Police: Man robbed children at knifepoint
statesman.com
By Isadora Vail
Thursday, August 18, 2011
04:42 PM

An Austin man has been charged with aggravated robbery after brandishing a knife and forcibly taking bags from two young brothers who were on their way to a bus stop near Zavala Elementary School on Friday, according to an arrest affidavit.

The boys were walking west on Santa Rosa Street in East Austin when they saw an adult male pull out a knife, the affidavit said. The man, whom the affidavit identifies as 18-year-old Marcos Antonio Cruz Rodriguez, then asked the children if they had money, they told police.

Rodriguez took the backpacks from the boys, one of which had a new pair of tennis shoes inside, the affidavit said. As he walked away, the affidavit said, the older brother ran home to tell his father.

The father called police and saw Rodriguez walking down the street wearing his son’s new shoes, the affidavit said. The two had an argument, and Rodriguez ran away before police arrived, police said. On Monday, the father saw Rodriguez in the neighborhood, and Rodriguez began waving a knife at him, police said.

Austin police responded when the father called them, and they arrested Rodriguez. He denied the story at first, then admitted to stealing the shoes and backpack, the affidavit said.

Rodriguez is charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and could face up to life in prison if convicted. He remained in the Travis County Jail on Thursday with bail set at $30,000 and has an immigration detainer, according to open records.

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