Knifepoint robbery leaves Windsor teen with anger, sadness and fear

A late-night coffee run that turned into a harrowing knifepoint robbery experience has left a Windsor teen scared to leave the house when it's dark.

The crime happened on Feb. 11, shortly after 10 p.m., when the 15-year-old male victim was making his return from the Tim Hortons location at Wyandotte Street East and Marentette Avenue.

The teen was riding a bicycle — when two individuals in ski masks started to follow him. 

The victim's cellphone fell out of his pocket. When he stopped to pick it up, the masked suspects confronted him, taking the cellphone and the $20 in his wallet under threat of violence.

"They tried to stab me," said the cyclist, who spoke to CBC News with the condition that his name not be published.

"I actually cried for a whole hour... I was angry and sad at the same time. I don't know how to describe it."

Jenna Beattie, mother to the victim, said her son was in hysterics when returned home. She immediately called police.

Beattie told CBC News it's "mind-blowing" to her that a child would be targeted for robbery.

Windsor police said they obtained surveillance video of the incident. Investigators were able to identify one of the suspects — also a 15-year-old male.

The suspect was arrested at his home in east Windsor.

He's since been charged with robbery using an offensive weapon and wearing a disguise with intent to commit a crime. His name can't be released under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Parent says inflation, cost of living failing people

Although Beattie remains horrified by the incident, she said the situation speaks to pressing social issues — such as deep poverty perpetuated by the rising cost of living.

"People are really feeling it so much that they are willing to go out and mug a child," she lamented.

Beattie believes her son's cellphone turned up on Facebook Marketplace, where it was being sold for $50.

Combined with the $20 taken from her son's wallet, the two robbers netted $70 from the crime.

"They are willing to put their future at risk for 70 bucks," Beattie said. "That is nuts."

Beattie said that, since the robbery, she's nervous about letting her kids got to places without supervision — even the nearby convenience store in their neighbourhood west of Walkerville.

Beattie said she'd like to move her family to a different area, but housing costs prevent her.

"What it boils down to is, are you willing to pay more for your safety, or are you going to live somewhere dangerous because it's affordable? I don't think that's a question anybody should be asking."

Still without cell phone

The teen victim told CBC News that he has been feeling better recently, but anxiety still keeps him from going out at night. His mother has been driving him to and from school.

"It's starting to sort of get better — especially when I got the news that one of them was caught," he said.

But the stolen cellphone remains a stark reminder of the incident for the family. They can't afford a replacement and are hopeful police can recover the one that was taken.

The teen said he used the cellphone for school work, socializing with friends, and — most importantly — communicating with his parents when he babysat his younger siblings.

Windsor police had no update on the investigation, as of Thursday. The second suspect remains at large.

The WPS Major Crimes Unit and Crime Stoppers invites tips from the public about this incident.