Boy Robbed Of Shoes In Violent Attack Caught On Video
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Four teens are in custody following a brutal attack of a younger boy on his way home from school.
"They all came up to me and started attacking me," the victim said.
The vicious assault against this 12-year-old boy was caught on a neighbor's home security camera on Friday.
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The victim, who does not want to be identified, was riding his bike home from Toby Johnson Middle School when a car pulled up.
"The driver came up in front of me and pushed me off the bike and the guys from behind me came up to me and started attacking me," the boy said.
The video shows the older teens knocking him down, tugging at his backpack, and taking his Air Jordan sneakers and cellphone. The suspects left behind scrapes and bruises.
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"I was so scared I didn't know what to do, so I blocked my face with my arms," the victim said.
The video then turned over to police.
"Car comes up, four suspects get out and viciously attacked this 12-year-old kid just walking home," said Officer Jason Jimenez with Elk Grove Police.
The video shows the 12-year-old with his backpack being confronted by someone in a car.
As one of the suspects continues to talk to the boy on his bike, another suspect runs up the sidewalk.
The first two suspects take the boy to the ground as two more come running in from across the street.
The suspect in the red shirt runs past the boy, appearing to kick him in the head without breaking stride.
The suspects then proceed to lift the boy by his limbs and backpack
The four suspects attempt to get what they can off of the teen, appearing to make off some of the boy's possessions.
A horn honks, prompting the four to end their search, fleeing to the car and driving off. The suspect in red appears to attempt fleeing in the opposite direction, but instead gets into the car with the other three suspects.
The four suspects were all charged with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. One was additionally charged with assault with a deadly weapon or means likely to produce great bodily injury.
Neighbors who live on Swann Way say it's common to see kids coming and going to school.
"You see the children on bikes all the time, skateboards, there's never been an incident like this that I had heard of," said Mario Aguirre who lives nearby.
Parents like Aguirre are shocked something like this could happen so close to home.
"It's not fair you know, the child could've really gotten hurt or worse, over a pair of shoes," he said.
Police say the surveillance video was key in tracking down the suspects who are high school students, 16 and 17 years old.
"With technology and social media combined could be a powerful tool for not only the community but for us as law enforcement," Jimenez.
These high school suspects now getting a tough lesson in the criminal justice system.
All four were arrested for robbery and conspiracy, one of the suspects was additionally charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Police hope this is a word of warning to young criminals who may think they'll never get caught.
