MAPLEWOOD, Mo. – On the day when Bishop Mike Robinson of Hope Nation International Church was getting his house of worship on Maffitt Avenue ready for upcoming summer camps, Maplewood Police announced charges against three juveniles accused of stealing a vehicle and accelerating toward police Sunday night.

Police said the juveniles are 14, 16, and 17 years old. They each face a charge of tampering and resisting arrest, and the 16-year-old is also charged with assault as well as leaving the scene of an accident.

According to Robinson, a crucial component of Urban Hope’s summer program is getting to young people before they meet friends who could put them in danger.


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“It is extremely important that we are in their lives and that we’re showing them that there are positive individuals that love and care about them and want to be a great support for them,” Robinson said.

He launched the summer program last year and believes it has already made a difference.

“We have seen some stuff that could have gone a different way, but we’ve been able to actively get involved in the life of young people, or a young person, and see them make a better choice,” he said.

“If they have something safe that they can come to, someone they can talk to, someone that can give them advice, that’s just what we’re here for,” Gabrielle Hobson, Urban Hope volunteer, said.

Camp opportunities begin July 1. To register, click here.