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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Judge Fights Off Mugger

By Vic Vela
Copyright © 2007 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Staff Writer
    New Mexico Court of Appeals Judge Ira Robinson expected the worst Tuesday night when he fell to the ground as he tried to fight off a man lunging at him with a knife.
    "I really thought the son of a gun was gonna stab me when I was down," he said.
    A former Bernalillo County district attorney, Robinson often has been involved with cases of robbery and assault.
    But his Tuesday encounter with a robber just off the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe gave him a greater appreciation for those who have faced the pointed end of a knife.
    "I've dealt with victims for over 30 years," said Robinson, who was elected to the appeals court in 2000. "It's a whole different outlook when this happens to you."
    Robinson, 65, said in an interview Wednesday that the ski-mask-wearing assailant demanded valuables from him and two cousins visiting from San Diego as they walked to their car parked near La Fonda about 10 p.m.
    But Robinson refused the robber's demands:
    "He said 'Give me your money, (expletive)!' I said, 'I'm not gonna give you a damn thing!' ''
    The mugging took place after Robinson had finished dinner at La Fonda's restaurant with his cousins— Deborah Troy and writer Sandy Troy, who has written biographies of the Grateful Dead.
    Robinson and the Troys were walking toward the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis on East San Francisco after dinner when the robber came up from behind and showed his knife, which had a blade of at least 4 inches, the judge said.
    After Robinson rejected the robber's demands, the man lunged, swinging at Robinson with the knife, the judge said.
    Robinson fought with the robber, swinging right back.
    "I was trying to grab at the knife," he said.
    Another lunge caused the judge to fall to the street, landing on his shoulder.
    "The only time I was really scared was when I was down," Robinson said.
    But the robber then lunged toward Deborah Troy. As Sandy Troy pushed her out of harm's way, Deborah's purse fell to the ground. The man grabbed the purse and ran.
    Aside from the purse and the credit cards and cash inside, nothing else was taken. But Robinson said that at some point during the scuffle, the man reached for Robinson's wristwatch, shattering it to pieces in the process.
    Robinson said Santa Fe police showed up within three minutes of a 911 call.
    "I was astonished at how quickly they showed up," he said.
    Deputy Chief Benji Montaño said officers were unable to find the robber. But a credit card company reported to one of Robinson's cousins that someone tried to use one of the stolen cards in Española about 45 minutes after the robbery.
    Robinson was unable to provide much of a description of the mugger. He appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, his complexion was "medium-olive" and he was "really feisty," the judge said.
    Paramedics called to the scene recommended that Robinson be taken to a hospital, but he chose not to go. He said Wednesday he suffered no injuries other than swollen hands and sore shoulders that "hurt like hell."
    The Troys reported they were not injured.
    Sandy Troy is the author of "Captain Trips," a biography of the late Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia. Troy recently sold the rights to the book to a studio now in production of a movie about the iconic band.
    Robinson said his cousins were scheduled to stay through the weekend for the Santa Fe Film Festival. Wednesday morning, he wasn't sure if the robbery had caused them to change their plans.
    When asked what made him grapple with a knife-yielding robber late at night, Robinson said, "I don't know. I didn't want to give up anything.
    "Once your adrenaline is going, you're not thinking with your head on straight."