Five boys, none older than 15, were recently apprehended following a brazen holdup in the Tropicana Atlantic City. Last Friday night, around 8 p.m., the teens approached an unnamed man, and one of the boys brandished a large knife, pressing it against the victim’s back, as detailed in a statement released Wednesday by the Atlantic City Police Department.
The youths demanded the man’s possessions and physically assaulted him before fleeing. Authorities have yet to disclose the extent of the victim’s injuries or specify what was stolen during the altercation.
Property security personnel and Atlantic City police officers promptly responded to the robbery, retrieving images of the suspects from the casino’s surveillance cameras. These photos were swiftly circulated among law enforcement. The suspects were apprehended not far from the casino, which is located on the city’s iconic Boardwalk.
Officers William Harned and Julian Monsalve identified three of the teens on South Texas Avenue. The boys attempted to escape, but the officers managed to catch and detain them. Another teen was found on Atlantic Avenue, while the fifth suspect was spotted on Arctic Avenue. Although he initially fled, officers successfully apprehended him.
When approached by the police, the final suspect discarded a bag, which later revealed a large knife believed to have been used in the robbery. Upon searching the teens, officers also recovered items belonging to the victim.
The suspects, aged 14 and 15, now face charges of robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, simple assault, terroristic threats, theft, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. They were all placed in juvenile detention centers. Reports indicate that none of the suspects sustained injuries during their arrests.
Due to their ages, the names of the suspects have not been released. The teenagers, all residents of Atlantic City, will have their cases heard in New Jersey juvenile courts. At this time, it remains unclear whether the victim was specifically targeted or if the robbery was a crime of opportunity.
