SOUTH BOSTON — Two suspects robbed a children's lemonade stand at 157 W. 9th Street in South Boston. Police officers responded to the scene at approximately 4:44 p.m. on Wednesday after receiving a radio call about an armed robbery.
Investigation revealed the suspects walked past the lemonade stand multiple times before approaching the children. They asked the children if Apple Pay was accepted as a form of payment. Before the victims could respond, one suspect grabbed a cash box containing U.S. currency, and both suspects fled on foot toward Dorchester Street. One suspect displayed a black firearm in his waistband.
Jennifer Byrne, the mother of the victims, said, "My daughter called me, I'm at work. She was in hysterics, crying, saying, 'Somebody put a gun to us and took all of our money.'" The father of the victims recounted that after the children offered to use a mobile payment app, the suspects took the cash box. He said, "And as they did that they flashed a gun that they had in his waistband. This is appalling, this is grotesque. This is something that should not happen to young kids."
No arrests have been made in connection with the incident. The suspects were described as two juvenile males wearing face masks. The victims lost approximately fifty dollars in U.S. currency, and the empty cash box was later recovered a short distance from the scene. Boston police released video and photographs of the suspects. They requested individuals with information to contact detectives at 617-343-4742 or submit tips through the CrimeStoppers website.
City Councilor Ed Flynn stated, "There is little I can think of more disturbing than the innocence of a children's lemonade stand being violated by an armed robbery." He also said, "When something as serious as this happens, we cannot downplay or ignore it." Flynn commented on the need for more police officers and community policing efforts, saying, "We desperately need more police officers and to redouble our community policing efforts." Mayor Michelle Wu previously characterized Boston as the safest major city in the U.S.