spacemanspiff
Senior Member
(AK) Pizza deliveryman foils Midtown kidnappers
ARRESTED: Victim turns tables, calls police after escaping from 3 robbers.
http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/4619932p-4583563c.html
Some wiseguy wannabes proved not so wise early Tuesday.
According to Anchorage police, three young men ripped off another young man delivering pizza in Midtown, telling him to obey them because they were "from the Bronx."
Alas, these guys were short a little juice.
The 20-year-old victim managed to give the robbers the slip, then turned the tables on them, following their car in his, with cell phone in hand, police said.
Officers later arrested the three at an all-night convenience store.
Charged with first-degree robbery and kidnapping were David Middleton, 23; Jose Ruiz-Rodriguez, 19; and a 17-year-old boy whose name was not released, said police spokeswoman Anita Shell.
The boy, who also was charged with consuming alcohol as a minor, was taken to McLaughlin Youth Center, police said.
The others were in custody Tuesday, Middleton at Anchorage Correctional Complex East (formerly the Anchorage Jail) and Ruiz-Rodriguez at Anchorage Correctional Complex West (formerly Cook Inlet Pre-Trial Facility).
Bail for each was $50,000.
The man delivering the pizza, Burim Limani, declined to tell his story to reporters.
Newspaper records indicate Limani graduated in 2002 with honors from Bartlett High School, but little else could be learned about him.
According to police reports, Limani pulled up in his car about 2:30 a.m. to a building on West 33rd Avenue, near Eide Street, where he was to deliver a pizza.
As he was getting out, a Jeep with three men pulled behind him, police said. A man with a handgun, whom police identified as Middleton, ordered Limani to hand over whatever cash he carried and the keys to his car, and get into the Jeep with them, according to police.
The robbers drove off with him.
Someone inside a residence saw the encounter and called police, saying there had been "some disturbance," said Shell.
Meanwhile, the robbers traveled around the block while one or more of them counted Limani's money, she said.
"They told him they didn't want to hurt him but they were from the Bronx and they would do what they had to do," Shell said. Whether they really hailed from the New York City borough or only wanted to don its invincible and menacing aura was unclear.
After they drove back to Limani's car and the pizza that was getting colder by the minute, the robbers ordered Limani to deliver the pie and give them that cash too, police said.
But Limani -- who by this time had his keys back -- decided otherwise.
"I'm not sure whether he walked, ran or dove into his vehicle, but he gets in the car and the robbers take off," said Shell.
Limani followed them, dialing 911. He quickly lost sight of the Jeep, police said, but at West 33rd and C Street he flagged down a cop driving by. As Limani was telling his story, the Jeep sped past.
The officer radioed its description and license plate, and the robbers were soon history -- found and arrested at the Williams Express station at Minnesota and Spenard, police said.
The gun as well as the Jeep had been stolen, they said. The Jeep was ripped off the day before from the Aurora Towing yard and had sustained heavy damage to the front end when the thief rammed it through the yard's gate, according to police.
Limani was shaken up by the ordeal but uninjured, said Shell.
Daily News reporter Peter Porco can be reached at [email protected] or 257-4582.
ARRESTED: Victim turns tables, calls police after escaping from 3 robbers.
http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/4619932p-4583563c.html
Some wiseguy wannabes proved not so wise early Tuesday.
According to Anchorage police, three young men ripped off another young man delivering pizza in Midtown, telling him to obey them because they were "from the Bronx."
Alas, these guys were short a little juice.
The 20-year-old victim managed to give the robbers the slip, then turned the tables on them, following their car in his, with cell phone in hand, police said.
Officers later arrested the three at an all-night convenience store.
Charged with first-degree robbery and kidnapping were David Middleton, 23; Jose Ruiz-Rodriguez, 19; and a 17-year-old boy whose name was not released, said police spokeswoman Anita Shell.
The boy, who also was charged with consuming alcohol as a minor, was taken to McLaughlin Youth Center, police said.
The others were in custody Tuesday, Middleton at Anchorage Correctional Complex East (formerly the Anchorage Jail) and Ruiz-Rodriguez at Anchorage Correctional Complex West (formerly Cook Inlet Pre-Trial Facility).
Bail for each was $50,000.
The man delivering the pizza, Burim Limani, declined to tell his story to reporters.
Newspaper records indicate Limani graduated in 2002 with honors from Bartlett High School, but little else could be learned about him.
According to police reports, Limani pulled up in his car about 2:30 a.m. to a building on West 33rd Avenue, near Eide Street, where he was to deliver a pizza.
As he was getting out, a Jeep with three men pulled behind him, police said. A man with a handgun, whom police identified as Middleton, ordered Limani to hand over whatever cash he carried and the keys to his car, and get into the Jeep with them, according to police.
The robbers drove off with him.
Someone inside a residence saw the encounter and called police, saying there had been "some disturbance," said Shell.
Meanwhile, the robbers traveled around the block while one or more of them counted Limani's money, she said.
"They told him they didn't want to hurt him but they were from the Bronx and they would do what they had to do," Shell said. Whether they really hailed from the New York City borough or only wanted to don its invincible and menacing aura was unclear.
After they drove back to Limani's car and the pizza that was getting colder by the minute, the robbers ordered Limani to deliver the pie and give them that cash too, police said.
But Limani -- who by this time had his keys back -- decided otherwise.
"I'm not sure whether he walked, ran or dove into his vehicle, but he gets in the car and the robbers take off," said Shell.
Limani followed them, dialing 911. He quickly lost sight of the Jeep, police said, but at West 33rd and C Street he flagged down a cop driving by. As Limani was telling his story, the Jeep sped past.
The officer radioed its description and license plate, and the robbers were soon history -- found and arrested at the Williams Express station at Minnesota and Spenard, police said.
The gun as well as the Jeep had been stolen, they said. The Jeep was ripped off the day before from the Aurora Towing yard and had sustained heavy damage to the front end when the thief rammed it through the yard's gate, according to police.
Limani was shaken up by the ordeal but uninjured, said Shell.
Daily News reporter Peter Porco can be reached at [email protected] or 257-4582.
