Armed robbery suspect, 11, not so tough

YORK, Pa. - An 11-year-old was charged this week in the armed robbery of a Chinese restaurant after an older teenager told police he had served as the boy's "backup," police said.

Dean T. Powell, 19, was arrested as he fled from the scene late Monday morning, and he then led investigators to the boy, police said.

During interviews, Powell and the boy each implicated the other in the robbery, Detective First Class Jeff Spence said. He said a third person told Powell to accompany the boy to make sure the robbery went smoothly.

Both suspects had guns on them, but the 11-year-old's weapon has not yet been found, police said. Authorities said the boy told police that it was a BB gun.

Powell, of Dover Township, was sent to York County Prison on robbery and gun charges. A listed number for him could not be found last night, and it was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney.

The boy was taken to York County's juvenile detention center and charged as a juvenile with robbery. He initially acted tough with police, but that changed once he got to the interrogation room, Spence said.

"Once I got in a room with him and his mom and started talking about his future . . . he bawled," Spence said. *