A 12-year-old boy in Syracuse, New York was arrested on Tuesday, March 1, after he attempted to rob the wife of legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim in the parking lot of a shopping mall.
The underage child, whose name has not been released due to his age, reportedly pointed an airsoft gun at 55-year-old Juli Boeheim at the parking lot of a shopping mall, stealing her phone and purse before leaving in a stolen car with three other men, according to NBC News.
The unnamed child was caught later on and charged with second-degree robbery and fourth-degree grand larceny, among other charges. It is unclear if Mrs. Boeheim was able to recover her belongings and effects from the person, the New York Post reported.
Juli Boeheim was uninjured from her encounter with the child. Jim Boeheim, her husband, attempted to assuage the possibly sad and worried emotions emanating from many well-wishers across the industry regarding his family’s safety.
“She's definitely shook up. I mean this isn't television; it's not movies; it's real life. Somebody puts a gun in a face,” Jim Boeheim said. “She's handling it well, I mean better than I probably would.”
Jim Boeheim is the head coach of Syracuse University’s varsity team since 1976, and is No. 2 on the list of all-time victories in the NCAA Division I men's basketball coach. He and his wife run a foundation together where they raise money for cancer research and at-risk youths.
“I think the thing that helped her was it was a kid,” he continued. “If it was an older man, it probably would have … [thoughts trailed off]. Her main thought was, ‘Let’s help this kid.’ That’s what she does, we do with our foundation.”
It is unclear if the child has an attorney, and if he will be tried as an adult or as a minor for his crime.
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