Bicyclist injured during robbery on Ballard Street in Ypsilanti, police say
A man was arrested this morning after Ypsilanti police say he shoved a man off of a bicycle in the 300 block of Ballard Street and robbed him, a police news release said.
The 21-year-old victim was taken to the University of Michigan Hospital in stable condition after injuring his leg during the 1:10 a.m. incident, the release said.
According to the release, the victim told police he was shoved off his bicycle after he refused to buy drugs from the suspect and attempted to ride away. While the victim was on the ground, the suspect went through his pockets, taking cash and a cell phone, the release said.
Officers recovered the stolen property from the 29-year-old Ypsilanti Township man found in the area and took him to the Washtenaw County Jail, the release said.
Charges are pending.
Comments
M.
Thu, Sep 2, 2010 : 5:57 p.m.
Well said TruBlu. Awareness is *key* when traveling in the city, especially at night time. We want to feel that we have the right to be absorbed in our cell phones or the right to crank your headphones up as you walk. You do have this right, but the reality is if *you* want to be safe then you need to pay attention to your surroundings when you're out and about. Nobody wants to be paranoid, but "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get you."
RJA
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 12:45 a.m.
I certainly wasn't blaming the victim, he does have the right to be on the street, and probably has good reason to be there. I was commenting more to d_a2. Lets help the police catch these criminals. To bad he didn't have a trained pit-bull walking beside him as he rode his bike. (for his own protection)
diagbum
Mon, Aug 30, 2010 : 10:48 p.m.
"including just because he wanted to." That's 100% right on! This is America he can do what he wants when he wants. Even in Ypsi!
Ricebrnr
Mon, Aug 30, 2010 : 8:03 p.m.
@RJA While the article does not state the reason for the victim to be out at that hour, one should reserve such a judgmental comment because there could be many legitimate reasons to be out at that time including just because he wanted to. Maybe he just got off shift from working to support his family. Maybe he needs his bike to commute from that job because the buses are unreliable or not available at that time. Maybe he was out with his friends playing pool or just hanging? We need to remember that regardless of the time or place and while care is always prudent, we need to blame the criminals for the crime not the victims.
RJA
Mon, Aug 30, 2010 : 4:40 p.m.
A lone 21 year old, on a bike on Ballard this early in the morning? Makes one wonder why he is even on the streets. I doubt that any of these officers are afraid, they just don't see what some do. I believe we should call the police and invite them to watch the crime with us.
d_a2
Mon, Aug 30, 2010 : 12:57 p.m.
not a surprise this has happened. I live one block from there and frequent the two party stores along ballard and the intersection of Cross st. and every single day see people just loitering at the stop signs soliciting every single person that drives by or walks by. i've also seen several blatant hand to hand transactions. This is an outrage in my opinion. I see some of the YPSI PD officers on their foot patrols in the area along Cross St. just walk by these people and not even acknowledge them as if they are afraid. EMU PD and YPSI PD need to step it up and start protecting the more and more students that are coming back for the start of the semester. If this crap keeps continuing it's only a matter of time before less and less people enroll and then imagine what Ypsilanti would become without the influx of the student population every fall.