Pro Football Player Faces Robbery, Kidnapping Charges
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The GPS tracking feature of a victim’s cell phone helped police in Sioux Falls foil a robbery and kidnapping in progress. A former professional football player is behind bars, accused of the crimes.
A spokesperson for the Sioux Falls Police reported that the accused is Alvin Richard Robinson, 26, who calls that city his home. His charges include aggravated assault, second degree robbery and first degree kidnapping.
According to accounts pieced together from the victim and police, the incident spanned an overnight, Feb. 10-11, 2010, and was essentially a night of drinking that drew progressively more violent.
Robinson, a former defensive lineman with the Sioux Falls Storm, was allegedly drinking at a local bar with two men, ages 29 and 40, unidentified by police. Robinson reportedly invited the two to his Prairie Green apartment and later grew upset and started punching and kicking one of the men. The victim said Robinson claimed to have a gun and demanded money.
According to one victim, the three got into a car headed for an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank. While Robinson sat unsuspecting in the back seat, the victim dialed 911 and left the line open while placing the handheld on the seat of the car. Dispatchers overheard the word “robbery” being spoken and were tipped off to the crime. Authorities activated the emergency tracking system on the phone and located the car and men near the bank, using the phone’s GPS tracking coordinates. Robinson was arrested and held on a $50,000 bond.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 the government mandated enhanced 911 (e911) capabilities on all cell phones, initiating GPS tracking technology for use in emergencies. Police regularly use cell phone and vehicle tracking in cases involving missing persons, drug trafficking, harassment and stolen assets. Sometimes police will conceal a vehicle tracking system on a suspect’s car; though state courts have disagreed on whether a warrant is needed to place the tracking system.
Robinson’s former employer, the Sioux Falls Storm, is a member of the United Indoor Football league. He played on the team in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Source: ArgusLeader.com
Tags: alvin richard robinson, football, Kidnapping, sioux falls, Sioux Falls Storm
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