Suspects plead guilty in Quad assault

Posted to Police Beat by Katherine Miller at 7:43 p.m., Jan. 29, 2009

A Columbia man pleaded guilty Monday to charges involving a robbery that took place Sept. 17 near the Francis Quadrangle.

Michael Zellman, 21, was arrested Sept. 20 for stealing the iPod, cell phone and wallet of senior Joshua Barton, 21, according to a Clery release from the MU Police Department.

Stafford Lambert, 20, and Demetrius Edward, 18, were also arrested for the incident.

Zellman could face up to four years in prison for the robbery, a class C felony, according to Missouri court documents. Zellman was originally arrested for a second-degree robbery by MUPD.

“When I saw he got four years, I thought that was a little harsh,” Barton said. “I mean, I did get robbed, true. It wasn’t an armed robbery. I did get hit a couple of times, but I don’t know if that moment warranted four years in jail.”

Barton was walking between the Engineering Building East building and Switzler Hall when the robbery happened. He said he been studying late at the journalism school and was walking home at around midnight, after the journalism library had closed for the night.

“I was just on my phone and all of a sudden, people came at me from the back, and I went down,” Barton said. “There were a couple of people on top of me trying to get my stuff, and one took my phone away."

Barton said there was a group of three of four guys who took his stuff and kicked him a couple of times. Barton said he call the police after the guys ran away.

Barton was not injured during the incident.

“It wasn’t really that stressful,” Barton said. “They didn’t pull a gun or knife on me, so it wasn’t like, traumatic."

Barton said his cell phone and contents of his wallet were never recovered, although his iPod is still under police custody.

Barton pays more attention when walking around campus now.

“I’m definitely more aware of my surroundings when I walk anywhere at night, by myself at least,” Barton said. “Before I thought campus anywhere would be the safest place to walk, but after I got robbed, it made me be a little more cautious.”