A 16-year-old boy was forced to strip off his clothing during an armed robbery in southeast Baltimore, and within hours police say they had tracked down all five suspects accused in the attack — four of them juveniles. The arrests followed a harrowing encounter on the 1100 block of N. Kenwood Avenue on Wednesday, where the teen was walking with a family member when he was confronted by a group of armed males.
A Robbery That Turned Degrading
According to WBFF, five males approached the 16-year-old and his family member on N. Kenwood Avenue and brandished weapons. The suspects then demanded that the teen remove his clothing, and police say he complied before fleeing the area. Baltimore Police had responded to a report of an armed robbery in that same block, per the station's account of the incident.
Officers did not let the suspects get far. The department deployed its Foxtrot helicopter to help locate the group, the station reports, and authorities ultimately located five individuals matching the description: a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds, and 28-year-old Eric Clayborn. All five were arrested in connection with the robbery, per the same account.
Juvenile Suspects and the Law
The case puts a spotlight on how Maryland handles young suspects accused of violent crimes. Under Maryland law, the juvenile court holds exclusive original jurisdiction over a child who is at least 13 years old and alleged to be delinquent, with added provisions covering children as young as 10 accused of committing acts that would be crimes if committed by an adult, according to the Maryland General Assembly. For children 15 or older, that same body of law allows a court to waive its exclusive jurisdiction over a delinquency petition, though it remains unclear whether that step has been sought or granted in this particular case.
Separately, Maryland Criminal Law outlines the specific offense at the heart of the allegations. A person may not commit or attempt to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, or by displaying a written instrument claiming possession of one, according to the Maryland General Assembly's text of the statute.
Part of a Broader Crime Picture
The robbery lands amid a year in which Baltimore police have touted gains in solving similar cases. As of mid-2026, the Baltimore Police Department reported a 48% robbery clearance rate, well above the 27.6% national average, according to the department's mid-year crime report. The agency also credited its Warrant Apprehension Task Force with 1,006 arrests in the first half of the year, an increase of 146 over the same period in 2025.
This is not the only recent case in the city involving young suspects accused in armed robberies or carjackings. In central Baltimore, a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old were arrested in connection with a separate armed robbery, while in Baltimore County, three 16-year-old boys were arrested and charged as adults in an armed carjacking in Towson, according to separate WBFF reports. Those cases remain distinct from Wednesday's robbery on N. Kenwood Avenue, and no connection between them has been established.
Details that remain unclear in this case include the identities of the four juvenile suspects, the specific type of weapons allegedly used, and the exact charges each person now faces. The victim's name and the extent of any property taken have also not been disclosed.
