13-year-old boy robbed of gold necklace, bracelet in Miami

Thief threatens boy with gun, police say

MIAMI – A 13-year-old boy was robbed of his gold necklace and bracelet in Miami this week, police said.

The robbery was reported about 6 p.m. Wednesday as the boy and his friends were walking in the area of Northwest 12th Avenue and Sixth Street after school.

According to detectives, a man followed the children and threatened the boy with a gun that he had in his waistband in front of the boy's friends and several witnesses.

"He was standing at the corner. I think he watched us when we walked to 7-Eleven, and when we walked back he ran across the street," one of the boys told Local 10 News.

"The guy pulled him from the shirt like, for a second I thought he was like a family member or a friend," a girl said. "The guy said, 'If you don't give your bracelet I'm going to shoot you,' so he showed him a gun that he was hiding in his pants."

Police said surveillance video shows the thief taking the victim's gold necklace and bracelet before running east on Sixth Street and crossing 12th Avenue.

The victim's friends said they ran to get help, but it was too late.

"I told them to go outside because he was getting robbed, and once they went outside he was gone," one boy said.

The principal of the nearby Sports Leadership and Management Academy released a statement Friday, urging students to be "extra vigilant when off of school property after hours."

"The student is unharmed. However, this incident is a good reminder that students need to be vigilant when they walk off campus. We encourage all our students to stay on campus when waiting to be picked up and to always stay in a group," Alex Tamargo said. "The safety and security of the children is of utmost importance to us and we take extra precautions to ensure the safety of our students. We have security on site during and after school hours and video surveillance."

The robber is described as a black man, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white hoodie and blue jogger pants.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Miami police at 305-603-6370 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

 


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.