12-year-old boy arrested for armed robbery had 6-year-old brother as accomplice: report

A 12-year-old North Carolina boy has been charged with armed robbery in an incident where the teen robbed a woman with his 6-year-old brother in tow as an accomplice, Newsweek reported.

The two boys approached the victim at Southwest Charlotte apartment complex and asked to use her phone to call their mother. But once she handed over the cellphone, they took off running, Newsweek reported. When the woman chased them down, the 12-year-old pulled a gun and pointed it at her face and then attempted to pistol-whip her, the report said.

The two then fled to a neighboring apartment complex.

Police were reportedly familiar with the two due to past incidents. When they tracked them down, the 6-year-old showed them the weapon that was used, which turned out to be a BB gun.

"Let me paint a picture for you: What would've happened if that female would've been armed? We could be dealing with something really, really tragic here," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Captain Jason Helton said.

"Officers are dealing with juveniles every single day. Property crimes, violent crimes. And when I say juveniles, I mean kids — I mean ages 11, 12, 13, 14 years old — and it seems like they just keep getting younger and younger."

The 12-year-old was charged with armed robbery and damage to property. The 6-year-old is being treated as a victim in the incident.