Robbery suspect charged

Published 5:59 am Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A 24-year-old Austin man has been charged for allegedly trying to rob two teenagers who were sitting in a parked car early Sunday morning.

Eric Matthew Louis Medina faces two counts of felony robbery, one count of felony assault of a police officer, and two lesser charges. Medina, who is in custody, appeared in court on Tuesday and is scheduled to return for an arraignment on June 24.

According to a police report, the incident in question occurred at around 12:45 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Fifth Avenue Northwest. Medina allegedly came up to the driver’s side window and began talking to one of the teenagers, asking him if he had ever been robbed.

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Medina then told the teenager he was getting robbed and punched him twice in the nose, the report states. The teenager emptied his pockets but had no money, which allegedly angered Medina, who punched the teenager in the face again.

The other teenager, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, refused to cooperate with Medina, the report states. Both teenagers then left the vehicle and fled, with Medina chasing them.

Sometime while this was happening, a call was made to the Austin Police Department. It is unclear who called police, but an officer was able to apprehend Medina without incident about a block away.

The two teenagers positively identified him as the attacker, the report states, and the teenager who had been punched was able to recover the items from his pocket, which had been left at the scene.

After the arrest, Medina allegedly began complaining of chest pain, so he was taken to the Austin Medical Center. There, he acted belligerent toward officers, the report states, at times spitting at them. He was then taken back to jail.

Medina was apparently drunk during the incident, the report states.