A London woman whose grandson was mugged by a group of youth says she’s considering offering a reward to catch the culprits.
The woman who does not want her name used for fear it would identify her grandson, says she’d like to offer a reward in the range of about $5,000 and is communicating with Crime Stoppers to go through the proper channels.
It comes after her 13-year-old grandson was attacked near Emily Carr public school last Sunday. He had his bike and smartphone stolen. The bike was later found in a nearby park.
Police issued a warning Thursday after two other similar incidents involving a group of youth in northwest London. Police feel the trio of robberies are linked.
The woman has also been posting signs at bus shelters, green bins, dumpsters and parks. She says she has photocopied 400 notices issued by the London police about the muggings and robberies.
The woman reached out to CTV News saying she needs to warn the community.
“My main goal is for the community to be aware of what’s going on."
The grandmother had also posted a Kijiji ad addressed to the culprits and says that her grandson “feels horribly violated."
The ad has since been taken down, but she says she is happy that it alerted the public.
The woman says her grandson was kicked in the head and that the bruising on the back of his head is healing, but he remains fearful and doesn't want to go outside.
The grandmother also wants to thank a Good Samaritan who allowed the boy to use his phone to call home and tell his mother what had happened. The man also walked her grandson part way home.
She wants to be clear about some facts around the case, saying it happened at 8:30 p.m., not 10 p.m. as reported, and the boy was not carrying money.
She also sent a letter to CTV News.
“This kind of assault must come to an end. Ours is a strong neighbourhood and our children…deserve the right to be free to enjoy life without…fear," she wrote.
