Nab boy, 17, in shooting of Jersey City 14-year-old during robbery, cops say

By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal
March 23, 2010, 6:00AM

A 14-year-old Jersey City boy was shot in the leg while being robbed by six boys on the basketball courts at School 41 on Bayview Avenue Sunday night and a 17-year-old boy has been charged, reports said.

At 8:05 p.m., officers responded to Wilkinson and Arlington avenues on a report of a person being shot and found the Myrtle Avenue boy holding his right knee.

The boy, who was with his girlfriend, said he was playing basketball when one of the boys he was playing with walked up to him with a gun and took his cell phone and gold chain, reports said.

The boy made a break for it and as he ran he heard gunshots and realized he was struck in the knee, reports said.

A second 14-year-old boy who was at the courts playing basketball with the victim said a group of six boys approached him demanding his cell phone and although he handed it over, one of them punched him in the face.
He ran away but when he heard gunshots he ran back to help his friend, reports said.

While police were at the scene they were approached by a man who said his 14-year-old son was also at the courts when gunfire erupted. The man's son told police that one of the group of six boys tried to take his football and sneakers but he got away, reports said.

The gunshot victim was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center by ambulance for treatment and was listed in stable condition a short time later, reports said.

At about 8:40 p.m. police spotted a boy fitting the description of the gunman given by all three victims and he was taken to the Medical Center, where the wounded boy identified him as the gunman, reports said.

The 17-year-old, who was also found with the victim's gold chain, was charged with robbery, aggravated assault and a weapons offense.