In North Carolina, two children, aged six and 12, have been accused of carrying out an armed robbery, stealing a woman's mobile phone in Charlotte.
According to the local police, the six-year-old and 12-year-old kids, suspected of armed robbery, were brothers.
North Carolina Children Aged 6, 12 Accused of Armed Robbery
A San Mateo County Sheriff officer puts up police tape at a crime scene after a shooting at the Spanish Town shops in Half Moon Bay, California, on January 24, 2023.
According to WSB-TV, children ages 6 and 12 robbed a woman's phone. When the victim tried to get it back, the latter allegedly threatened her with a BB gun, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department says.
According to local law enforcement, the incident unfolded in broad daylight in a parking lot on the 2100 block of Diamond Creek Circle. The authorities learned upon investigation that the woman just concluded her night shift work when two kids approached her.
She recalled the six-year-old kid asked her if he could use her mobile phone to call his mother. Police Captain, Jason Helton, says in a press conference that the victim did what most of us would do. He adds, "She let them have her phone." But upon giving them the mobile device, the two kids run off with her phone.
The victim tried to get her phone back. She followed the two children as she attempted to retrieve her Samsung Galaxy phone. However, the police captain notes that the 12-year-old kid pointed a gun at her face when she tried to get her phone back.
Capt. Helton says, "A 12-year-old juvenile pointed a gun in her face and tried to pistol whip her." He notes that the kids ran to an apartment complex near the robbery. Law enforcement responding to the robbery incident identified the armed robbery suspects based on their conversations with family members.
The authorities also contacted the mother of the juvenile suspects, which the police captain says "was very cooperative," letting them search their home.
As per WCNC, the six-year-old kid reportedly gave the authorities information, enabling them to retrieve the weapon allegedly used in the incident, surprisingly a BB gun.
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Police Say 6-Year-Old Was a Victim
Police Capt. Helton disclosed that the police could not charge the six-year-old due to North Carolina state laws. The suspect must be at least nine years old to prove any intent.
The police captain says the brains of kids like the six-year-old suspect are still "so naive." He further notes that the young child is a "victim of his circumstances and environment."
Given the alarming incident involving young kids, the police urged parents to look after their children. Now more than ever, as the summer is fast approaching.
On the other hand, WSOC TV reports that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department charged the 12-year-old with armed robbery and "damage to property."
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