NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — When he was told that his kids were robbed while walking home on Friday, a Brooklyn dad took to the streets and managed to shoot a photo of the alleged thief.
A 10-year-old boy was walking with his seven-year-old sister on Sterling Place in Crown Heights after picking up pizza for their family at about 11 a.m. on Friday while holding the plastic bag and change, clearly visible, in his hand.
According to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, the children were approached by a man who asked for $5. When the 10-year-old said no, he took $8 from the child by force.
“He puts up a struggle, but he’s overpowered, and his money gets taken,” Kenny said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The boy called his mom, who called his dad, who then canvassed the area to try and find the perpetrator. He was able to track down 24-year-old Demba Ba and snap a photo before the alleged robber ran off.
“We take that still from dad, we put out a wanted poster. That wanted poster gives us a request for media, which gets us a Crime Stopper tip,” Kenny said about Ba’s identification.
Kenny said that Ba has a “significant robbery history” and is currently on probation for a burglary that he committed in Brooklyn on June 4, police said.
Ba has yet to be apprehended in Friday’s robbery.