Video: Local 16-year-old boy robbed at gunpoint
LYNDHURST, Ohio (WJW) – The Lyndhurst Police Department is attempting to identify two suspects who committed a brazen robbery in broad daylight near Brush High School earlier this month.
Investigators say it appears the young victim was targeted because of what he was wearing.
Surveillance video obtained by FOX 8 shows the 16-year-old boy walking along Farnhurst Road, just behind the Brush campus, at around 6 p.m. on March 18, when a car passed the teen and then stopped in the road.
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Investigators say the brown Buick Larosse had earlier been stolen in Cleveland, and as the victim got near the car, the passenger got out, pulled out a gun and demanded that the young man give up his coat, headphones and iPhone.
Investigators believe it may have been the victim’s coat and headphones that initially caught the eye of the robber and his accomplice driving the stolen car.
They say the headphones have an estimated value of $500 and the coat is a Canada Goose jacket, valued at $1,300.
“Obviously headphones are valuable and the coat is higher end, you know, popular among young people. Unfortunately, some people would rather take the belongings from another person instead of going to pay for them themselves at the store,” said LPD Detective Lt. Michael Scipione.
The 16-year-old was upset about giving up his property and police say he exchanged words with the robber, but eventually realized that it was not worth the trouble.
The gunman then got into the stolen car and the driver sped away.
“He did the right thing. He gave them what they wanted and nobody was hurt. The property can all be replaced,” said Lt. Scipione.
A short time after the robbery, license plate readers alerted police to the location of the stolen car but when officers caught up with the vehicle, the driver quickly accelerated to dangerously high speeds.
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Officers decided to call off the pursuit, after concluding the suspects’ aggressive and reckless driving posed a threat to public safety.
“Unfortunately, they are not taking into account the time of day, weather, whether there’s people on the road, whether there’s little kids on the sidewalks, but our officers are tasked with knowing that and knowing when to stop pursuing a vehicle when it becomes too dangerous,” said Lt. Scipione.
Detectives have placed a priority on tracking down the gunman and the driver of the stolen car, out of concern that their bold criminal behavior will lead to an innocent person being hurt or even killed.
They are urging everyone to be smart and follow the example set by the teen victim.
“I know people don’t want to lose their personal effects, but their life and their health and their safety are more important,” said Lt. Scipione.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the LPD Detective Bureau at 440-442-1234 or Crime Stoppers.
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