Teen Robbed 9-Year-Old’s Lemonade Stand At Gunpoint
A teen robbed a 9-year-old boy’s lemonade stand at gunpoint in Monroe, North Carolina, according to authorities. So far, the suspect is still on the loose.
According to a report from the Charlotte Observer, an armed teen pushed a gun into the child’s stomach at the child’s lemonade stand, which was located near the St. John’s Forest development roundabout just off of Weddington Road. The crime occurred around 3 p.m. Saturday. The perpetrator demanded the lemonade stand’s money, and the left after the incident.
Union County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Underwood said that the amount of money the teen got away with was under $20. Police also recovered a black BB gun along with a camouflage hat abandoned in some nearby woods. They believe the BB gun and hat were used in the robbery, and they think that the perp hid a bicycle in the woods and then used it to get away quickly after taking the boy’s earnings from the stand.
So far the police have not apprehended a suspect in this crime, and they ask those who know anything to contact them at 704-283-3789 or 704-283-5600 with the details.
While it’s not common to hear of lemonade stand robberies, the childhood pastimes have indeed made it into the news a lot this summer. Many stands have been shut down for lack of permits, which inspired Country Time to offer “legal ade” to would-be entrepreneurs who faced issues when trying to sell the refreshing beverage, according to Inquisitr.
Teen robbed boy's lemonade stand at gunpoint: cops https://t.co/mwFCVmDFJK pic.twitter.com/qDDHfOBRl8
— New York Post (@nypost) August 5, 2018
Country Time posted a message in response to multiple news headlines of lemonade stands being shut down over the lack of permits. They wrote, “When life gives you arcane laws, make lemonade.” Adam Butler, the general manager for beverages and nuts representing Country Time’s parent brand, Kraft Heinz, said, ‘We heard a couple of these stories happening and frankly, didn’t believe that they were real. You look into it and, wow, this is actually real. We huddled up and decided we’ve got to do something about this.”
Ultimately, the brand plans to give children who receive fines or who have to purchase permits to run a lemonade stand reimbursement for those costs through August 31, or until $60,000 in funds have been given out.
Unfortunately, for the 9-year-old who ended up being the victim of a robbery, County Time’s “legal ade” probably won’t be able to help him with his losses. However, given the way communities have rallied around lemonade stand owners lately, perhaps they’ll run another stand and help him make even more money than he lost in the crime.
