Man, 20, accused of robbing, beating 80-year-old

The elderly man had been cleaning up debris on a St. Paul street and was walking home when he was mugged.

Last update: May 29, 2009 - 10:55 PM

When police confronted Bryce Taylor with accusations that he knocked down and robbed an 80-year-old man on St. Paul's West Side, his excuse was that he was high on drugs.

Taylor, 20, of West St. Paul admitted that he "grabbed stuff from the victim's pockets," including a rosary, a pouch of religious medals and a wallet containing $15, but he denied kicking or punching the man, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court.

Taylor was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery.

The complaint lays out the events this way: Police were called to Michael's Pizza at 441 S. Robert St. at 2:15 a.m. Monday on a report that a customer had just been mugged.

A female employee told the officer that a regular customer, identified in the complaint as J.W.M., had been robbed. J.W.M. was in the restaurant, and the officer could see bloody scratches on both his elbows and on the tops of his forearms.

The employee told police that she saw the suspect getting into a vehicle with two people whom she recognized as customers of Michael's Pizza.

The victim told police he was out cleaning up debris and garbage from Robert Street and had stopped at Michael's Pizza for a fish sandwich. He was on his way home when someone ran up and knocked him to the ground. He said he was picked up and dropped at least twice while the attacker went through his pockets. He also was kicked in the chest when he tried to fight back.

Police found the two people who had been in the car with Taylor and through them found Taylor. When police tried to arrest him, he "spun violently and fought with several officers until forcibly subdued," the complaint said.

The victim is 5 feet 8 and about 120 pounds; Taylor is 5 feet 10 and 180 pounds.

PAT PHEIFER