FERNDALE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A man has been arrested in connection to an armed robbery in a Ferndale park that sent one teenager to the hospital.

City of Ferndale spokesperson Megan Juenemann says a group of three people drove to Cedar Creek Park on Jan. 17, 2024, to buy marijuana. When they arrived, the suspect they were supposed to buy from walked up to their car, pointed a pistol at them and demanded all of their money.

The group handed over $100, but as they drove away, the suspect fired a shot at the moving car and hit one of the passengers in the back of their shoulder. The 16-year-old victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Ferndale Police were able to identify the suspect and obtained a search warrant to look through records from his Instagram account. They discovered a voice memo where he recounts his actions of robbing and shooting the victim, and messages where he talks about setting someone up at Cedar Creek Park.

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Javier Flores Jr., was located by law enforcement with warrants for his arrest in Yakima County last Friday, April 26.

He remains at the Whatcom County Jail without bail.