Quick student reactions leads to robbery arrest

Do you know what to do if you are held at gunpoint?

Luckily for them, two female DePaul students did March 26 when they were confronted by a man with a gun demanding their purses. The two 19-year-old students, who live in 1237 West, were walking down the 900 block of West Belden Avenue at around 11:40 p.m. when the incident occurred.

A red Ford Taurus pulled up, and a man got out of the passenger’s side with gun and told them to give him their purses, the students said. The students tossed their purses to him and he got back into the vehicle and drove off. The students noticed that a woman was driving the vehicle and called Public Safety immediately.

“They did all the right things, and they should be credited for that,” said Bob Wachowski, director of Public Safety.

Wachowski said it was great that the girls were able to give detailed descriptions of the incident to Public Safety because it was helpful when they relayed the information to the Chicago Police. With video from on-campus exterior camera surveillance, Public Safety was able to point the Chicago Police in the direction in which the car fled the scene.

Not long after, the car was spotted by police about a mile from campus, according to Wachowski, and the alleged robbers were According to a Sun-Times media wire report, the two alleged attackers were identified as Anthony Barnes, 31, and Regina Cartharn, 45. Both were charged with two felony counts of armed robbery with a firearm. Barnes was charged additionally with attempted armed robbery with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and violation of the terms of his parole, the report said.

According to the same report, Barnes was on parole for a previous conviction of armed robbery. He was also previously convicted of aggravated battery and drug-related offenses, according to state records cited in the report.

“[The students] reacted quickly. If they hadn’t done that, those guys would’ve gotten away,” Wachowski said. Due to the students’ quick reactions, cooperation and ability to give a detailed description and Public Safety’s collaboration with the Chicago Police, the incident was dealt with smoothly “and no one was hurt,” Wachowski said.

“Armed robberies don’t always turn out this way,” Wachowski said, noting that when faced with this type of situation it is always best to comply with the person’s demands and call authorities immediately. “You can replace your possessions. You can’t replace your life.”

Wachowski, along with Public Safety, reminds students to always walk on well-lit streets in pairs or groups. Public Safety also offers an escort service to and from all buildings on the Lincoln Park campus from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.