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15-year-old accused of using metal baseball bat in 2 south Charlotte attacks, robberies

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said it’s charged a 15-year-old with attacking a couple with a metal baseball bat in a south Charlotte community.

The attack happened after 9 p.m. Friday while the couple was walking two blocks from their home off Park South Station Boulevard near Archdale Drive.

"Suddenly, a car just pulled off in front of us, and two of the guys jump out like screaming at us," the victim said.

He said two suspects were armed with metal bats and chased after them.

"At the beginning, I thought they were going to kill us because they were yelling and swinging the bat. And I tried to block, protected my wife, and I got hit in my arm, my leg," he said.

The man said after the beating, the suspects demanded money. The suspects got away with a couple of dollars, the man said.

“Yes, this wasn’t really a robbing, this was an assault,” the victim said. “They assaulted me with a metal bat. They really try to attack us, kill us until I asked them, ‘What do you want?’ And they demanded money.”

He said a neighbor heard their screams and called 911, but the suspects escaped before police arrived.

Officers said they were able to identify the vehicle involved, which led them to one of the suspects.

On Monday, they arrested a 15-year-old and charged him with armed robbery.

"I mean for a 15-year-old kid. I don't know,” the victim said. “I can't understand how they could do such horrible things to people."

Police said they determined the suspect was responsible for a second robbery that also happened Friday on Antlers Lane. They said additional charges are pending.

The victim said this situation has made him start to question the safety in his community.

"A lot of runners stopped running because of the safety issues," the man said.

Video footage captured a clear view of the license plate as the suspects entered the gated community, according to a letter sent to residents in the area.

The letter also said the suspects were tailing another car entering the subdivision.

“They just invaded our community,” the victim said.

Channel 9 searched a quarter-mile radius of the neighborhood and found 22 crimes in the area since July.

This includes eight larceny cases, vandalism, a car break-in, assault, robbery, and a car theft.

Police have not identified the 15-year-old arrested and are still looking for the second suspect.

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