2011 Lawrence Crime Maps
A set of interactive Google maps providing a breakdown of crime in Lawrence in 2011.
Lawrence police arrested a 23-year-old Lawrence man accused of stealing his ex-girlfriend’s car keys as she was downtown early Wednesday morning, but he was later released from jail after no charges were filed Wednesday.
Sgt. Matt Sarna, a police spokesman, said a 20-year-old Lawrence woman alleged the suspect had forcibly grabbed her keys out of her hand while she was standing in the sidewalk about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 900 block of Massachusetts Street.
Sarna said police later found the suspect and took him to the Douglas County Jail on a robbery charge pending a decision about formal charges. Police identified the suspect as an ex-boyfriend of the woman.
According to jail records, the man was later released because prosecutors in the district attorney’s office did not file formal charges. Cheryl Wright, a district attorney’s office spokeswoman, said charges weren’t filed Wednesday and that the case will be under review.
The Journal-World generally does not identify suspects unless they are formally charged.
Comments
Scott Morgan 5 years, 3 months ago
Hasn't this happened to all young lovers?
Bob Forer 5 years, 3 months ago
It never happened to me, and it may be a little more serious than you think. The guy probably has serious control issues--the same type of issues which lead to woman battering involving serious or lethal force.
Not wise to trivialize this type of behavior, wissmo.
Scott Morgan 5 years, 3 months ago
I was pointing out how stupid this is.
Then she should drop this goofball like a bad habit. If he is a wacko, then she needs to immediately contact proper officials. She needs to contact her/his parents as well. Have friends support her, and do not let the creep near her when she is alone.
She now has power over this creep. Contacting his parents can be very effective.
Problem is many women simply forgive and forget until the next time.
Bob Forer 5 years, 3 months ago
"Then she should drop this goofball like a bad habit."
She already did. What part of "ex-girlfriend" don't you understand?
LadyJ 5 years, 3 months ago
I have to agree with you. Did she get her keys back? If not, it is VERY expensive to replace today's keys. He should be charged if she did not. Sad to see the "boy's will be boy"s" mentality still exists
CloveK 5 years, 3 months ago
Good point. A new car key alone can run upwards of $80.
Ron Holzwarth 5 years, 3 months ago
If it does, they should become young ex-lovers.
missmagoo 5 years, 3 months ago
Wow so the ex-boyfriend knew she was downtown, approached her, and decided to take her keys? Oh, the humanity. The streets of Lawrence are safe once again!
mrbig 5 years, 3 months ago
Could it be possible that the young lady was drinking so he took her keys?
MarcoPogo 5 years, 3 months ago
Well, not on THAT block at least.
Cimmy Redmond 5 years, 3 months ago
You're adding "facts" to the story. Nowhere does it say she was "drunk on her a$$" (never heard that one...thought it was "off"), but it's possible she was drinking. The story also doesn't say the ex boyfriend left with her keys; it says he "forcibly took them from her hand".
Read before you jump up on that high horse.
Ron Holzwarth 5 years, 3 months ago
This story reminds me of a strange experience I had here in Lawrence in 1999 or 2000. I picked up my Mustang convertible from the shop, put the top down, drove to the gas station, and I'm not sure where all else.
Later, I looked in the back seat and discovered a set of Buick keys with a remote opener lying there. I took them back to the car shop and the gas station, and no one at either place knew of any missing Buick keys.
I finally left them at the car repair shop, because someone working there thought maybe they had simply been overlooked, and I didn't know what else to do with them.
But I couldn't help but think that for some reason, someone had simply tossed those keys into the back seat of a convertible that just happened to be parked there, or driving by.
Anyway, I never did hear what happened to the Buick keys, and I sure hope the owner got them back.
Adrienne Sanders 5 years, 3 months ago
Did he actually use the keys to drive off in her car? I'm guessing not or it would have been in the story...
LadyJ 5 years, 3 months ago
You tell em' Those of us who have been there can tell you, "it's not funny".
LadyJ 5 years, 3 months ago
Says al lot about you, and not in a good way.
rumor_man 5 years, 3 months ago
Hopefully from now on she'll carry her keys on a chain hooked to her belt.
rumor_man 5 years, 3 months ago
She could also just carry hers in a fake rock like I do.
geekin_topekan 5 years, 3 months ago
20 yr old downtown @12:45 AM? Too young to be drinking. So.... Maybe did her a favor, no charges filed. Ex-boyfriend doesn't mean ex-friend.
MarcoPogo 5 years, 3 months ago
Actually, I've seen that exact thing happen before when someone was being a reeeaaal pain in the butt. (Not saying that's the case now...)
LadyJ 5 years, 3 months ago
Seems guys still adhere to the mentality that a girl brings anything bad that happens to her on herself. Thought we had progressed since the fifties.
MarcoPogo 5 years, 3 months ago
To be fair, the incident I saw had the roles reversed. Sorry for using the word "exact".
boxers_or_briefs 5 years, 3 months ago
This might not have happened if downtown businesses were forced to stay open 24/7.
Cimmy Redmond 5 years, 3 months ago
I agree with the girl's decision to call the police and file a report, but I am ridiculing the newspaper's decision to write this story.
Cimmy Redmond 5 years, 3 months ago
I'd be on that list every day.
markbr52 5 years, 3 months ago
She said it, it must be true.
Did they find him with the keys?
I am a male victim of Domestic Violence. She was never prosecuted. No one cared. I did finally find out that it was at least in the KBI statistics for domestic violence.
To this day the city, county, and state do not acknowledge it. The police were called and did not do the WRITTEN procedures. I filed a complaint and no one cared.
They only care what a woman says, TRUE or FALSE, no proof needed. She said it, well it must be true. Guilty until proven innocent.
The comments on this article indicate how screwed up the attitudes are. NOWHERE is there a shred of evidence given that the person accused did what was said. The fact that the police haven't charged him really point the other direction.
The comments certainly don't follow the facts.
LadyJ 5 years, 3 months ago
Don't know how long ago your experience was but wonder if things have changed. I hope so, I have seen plenty of abusive females and when the guy stands up to her, he gets blamed.
dogsandcats 5 years, 3 months ago
Where does it say anything in this article about abuse? It also says nothing about how long he even had the keys, or if he even left with them.
Maybe the key to his house was on her key ring, and she refused to give it back. Maybe she was the abuser, and in an act of revenge, the guy took her keys. Maybe, taking their ages into account, it was a prank.
If I thought about it longer, I could come up with other scenarios. Why do some of you insist on inserting meaning into this when the facts are lacking.
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