KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, police are investigating whether or not a group of teens, dubbed the "Scooter Gang," is connected to a string of armed robberies over the weekend.
Hyde Park residents dubbed the group the Scooter Gang because they used to ride around on mopeds and scooters and commit crimes of opportunity.
A previous report by 41 Action News said that neighbors have had problems with the teens for many years. There is no report of guns being used in the crimes in the past.
Police are looking into two incidents in the Hyde Park neighborhood. One happened Saturday night in the 4000 block of Charlotte Street where neighbors say a group of teens in a light blue jeep Cherokee robbed a man at gunpoint sitting on his porch.
Police are also investigating an armed robbery Sunday night where a University of Missouri-Kansas City student told 41 Action News a group of three masked teens stole her 2013 white ford focus in the 4000 block of Harrison Street.
"They rifled through our wallets, threw them on the ground, one of them ripped the food out of my hands and they took my car and drove off," she said.
The student, who wished to remain anonymous, said she and her boyfriend parked their car when the group demanded they hand over their money and car keys and threatened to shoot them.
The young woman said she hopes her experience, while traumatic, can serve as a lesson for others.
"I think people just need to be aware if they're out at night on their own or in a small group just be aware of cars you don't recognize," she said.
Hyde Park resident and expectant mother Kate Chambers has lived on Charlotte Street for about three years now. Chambers said this past weekend's armed robberies rocked the neighborhood.
Chambers and her husband are looking at moving to a different part of the metro because of the crime.
"We're looking at places where it's safer to have kids run around where I don't feel like I have to keep them confined to my back yard or in my house all day long," Chambers said. "It's a scary thought for me to bring kids into this neighborhood."
Sgt. Jake Becchina, KCPD public information officer, said officers have not made any arrests at this point.
