BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County District Attorney's Office says that police have caught three criminals behind robberies on the east side and that they think were targeted at the Muslim community.
District Attorney John Flynn on Thursday announced the arrests of 22-year-old Anthony Cole and two teenagers who he says robbed a couple on Theodore Street on Monday morning.
And he says the teens robbed another person on Humason Avenue earlier this month while also hitting him with a gun and breaking his jaw.
They're being charged as juveniles, but the district attorney wants them charged as adults.
"I agree with the DA, based on the nature of the robberies, the violence, the use of a weapon, it's not juveniles acting like juveniles," said Buffalo Police Captain Jeff Rinaldo.
Flynn also says there have been other robberies like these targeting Muslims that they're investigating.
"I do not have enough evidence to charge anyone with a hate crime. That doesn't mean that I'm not continuing to look for that evidence. That doesn't mean that that evidence will not come in the future to fruition. But as of right now, I don't have enough to charge a hate crime," Flynn said. "I can assure the members of the Muslim community who are affected in that neighborhood in the City of Buffalo, that I am vigorously pursuing that line."
They're also figuring out whether there are other suspects.
"Whether or not it was organized, whether or not there's a team effort here, whether or not it's a coincidence. We're investigating that right now to see which path this leads us to," said Flynn.
They're also investigating more crimes -- several within the past few weeks that also appear to have targeted members of Buffalo's Muslim community.
Cole is scheduled to be back in court on Monday for a hearing. If he's eventually convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
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