HOUSTON —  Nine juveniles, including a 10-year-old, were arrested in a string of sometimes brutal robberies along a downtown Houston bicycle trail, police said.

The suspects, all boys, told police they were an offshoot of a local gang, although police Capt. Glenn Yorek said Wednesday, Sept. 18, no official ties to the gang were discovered.

The attacks, sometimes with guns, began in mid-May. Victims, including college students and senior citizens, were targeted in mid-mornings and early evenings.

The group struck 13 times on the bike trail, the Houston Chronicle reported On Sept. 19.

Yorek characterized some of the attacks as “brutal,” noting one victim suffered a broken collarbone and broken ribs.

Others were struck on the head and then beaten, he said.”They thought it was a good summer activity,” Yorek said of their motivation. “Some said they needed money to eat or to buy shoes.”

The suspects range in age from 10 to 16. The 10-year-old was charged with robbery, the others with organized crime.