4 Children, Including Child as Young as 8, Suspected in Black Friday Mugging: Police

Police are searching for a group of children - including an 8-year-old boy - they suspect of being behind a mugging in Brooklyn. 

Police said they were looking for four children after they allegedly attacked and robbed a 30-year-old man in Fort Greene late November. 

On Friday, Nov. 25, it was reported that the children approached their victim outside a buildingon Willoughby Street and demanded his phone, police said.

They began to punch the victim and threw him to the ground before stealing his laptop bag, headphones and even his library book.

The children fled northbound on Ashland Place, police say.

Surveillance footage has been released showing the tiny suspects on the move. NYPD Police Commissioner James O'Neill called the alleged mugging by children "distressful," but said "if they want to do that, they will be prosecuted."

Fort Greene resident Barbara Speregen said it was "sad" that an 8-year-old child would be involved in crime.

"I mean I imagine he's tagging along with some older kids, but why is that happening? Why don't his parents or adults in his life know where he is?"

Another Fort Greene resident, Alfred Tom wasn't so shocked.

"I'm a little jaded, I'm not surprised, especially since he's with older kids. You see it all the time," he said.

The three older children in the group are two boys and a girl, all believed to be between 12 and 14 years old.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.