Boy, 9, Was Robbed at Gunpoint on a Playground in Boston; Two Teens Were Arrested; He Said, I Was Terrified
Two teens have been caught and charged with stealing from a 9-year-old boy on a playground in Boston.
There was a public playground called Children’s Park where the victim was waiting for a cookout to start on Thursday, July 25. A police report received by PEOPLE says that two teenage boys approached him.
While pointing a fake gun at the victim, the teens are said to have asked for his shoes, iPhone, and money before running away, according to Boston Police.
“I was terrified,” the victim, whose name cops did not release, told WCVB in Boston. “I asked myself, ‘What if I die right now, right here?'”
“All he wanted to do is just shoot me right there if I didn’t give him my password,” he said. “I had to get them because I didn’t want to get shot.”
Police said they quickly found two people who matched the teens’ descriptions and “successfully stopped” them.
The suspects were then arrested, and police said they took the victim’s iPhone, a “black and red replica firearm,” and two fake magazines.
Boston Police say that the two teens were charged with armed robbery and making a threat to do something illegal. The public does not know who they are, just like the victim.
The victim’s mother, whose name was not made public, also talked to WCVB and said she felt afraid after what happened.
She told the news source, “It’s scary.” “I mean, it’s pretty scary.” “We’re not safe.”
Essex County District Attorney Kevin Hayden told CBS News that the fact that the victim was so young makes this case even more shocking than normal.
“Everyone gets scared when they are robbed at gunpoint,” Hayden said. “But the fact that both the victim and the teens charged are so young adds another layer of shock and heartbreak.”
“This young boy and the adults there should be praised for giving the information that led to the arrest,” he said.