A Detroit mother turned her 12-year-old son in to police on Thursday after she said she recognized him as one of three robbers who attacked a man late last week as he ate dinner at a restaurant.
The mother, who did not want to be identified, told WXYZ in a tearful interview that it was "something I had to do."
"I want him to learn a lesson from this," the mother said through tears. "I want him to be able to put this behind him, and let him know this is not going to happen again. I just want him to learn a lesson."
The woman's son is one of three people suspected of robbing a 56-year-old disabled man who was dining Friday at Universal Coney Island on Detroit's west side, according to WXYZ.
Police released surveillance footage last week that showed three people -- later identified as the 12-year-old boy, a 13-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man – approach him around 6 p.m. Friday, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The video showed the man sitting alone as a man who police say is a 20-year-old suspect approaches him. The man takes his wallet out and appears to be checking his money when the suspect appears to snatch the wallet and attempts to run off with it. The 56-year-old keeps hold of the wallet, and the younger suspects join the fray.
They manage to flee from the restaurant with the victim's wallet in-hand.
"I'm sorry, I apologize from the bottom of my heart," the 12-year-old suspect's mother told WXYZ. "I know my son is sorry, too."
The news station reported that all three suspects were in police custody Friday morning.
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