Two German 15-year-olds halt armed robber in his tracks

Essen - Two 15-year-olds halted an armed robber in the west German city of Essen, thereby foiling an attempted jewellery shop heist, a police spokesperson said on Sunday.

The 57-year-old robber entered the shop in the central Essen pedestrian zone with a weapon drawn. Two shocked female shop assistants handed over jewels and cash.

As the man attempted to flee the scene, two quick-witted teens who realized what was going on acted. "The boys... blocked the door from the outside so that the offender could not escape," the spokesperson said.

Other people at the scene alerted the police. "The colleagues were able to arrest the perpetrator without resistance," the spokesperson said, adding that nobody had been injured in the incident.

The weapon turned out to be an air pistol upon later examination.

The police said that things could have gone badly for the boys. "The boys acted very pluckily and bravely, but we generally advise people never to place themselves in the path of an armed attacker, but to let him go and memorize as much as possible to help police with their investigations," the spokesman said.

Shop assistants should also cooperate with perpetrators at all times, do what they say and let them go, he said.

"Depending on how distinct the thought of flight might be, the perpetrator can at any time react with violence," he said.