Police say that the suspects of a violent, early morning robbery that took place in New York City are children.
Surveillance video shows four suspects accused of robbing and attacking a man, police saying one of them could be as young as eight-years-old, CBS New York reports.
The 30-year-old man was jumped outside of a co-op building on Willoughby Street off of Ashland Place in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn around 12:30 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Police said four children — two boys between the ages of 12 and 14, a girl between 12 and 14, and an 8-or-9-year-old boy — approached the man and demanded his phone.
They threw him to the ground and started punching him before taking his laptop, headphones, and a library book, police said.
NYPD Police Commissioner James O’Neill called the alleged mugging by children “distressful,” but said “if they want to do that, they will be prosecuted.”
Some residents thought it was “sad” to see kids so young involved in this type of crime.
“I mean I imagine he’s tagging along with some older kids, but why is that happening? Why don’t his parents or adults in his life know where he is?” resident Barbara Speregen told NBC 4 New York.
Others were surprised that children so young were out so late without a parent.
“My son can’t be in the street at 12 o’clock and be in the house, and he’s 14,” Gabriel Alfredo said to CBS New York. “Maybe their parents don’t care about the kids.”
Police were still looking for the suspects as of Tuesday.