By Lookout Staff

October 6, 2023 -- Police arrested two repeat offenders ages 11 and 13 Monday morning after they attempted to rob a man at knifepoint parked at the beach, police said.

Both suspects are runaways from a residential care facility in San Dimas, said Lt. Erika Aklufi, the Police Department spokesperson.

They had been arrested twice in Santa Monica last month for carjacking and burglarizing a vehicle, she said.

The victim of Monday's robbery told officers he was sitting in his truck near the 1300 block of the beach, which he frequently visits, when he saw "two individuals near the bed where his bicycle was tethered," Aklufi said.

"The suspect approached the truck while holding a knife near his chest," she said. "The victim believed that the suspect was unaware of his presence inside the truck and was attempting to steal his bike.

"Upon realizing the truck was occupied, the youth threatened to cut the victim with the knife."

The suspect, along with his 13-year-old companion, "fled the area but was located shortly thereafter," Aklufi said. Officers located the knife, which was dropped during the foot pursuit.

The younger of the two suspects was issued a citation for attempted armed robbery, the other for obstructing an investigation.

They were released into the custody of staff from the residential care facility, police said.

The victim was not physically harmed during the incident.