Prosecutor: Boys, 10 and 11, used toy gun to rob smoke shop

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Two boys, 10 and 11, were arrested earlier this week in connection to an armed robbery at a local smoke shop on the city’s northeast side.

The Drunken Monkey Smoke Shop was robbed at gunpoint Wednesday afternoon. Police tracked the suspects to a nearby grocery store where they were arrested shortly after without incident.

It turns out the weapon used in the robbery was a toy gun.

“It was just an airsoft. It wasn’t a real weapon, fortunately,” Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. “When you look at some of these toy guns, they’re very realistic looking and that can lead to some very serious consequences.”

The smoke shop employee who was held up declined to go on camera but did tell News 8 that it was obvious to him that the two boys weren’t even teenagers when they asked for “everything.”

“It is fairly unique to have that age level doing these types of violent crimes,” Becker said. “These are very serious crimes that they are participating in and it’s a pretty young age.”

The two boys will now be entered into the juvenile court system where they will receive help and supervised probation.

“They can’t go to jail. They can’t go to prison,” Becker said. “What they’re looking at is getting services. Services that the probation department will look at. What their issues are with that person, the individual, that family and try to get them whatever help they need.”

If the two boys don’t behave, they could be kept on probation for the next 10 years.

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