A man robbed three 14-year-old Mira Costa students of their cell phones and some cash Thursday afternoon in a residential area just a mile north of campus, according to police.
The robbery occurred at 2 p.m. on Peck Avenue between 6th Street and 8th Street. The students were walking along the street when the suspect approached them and asked for their phones, exposing a gun in his pocket, Manhattan Beach police Detective Mike Rosenberger said.
After taking their phones and an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect told them to turn around and walk back the other way, Rosenberger said, as he fled around the corner.
Nobody was harmed during the incident and the investigation is ongoing, Rosenberger said.
The suspect is described as a black male adult between age 27 and 35, 6-foot to 6-foot-2-inches tall with a muscular build, weighing about 220 pounds. He was last seen wearing a light grey T-shirt reading “army.” He has tattoos on both arms, Rosenberger said.
Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s Superintendent Mike Matthews issued an email to parents Thursday evening notifying them of the incident. He urged both students and parents to take action upon observing “something that is clearly wrong.”
“Even in a community as safe as ours, this incident should serve as a reminder to communicate with our children about being aware of their surroundings at all times, particularly with regard to strangers.” Matthews wrote. ” … we should not be bystanders. Make a phone call and get adults or authorities involved. These are important steps that will help keep our community as safe as possible.”
