Armed man robs 7-year-old and brother at gunpoint — for their bikes, Louisiana cops say

A man armed with a stolen gun confronted and robbed a 7-year-old at a park after deciding he wanted the child’s bike, according to investigators in Louisiana.

It happened Saturday, Feb. 15, at a park across from LaPlace Elementary School in LaPlace, and the child’s older sibling was also threatened, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office reported in a Feb. 18 news release. LaPlace is about a 30-mile drive west from New Orleans.

“A father reported that around 3:45 p.m. three unidentified … males accosted his young children, ages 11 and 7, and stole their bikes. One of the suspects pointed a gun and threatened the children,” the sheriff’s office said.

The suspects escaped, but one turned up about five hours later when deputies responded to a disturbance about 1.5 miles from the park, the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies spotted a suspect … sitting on one of the bikes that had been reported stolen earlier in the day. (He) fled from deputies and was later arrested after a foot pursuit,” the sheriff’s office said.

The 19-year-old man is charged with illegal possession of a stolen firearm, felony armed robbery with a firearm and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.

A 16-year-old boy has also been arrested in connection with the robbery and charged with illegal possession of stolen things and and felony armed robbery with a firearm.

Details of the third suspect were not released.