Teen sentenced to 5 years for robbing 12-year-old at gunpoint in Gilbert

An 18-year-old was sentenced to five years in prison for robbing a preteen boy of his e-bike at gunpoint in Gilbert earlier this year, authorities said.

Dyllin Keys pleaded guilty to armed robbery after pointing a gun at the 12-year-old victim and taking his e-bike.

Keys wasn’t alone when he robbed the victim. He was accompanied by a 14-year-old boy whose name has not been released, prosecutors said.

“No child should ever have to stare down the barrel of a gun and have to call 911 in tears over being robbed,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a Monday statement. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that anyone who tries to terrorize a kid in Maricopa County will pay for their crime.”

The boy had been riding his e-bike on a trail near Greenfield Junior High when Keys pointed a gun at him. Keys then told the boy not to call police, threatening to shoot him.

How was the culprit in armed e-bike robbery in Gilbert arrested?

Prosecutors said the Gilbert Police Department responded quickly and arrested Keys near the scene of the robbery while he was riding the victim’s e-bike. The 14-year-old accomplice was arrested days later, prosecutors said.

“He stole my bike,” the victim said in a 911 call released by Gilbert Police. “I worked so hard for that.”

Mitchell described the audio as heartbreaking.

“The fear in the victim’s voice was heartbreaking, but he showed tremendous courage by calling 911,” Mitchell said. “Because of his bravery and the swift response by Gilbert Police, this defendant was caught within minutes.”

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