Teens beat, carjack Detroit man who was like a father to them

DETROIT (WJBK) - Some kids wanted to play basketball and a nice man offered to give them a lift. The kind gesture would turn into a horrible mistake. The teens assaulted the man and drove off in his car. 

The victim says the teens distracted him with social media posts about his missing daughter and as soon as the chance arrived - they pounced. They stole his gun, beating him senseless and, above all, betraying his trust.

"Full of blood, full of blood. My underwear full of blood. My sweatshirt full of blood," Neal Richardson said.

Richardson is nursing wounds and coming to terms with the brutal carjacking that could have left him dead.

"They were just pounding on me, pounding on me, pounding on me and I didn't know it was a knife involved then he said get the gun, but when he tried to get the gun, the safety was on," he said.

They were two teenagers Richardson was driving to church so they could play basketball. He said he has known them for years. One is 17 years old and the other 15 years old. Richardson said they have a history.

"He's my friend's son," he said.

Word is the 15-year-old is on probation. He was just released after an 18-month stretch in juvenile detention. His father died years ago and Richardson took on that role, hoping to get the boy on the right track.

"It was hurting to know that he would turn on me like this. The boy is going through a lot and he needs help, but I was there for him. Like a son. Like a son," he said.

And Richardson's missing daughter Audrianna Richardson was like his sister. Richardson says the teens used that to their advantage by distracting Richardson with social media posts about the girl.

All of a sudden out of nowhere, "Boom!"

Richardson says they stole his gun and car only to end up torching the ride he just paid off and removed full coverage from to save a few bucks. Even so, he's not giving up on Detroit's troubled youth, not even the ones who robbed and beat him

"I forgive you and I'm praying for you. Do the right thing. I ain't out to get you man but you can get this thing together," he said.

They can do that by turning themselves in to police.

As for Richard's daughter, Audrianna, she has been missing since early January.