Following the loss of his mother, a young boy joins the Crazy 9, a group of young orphans who look after themselves on the streets of Caracas, Venezuela. There are eight of them, now that one of the boys has been arrested by the police. To survive, the boys steal and scavenge for food. After the youngest, Ramoncito, gets sick, most of the boys want to leave him behind when they go out on their missions. However, one of the boys sticks up for Ramoncito. When the Crazy 9 travels to a dumpster two hours away, the boy and Ramoncito struggle to keep up. They eventually stop in a plaza to visit an elephant statue. As they do so, a police officer sees them and violently attempts to restrain them. As he grapples with the other boy, Ramoncito breaks free and brandishes the stolen knife. The policeman lifts his club, and a woman stops him and admonishes him for attacking children. While Ramoncito runs away, the woman treats the other boy to lunch and tells him where he can find help. The boy is grateful but dubious, so he leaves to go find Ramoncito. When he arrives back at the hideout of the Crazy 9, the boy finds Ramoncito's dead body. The boy carries Ramoncito's body to the Rio Guaire and sets it afloat down the river.