Austin Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Trying To Rob Revelers Of Pizza

EAST AUSTIN, TX — A man was arrested this weekend after trying to steal another man's pizza at knife point, according to reports.

Just after the bars closed along the popular East 6th Street corridor early Saturday morning, a man approached officers to tell them a man had pulled a knife on them in an unsuccessful attempt to secure their pizza, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Ruben Gonzales III was subsequently arrested, charged with aggravated robbery. According to Travis County Jail records, he also was popped for a separate, out-of-county misdemeanor with local police holding him for another agency.

The complainant told police he and three friends were standing outside the Roppolo's Pizzeria on East 6th Street enjoying their pizza when Gonzales (described as "belligerently drunk" in an arrest affidavit) demanded they sell him a slice for $1.

Not feeling charitable the day before Easter Sunday, the group refused to provide food, noting they paid $30 for the pie (presumably in attempting to provide rough math conveying an individual slice would cost more than just $1), according to details of the affidavit.

A quick check of the website for Roppolo's Pizzeria, a longtime fixture on 6th Street, shows this to be true. A single slice of just cheese pizza sets one back by $4.15, while a specialty slice is priced at $4.25. A full specialty pie—described as a giant, 22-inch pizza weighing six pounds—will set you back $28.95.

But Gonzales is said not to have taken too kindly to the rough math offered. According to the report, he pulled out a pocket knife while demanding "give me your [expletive deleted] pizza," the victim said in his statement to police.

Police located Gonzales at the scene, and arrested him, finding the described knife on his person.

While the whole situation could've been avoided had charity been displayed or if Gonzales had eased up on his demands, the suspect will pay dearly for the attempted pizza heist. The aggravated robbery charge carries with it a $20,000 bond, and another $1,500 bond was tacked on for the out-of-county misdemeanor warrant.

Just another night on frenetic 6th Street, where life is fast and everyone fends for themselves.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

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