Three boys arrested for robbing bank after their parents turned them in; they could face juvenile prison

 

 

Three boys dubbed “little rascals”, who were arrested in connection with a bank robbery after their parents turned them in, could face probation or juvenile prison.

The suspects, aged 11, 12, and 16, were charged with robbery by threat, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The boys made headlines when officials posted on social media that they were wanted for robbing a Wells Fargo bank in the Greenspoint area of north Houston, Texas, on March 14.

A witness to the incident initially told officials the boys appeared to be between 14 and 18 years old. However, in the arrest update, the FBI said they are 16, 12, and 11 years old.

Mike Schneider, a retired juvenile district court judge, told ABC13 that the age of the younger two is quite uncommon for a bank robbery.

“It’s one of the first times I’ve seen that,” he said.

While FBI Houston released the surveillance photos, the case is a Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) investigation.

According to HCSO, the boys passed a threatening note to a teller. It was thought they had a weapon, but they didn’t show one, and they ran off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

After the photos were shown, the Sheriff’s Office started getting tips from people. The parents of two of the boys came forward and said it was them, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The third boy was caught by police after a fight. The Sheriff’s Office said police found a weapon and a special item seen in one of the photos.

“I was thinking either this was very low in sophistication or maybe an adult had something to do with this. That is not uncommon. Because kids have a less severe punishment, it is not uncommon for adult offenders to get them to commit crimes,” Schneider said.

If the allegations are proven true, they could face probation until they turn 18 or juvenile prison until they turn 19, according to one criminal defense attorney.

The 16-year-old could also be certified as an adult, but it is not likely, he said.