Police: Boy's Lemonade Stand Robbed At Gunpoint For $17

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WJZ) -- Police in North Carolina say a young boy was robbed at gunpoint while he was selling lemonade to pay for a lawnmower. Thankfully, the boy was not hurt, and now a local hardware store has stepped up to help the young man's landscaping business.

Deputies in Union County say 9-year-old Mark was running his lemonade stand on Aug. 4 when the suspect walked up and pointed a black handgun at him. "I showed him my box so I could give him change, and then he grabbed and showed a gun at me in the stomach and then ran away," Mark said, via KHOU.

The suspect, who is reportedly a black teen wearing a camouflage hat at the time, made off with the $17 the young boy had made that day.

"People are capable of a lot of things, but not robbing a child at a lemonade stand, that takes it to a new level,"  Union County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tony Underwood told reporters.

Police are still looking for the thief, however, they did find a camouflage hat, a black BB gun, and the stolen metal tin in some woods near the crime scene.

After hearing about Mark and his goal of raising money to buy a new lawnmower for his neighborhood landscaping business, Lowe's Home Improvement stepped in to help the boy get back on his feet.

The North Carolina-based company donated a brand new riding mower to Mark. "I got my riding lawnmower, and I'm so thankful, and everything is OK now," the young entrepreneur said. "It feels great, it feels like the hard work paid off."

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In:
• North Carolina
• Robbery
• Crime