Well, this was just twisted.
A pair of “shady” teenagers sank to a new low when they looted an 8-year-old Upper West Side boy’s sidewalk lemonade stand, police said.
The cowardly crooks waited until little Julian Lin had his back turned on Sunday to snatch his money jar — containing as much as $150, his mom said — and made off on two scooters, according to police and a local report.
“I feel disappointed in humanity,” the young entrepreneur told the ilovetheupperwestside.com blog. “I didn’t realize that someone would want to rob an 8-year-old.”
Police said the heartless theft took place around 3:20 p.m. on Columbus Avenue near West 70th Street when the two teens pulled up and asked for some lemonade.
When Julian turned his back they snatched the jar and sped off — leaving the boy empty-handed. The teens are still on the loose, cops said.
Some of his customers had paid him using Venmo, so it wasn’t a total loss — and Julian’s neighbors also stepped up to try to make up for the stolen earnings.
“When I lost all that cash a lot of people wanted to help me recover, so they gave me extra big tips,” he told the blog in an article published Wednesday.
“It made me feel good that so many people wanted to help me recover from this attack,” the boy added.”It made me feel happy, joyful, grateful.”
The youngster, who goes by the “professional” name “Julian Business Man” and favors bowties and neckties when on the job, has been bootstrapping since he was 4 — from folding boxes at a local bakery to mopping classroom floors to helping out at a neighborhood fruit stand.
“I just love working,” he told the blog in April. “I love everything about it.”
Local merchants who’ve gotten a helping hand from Julian said they’re sad but sure he’ll bounce back.
“He’s such a nice gentleman, a nice kid — very optimistic and positive,” Melanie Signh, a cashier at Epices Bakery, told The Post. “He is a business kid. I’m sure he will never stop.”
The owner of the neighborhood fruit stand, who identified himself only as John, agreed.
“He is a business kid,” he said. “I’m sure he will never stop.”
Despite Sunday’s financial setback, Julian agreed that he hasn’t soured on future business endeavors — although he has learned some valuable lessons.
“I will not have my money out there for anyone to grab. I will be more alert. I will trust my instincts because I could tell that those guys were shady since one of them was wearing a ski mask,” he said.
“But I will keep doing what I’m doing because I love being a businessman and I love dogs,” he added. “And 30% of my profits go to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.”
His parents agreed the “unpleasant experience” was a teaching moment.
“It is an important lesson for any businessman, and we are just grateful that so many people have come out to support Julian in the aftermath,” they told The Post in a statement Thursday.
“We still look out for one another when the going gets tough, and that’s what Julian is taking away from this,” they added.
Anyone with information about the thieves can call the NYPD tips hotline at 800-577-TIPS or message the department @NYPDTips.