Search icon

Crime

06th Jun 2022

‘Put the money in the bag’: Shocking footage shows boy, 12, allegedly carry out robbery at gunpoint

Steve Hopkins

The cashier thought it was a ‘prank’ until the boy fired the pistol

A 12-year-old boy has been captured on CCTV allegedly firing a pistol into a ceiling after a petrol station attendant hesitated in fulfilling his request to “put the money in the bag”.

The boy, who has since been arrested, walked into the fuel stop in Hartford, Michigan around 4pm last Wednesday and patiently waited behind another customer before he approached the woman behind the counter and pointed a pistol at her.

He then told her to, “put the money in the bag”.

The worker appears taken aback by the situation, and asks the boy, “are you serious?”.

The boy then discharges the weapon into the ceiling, prompting the cashier to scramble behind the counter and grab the bag of money.

“Here. Get out. Bye. Take it,” she says as she drops the cash into his backpack.

With the money in his bag, the kid walks out of the store before running off.

Hartford Police Chief Tressa Beltran told WZZM 13 that she was returning to the police department when she was notified about the robbery and was at the scene within 90 seconds.

The boy was arrested a few blocks away from the scene.

Lieutenant Mike Prince told WZZM 13 the boy told officers he has not committed the robbery “for the money”.

Prince said: “He said he would’ve thrown the money into the sewer. He wouldn’t give us an explanation why he did it.”

According to police the boy had talked to a school friend about which petrol station would be the easiest to rob.

Prince added: “Every day I’m seeing something new at this job. I’ve been a full-time police officer for 38 years. What really flabbergasted me is that he showed no emotion.”

Hartford Police said the boy had got the gun from his grandad’s locked gun safe.

Speaking after the incident the petrol station worker told WWMT that she thought the kid was “not even 10 years old” and thought it was a “prank” until the gun went off.

“He sounded way too calm. I seriously thought it was a prank until I heard the gun go off.”

She added: “I always thought if I were robbed I’m giving them the money, no amount of money is worth my life.”

Related links: