Kids Robbed of Bikes in Santee

Four young teens reported being robbed at knifepoint near Santee’s Town Center Community Park East on Sunday, April 10, at approximately 4:45 p.m. Within minutes, four sheriff’s deputies responded, along with a sheriff’s helicopter overhead.

A victim approximately 15 years old reported to deputies that he and some friends were riding their BMX bicycles in an undeveloped area of the park when four teenagers approached them along a narrow dirt path from the east. One of the robbers pulled out a knife and told the kids, “Give me your fucking bikes, dudes!”

The victims were separated and interviewed by deputies. One victim said as he pointed, “They took my stuff and took off down here and went up that way!” He was pointing to a steep rutted dirt bank along the west side of Cottonwood Avenue and then pointed in a northerly direction up the road.

In addition to four BMX bikes and two cell phones, an iPod belonging to one of the youths was declared stolen. One of the victims appeared to have a small cut on his forearm that he said was inflicted by one of the robbers.

The victims said the stolen BMX bikes were mostly black in color. At least one of the alleged robbers was wearing a black T-shirt that had purple designs printed on it.