MONROE, North Carolina -- Investigators are searching for a teen suspect who they say used a BB gun to rob a 9-year-old boy operating a lemonade stand.

The teen made off with less than $20 after shoving the BB gun the boy's stomach and demanding the money, the Union County Sheriff's Office tells the Charlotte Observer.

"Never had an incident like this, never thought this would happen," the boy's father, Philip Smith, tells Fox 46. "It's pretty low, despicable in my book and I can't believe someone would stoop that low to steal money from him."

The boy was saving the money from the lemonade sales to buy a new lawnmower for his lawnmowing business, according to Fox 46.

The Observer reports the BB gun, a metal tin and a camouflage hat worn by the suspect were found in a nearby wooded area. It's believed the teen might have hidden a bicycle nearby, then rode off after the incident.

Despite the robbery, which occurred Saturday, the boy again set up his stand on Sunday, WSOC Channel 9 reports.

"We kinda explained it to him that bad things do happen to good people and you never know when it's going to happen to you," Smith tells Fox 46. "You just gotta pray and be glad that he is safe."

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