Police: Armed duo robs 2 students, including autistic boy, minutes apart in Sanford

SANFORD, Fla. — An armed duo on Monday morning robbed two different middle school students within 15 minutes, the Sanford Police Department said.

Officers said two men believed to be in their 20s approached the victims and demanded their cellphones.

A Millennium Middle School student was robbed at about 9 a.m. on Santa Barbara Drive, police said.

One street away, on Hartwell Avenue, investigators said the robbers placed a gun to the head of a 14-year-old autistic boy who attends Sanford Middle School.

"I kind of felt like it was personal freedom," said Nathan Neumann.

Police said Neumann  refused to surrender his cellphone, but the duo did steal his wallet, which contained $18.

"I felt annoyed, terrified and angry at the same time," said Nathan Neumann.

Danielle Neumann told Channel 9 that this was the first school year she felt comfortable allowing her son to walk to his bus stop alone because of his autism. Now the boy said he no longer feels safe walking alone.

"One of them wearing a light gray hoodie pulled a silver gun to my head," Nathan Neumann said.

The robberies, which appear to be connected, continue to be investigated, officers said.

"It's becoming an epidemic around here. It's really bad," said Danielle Neumann.

Sanford police told Chanel 9's Cuthbert Langley that they're stepping up patrols in the area. Police also said they're alerting school resource officers about the incidents.

Police said they don't have a good description of the robbers.

WFTV web staff contributed to this story.

Cox Media Group