive. The victim allegedly told police they were supposed to buy weed from three juveniles, with one being Cook, the statement says.

The victim allegedly told the three youth that he would send money through the money application CashApp. Cook then allegedly pulled out a gun and told the victim to handover his cellphone, which was valued at $1,200, the statement says.

Police were provided a photo of Cook’s SnapChat account, the statement says. Police eventually located the phone at a residence Cook and another youth were at, the statement says. Police heard loud banging in the “upper level of the home.”

Police say they found three guns – one of which was stolen – and a pound of weed in the home while executing a search warrant. The guns and marijuana were found in the attic of the building, the statement says.

Cook allegedly denied having any contact with the victim and claimed he did not own a gun, court documents say.