'MIGHT NEED TO TAKE THAT BOX': LEMONADE STAND STICK-UP LEADS TO ARREST OF 14-YEAR-OLD
A 12 YEAR-OLD BOY AND HIS 11-YEAR-OLD SISTER WERE ROBBED AT GUNPOINT TENDING THEIR LEMONADE STAND IN SOUTH BOSTON ON WEDNESDAY
Two kids robbed two younger kids operating a lemonade stand on the tough streets of South Boston with a gun on Wednesday. A 14-year-old has been arrested. Photo credit: surveilance video, via the Boston Police Department.
MALONE, NEW YORK June 13, 2026
Location of legendary true crime stories like Scorsese's The Departed and Chuck Hogan's Prince of Thieves, we all knew South Boston was a tough place to grow up. While "Souhthie" has been largely gentrified, some traces of the old remain.
"He walked over here, he said, ‘I might need to take the box, and he grabbed it with one hand, and then he showed us the gun which was right here," 12-year-old David Byrne told News 7 Boston on Thursday, gesturing to the left side of his waistband, where the robber had a pistol.
The box in question was his 11-year-old sister's pink lipstick box. Juliet and David used the box to hold the proceeds of their day selling lemonade in South Boston on Wednesday. The temperature reached 92 degrees that day. The box held about $50 cash.
David said when the boy took the box and showed them the gun, his sister "put her hands up."
"'You can have it,'” David said he told the robber. “I thought it was very, like, rude, because they were young and they shouldn’t have done that at that age.”
There were two of them. Both wore masks. Even so, it was obvious both were very young.
The Boston Police Department released images of the thieves as they fled. One was more than foot shorter than the other. As they ran away from the scene of the crime, his balaclava slipped down, exposing a smiling, almost cherubic face.
"They called me. I'm at work. They're hysterical. And saying someone just came with a gun and took all our money," Jennifer Byrne, the victims' mother, said.
The victims' father, also named David Jr., said his kids' lives were more important than money. He told CBS News Boston he was proud they'd "immediately just put their hands up and said 'take whatever you want.'"
"I'm proud of them for basically protecting each other, but also being smart in that bad situation," he said.
Still, the dotting dad added: "I'm pretty disgusted with it. They're young children. They're 11 and 12 years old. It was in the middle of broad daylight."
The empty pink lipstick was found on the street nearby, empty.
Community members rallied 'round the crime victims.
"It was something that they loved doing," neighbor Jonathan Raukohl said. "And it was taken from them."
On Thursday, they helped the Byrne family construct a better lemonade stand and plan a block party for Friday evening.
"We don't want that to be the impression left on them," one unidentified neighbor told News 7 Boston. "So we're like 'Let's back out there, and make this a positive thing.'"
Also to recoup the stolen funds—and maybe then some.
The front of the new and improved lemonade stand neighbors help the Byrne children make was painted yellow, covered in images of oversize lemons and bore these words in green paint: "When life gives you."
The 12-year-old Byrne said he planned to donate some of the proceeds to gun violence reduction initiatives.
"This just shows awareness of gun violence and that you shouldn't do this at this stage, or at all," he said.
People filled the block for Friday evening's lemonade rally. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, councilmember Ed Flynn and the local prosecutor, Kevin Hayden, were among those who attended.
"We're going to do everything we can to make sure that we hold the appropriate people accountable here," Hayden, the prosecutor, said.
12-year-old David Byrne and his 11-year-old sister Juliet. Photo credit: unknown, via Facebook.
Moments later, police officers arrived and told the Flynns they cracked the case.
Boston police arrested a 14-year-old "in South Boston" on Friday, they said in a news release.
"The suspect is expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court on charges of Delinquent to wit; Armed Robbery (two counts) and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (two counts)," police revealed.
As is common when a juvenile is charged with a crime, officials did not release the boy's name.
"That makes me feel more safe," Juliet said at Friday evening's rally. "It was really scary at the time."
David said he was "grateful they found one of the kids and I just want to say 'thank you.'"
In addition proceeds from the sale of lemonade, the Flynns received a $2,000 donation from Stop & Shop and more from other local business.
The other boy robber remains at large.
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