Cops: 10-Year-Old Skipped School to Rob Luxury Store

A 10-year-old boy in Hong Kong is one of four people arrested over a robbery at a luxury watch store. Police say 20 watches worth a total of almost $500,000 in US dollars were stolen in the Monday robbery in Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui district, RTHK reports. A source tells the South China Morning Post that the 10-year-old, who's said to be 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 130 pounds, used a sledgehammer to smash glass display cases during the robbery. All the watches have been recovered, police say.

"The investigation revealed that he skipped school on that day and joined the gang to commit the robbery," the source says. The boy was allegedly paid around US $640 to take part in the robbery. Police say three robbers and a getaway driver were involved in the crime. The three other suspects arrested are all teenagers, ages 14, 17, and 19. The Post notes that reported robberies in Hong Kong spiked up more than 40% from January to June. (More Hong Kong stories.)