Armed man robs two children at Manatee County park, police say

A man with a gun robbed two children at a Manatee County park on Tuesday, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred around 4:20 p.m. at Pride Park, located at 815 63rd Ave. E. in Bradenton.

The man approached a 10-year-old male and a 12-year-old male in the park and requested to see the younger child’s phone, according to a sheriff’s office report.

The 12-year-old’s phone then began to ring inside of his backpack, and the man requested to see that phone. The man then opened the juvenile’s backpack and took the phone.

The 10-year-old grabbed the phone from the man, who then exposed part of a black firearm and grabbed the phone back before fleeing the park on foot.

The suspect is described as having short hair, between 18 and 30 years old and measuring between 5 feet, 9 inches and 6 feet tall. He was wearing a black shirt and black pants at the time of the robbery.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 or call Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.

This story was originally published February 5, 2019 at 9:43 PM.