Manhattan restaurants, NYPD seemingly powerless to stop group of 8-year-olds thieves
NEW YORK -- The NYPD said Monday a real-life version of "Oliver Twist" is playing out across Manhattan. Little kids, some as young as 8 years old, are robbing people at restaurants.
CBS New York has more on these unique crimes and explains what could happen if they're caught.
Police said the new faces of crime in New York City belong to three brazen little boys.
"They will literally get caught by one of us robbing the place and be back the next day. They just don't care," said Steve Wiebe, owner of the Amsterdam Ale House.
Surveillance video shows a boy police believe to be 8 or 9 years old causally walking into Lexington Publick Bar on the Upper East Side. He is seen strolling past two men and heading down into the basement, where the owners say the pint-sized thief stole $700 from an open safe.
"Eight-, 9-, 10-year-olds and, literally, there's nothing you can do. You can't grab the kid. As an adult, what are you going to do?" Wiebe said.
Wiebe owns Lexington Publick, and Amsterdam Ale House on the Upper West Side, where he says the same three boys have been terrorizing customers for months.
"They'll go around with their sheets saying donate to my school basketball team, aggressively. It's a crime of opportunity, and then they'll come in and steal wallets or handbags or whatever they can," Wiebe said.
When asked if the kids are with parents or on their own, Wiebe said, "It looks like they're with a spotter adult outside," adding, "Not like these kids are doing this on their own."
Police told CBS New York, because of their age, even if the boys are caught they likely won't be charged, even as juveniles.
Any adults caught helping them carry out these robberies, however, will be charged with child endangerment, police added.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
