Minneapolis robbery victim helped by a few fast thinkers

Robbery victim had help from some fast-acting strangers.

Last update: June 9, 2009 - 11:53 PM

A quick-thinking restaurant owner, chef and a few restaurant patrons came to the aid of a man who was attacked and robbed of his bike in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday.

After they chased down the suspect and held him for police, the victim got his bike back and the suspect is behind bars.

"It was really a thing where all the people seemed to be at the right place at the right time," said Jessica Berg, who was walking into Eli's Bar & Grill when the victim approached her and her boyfriend for help.

Jerrod T. Yungner, 22, of Maple Grove, was charged Tuesday with felony simple robbery and is in the Hennepin County jail in lieu of $40,000 bail.

The victim was riding his bike home near Hennepin Avenue and 13th Street shortly after 10 p.m. when Yungner allegedly jumped in front of him and pushed him off the bike, according to the charges. Yungner punched the 28-year-old victim in the face and began to chase him across the street.

Berg and her boyfriend, Brian Conn, were walking up to Eli's when the victim, a 28-year-old man from Ecuador who spoke little English, ran behind them. "He was scared out of his mind," Conn said.

They rushed the victim inside the restaurant and told one of the owners, John McKenney, what happened. He grabbed a chef and went outside to see if they could track down the suspect, who had taken off on the victim's bike.

"I could tell by looking at the kid that's his transportation to work," McKenney said. "My only thought at that point was to get his bike back."

They jumped in McKenney's truck and followed Yungner down the block where they grabbed him and held him until a police van arrived.

LORA PABST

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