On Nov. 19, police in Massachusetts took two teens into custody who they say were involved in the robbery of a 66-year-old man on Nov. 16. According to police, a 14-year-old male approached the alleged victim in New Bedford and put his arms around him from behind. The assailant then stole cash out of the man's pockets and fled with a 16-year-old male.
New Bedford police say the alleged theft occurred near the corner of Rivet Street and County Street while the victim was walking. The incident was reportedly caught on surveillance video. After the incident, police released video footage of the robbery to their Facebook page. The assailant was seen fleeing the scene afterward with a second individual.
The 14-year-old male who is accused of assaulting the victim was detained at the Whaling City Alternative School. Later that same day, police took the 16-year-old into custody at his home. Both were arraigned at New Bedford juvenile court on Nov. 20. They each received a charge for unarmed robbery of a person over 60 years of age.
Although a minor who is charged for robbery may receive a lesser sentence than an adult who has been handed the same charge, the mark on the teen's record can still be devastating. A criminal defense attorney may be able to help a teen and their family dispute the charges in order to maintain a clean record. If video footage is the only evidence that the defendant was at the crime scene, an attorney may argue that the quality of the video is too poor to establish the teen's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: CBS Boston, "Teens Arrested In New Bedford 'Bear Hug' Robbery", November 20, 2014