Ten minutes after a city man was robbed at gunpoint early Monday evening, city police had several suspects in custody.
Two of the suspects, Davonte Butts and Christopher Cruz, both 15, have been charged with robbery and conspiracy, police said.
And the teenagers are being charged as adults because they committed the crime with a gun, Detective Lt. Kent Switzer said.
While Butts, of the 600 block of West Lemon Street, and Cruz, of the 200 block of North Franklin Street, were awaiting arraignment at the city police station this morning, detectives said they were continuing their investigation into Monday night's robbery, along with "other similar-type incidents."
Among those similar-type incidents, police said, was another armed robbery of two pedestrians shortly after 2 a.m. today in the area of West Lemon and North Queen streets.
City police were still interviewing a number of people late this morning and no charges had been filed.
Sgt. Todd Umstead, the city police spokesman, did say that the victims in this morning's gunpoint robbery were not injured.
Monday night's robbery happened around 7:30 in the 700 block of North Shippen Street, police said, as the 28-year-old male victim was getting out of a car.
The victim told police he was suddenly approached by several males —one of whom displayed a black handgun and placed it against the side of the man's face.
At the same time, the victim told police, the young men were yelling at him to hand over his possessions and threatening to kill him.
He gave them his wallet and carrying bag, police said, and the suspects fled, but not before he was struck in the head by the robbers.
The victim immediately called city police and gave a description of the suspects and their direction of travel to Officers David Hershiser and Aaron Szulborski. The information was then broadcast over the police radio.
Ten minutes later, Officer Jason Zahm and other police officers spotted a group of young men who matched the robbers' descriptions in the 600 block of North Plum Street and detained them.
Three of the individuals were identified as being involved in the robbery and were taken to the police station for questioning.
Two of the suspects, Butts and Cruz, were charged after they were interviewed by detectives in the presence of relatives, according to court documents.
Butts admitted to Detective Jimmy Mummau that he told the victim to hand over his wallet and he wouldn't get hurt, according to court documents.
Cruz admitted to Detectives David Weiser and Toby Hickey that he acted as a lookout during the robbery, according to the affidavit.
Switzer said the two youths will be charged as adults and arraigned before District Judge Janice Jimenez.
Detectives said they were looking into the possibility that others were involved in the robbery, as well as similar recent incidents.
Police are asking anyone with information to call city police at 735-3300 or Lancaster City-County Crime Stoppers at (800) 322-1913. Callers do not have to give their names to provide information.
Staff writer Janet Kelley can be reached at jkelley@LNPnews.com or 481-6026.
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