Robbery investigation continues

By Michael Sewall
March 4, 2008

An MU student was forced to the ground and robbed at approximately 11:10 p.m. Saturday night, according to a Columbia Police Department news release.

CPD Lt. Dianne Bernhard could not release the name of the victim, but the release stated he was a 20-year-old male student and sustained injuries.

“The victim was taken by police to a local hospital,” the release stated. “The victim’s known injuries prior to examination included abrasions and contusions to the face as well as a laceration to the lower lip.”

According to the release, the victim walked into the alley that runs east from the 100 block of Ninth Street, just outside the area near The Blue Fugue, Tonic and Quinton’s.

There, according to witnesses, the suspects “appeared to forcefully push the victim’s head into the wall of the building and then struck him several more times.”

Bernhard said there was no report that alcohol was involved in the incident.

Bernhard said two male suspects fled on foot and were accompanied by three other young males.

The incident was reported at approximately 11:15 p.m. and about a half hour later, an officer observed a group of three males and a second group of two males.

Bernhard said the officer was able to stop the group of two, but not the other three before backup officers could arrive.

“They were just unable to detain the other three,” Bernhard said.

According to the release, witnesses confirmed the two detained juvenile subjects had been at the robbery scene.

The two were not identified as having participated physically.

“They’re identified as people who are somehow related to those people,” Bernhard said about the group of three males that accompanied the two suspects.

The investigation continues, Bernhard said, and the case has been turned over to the Juvenile Detective Unit for further investigation.

Bernhard could not comment on who has been questioned in the investigation, but said the victim has been contacted.

“We’ve already talked to the victim and we will continue to keep him updated,” she said.

Bernhard said because the two detained are juveniles, there would be some differences in the investigatory process.

“Generally there has to be a juvenile officer and a parent or a friendly adult present,” she said.

Bernhard said the juvenile unit typically works on cases where juvenile suspects are on the case, but that witnesses often will confuse a juvenile for an adult.

“Sometimes people can’t tell the difference between 16 and 17,” she said. “Sometimes they end up with some adult cases as well.”

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Robbery investigation continues

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