Attack on newspaper carrier nets 30 years

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BY MARISA KWIATKOWSKI
mkwiatkowski@nwitimes.com
219.662.5333 | Wednesday, August 27, 2008 | (6 comment(s))

CROWN POINT | Darius Washington was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison for the violent attempted robbery of a Times newspaper carrier, Lake Criminal Court records show.

The 23-year-old Hammond man pleaded guilty July 23 to felony attempted robbery under a plea agreement with Lake County prosecutors. He initially was charged with attempted robbery, attempted criminal deviate conduct, carjacking, three counts of criminal confinement and two counts of battery and theft, all felonies.

A 31-year-old Hammond woman was delivering The Times newspaper just after 4:30 a.m. March 18 in the 400 block of Highland Street in Hammond when Washington asked her for money, then started beating her, police said.

According to the victim's testimony to police, a man -- later identified as Washington -- beat her, threw her in his car and drove a short distance while continuing to beat her with a small steel baton before she managed to escape.

The woman suffered multiple injuries as a result of the attack, including injuries to her face and head, bruising and swelling, stitches to her face and back of her head and staples to three separate areas on her head, the Lake County prosecutor's office reported.

An Indiana State Police lab report shows the victim's blood was on a shirt that Washington was wearing the night of the attack, prosecutors said.

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Double standard wrote on Aug 27, 2008 9:30 PM:

" Why was this not a Hate crime? The victim was white and female, the perp was black and male. Why does he get a pass on that? "

Glory wrote on Aug 27, 2008 6:19 PM:

" 30 years sounds GOOD to me. "

Excellent wrote on Aug 27, 2008 1:52 PM:

" Excellent!I hope this sub-human serves every single second of his 30yr sentence.Poetic justice would be that he receives a times paper every day so he can be reminded why he is there,for his stupidity and brutality!I was hoping if this non-man made any comment or expressed any remorse or apoligized to his victim.I hope that he would be forced to pay reparations somehow to this woman.God bless her! This animal could learn something from her,instead of preying on hardworking people at that hour she was WORKING to support herself and her kids if she has any.He is truly a punk a**! "

NWI Resident wrote on Aug 27, 2008 12:16 PM:

" Thank God they caught this animal! "

grateful wrote on Aug 27, 2008 10:55 AM:

" My sister was a newspaper carrier for the Times a while back and I would help her now and then. One morning when I wasn't with her, her vehicle was stolen. It's a dangerous job but, when you got do it, you got to do it. Shame on Mr. Washington. I won't even call him a man. My prayers to this woman. "

primus wrote on Aug 27, 2008 9:51 AM:

" Maybe if he's lucky he can go to the license bureau, then leave for smokes. Hopefully she's not feeling too comfortable that he's getting 30 years. Because we all know what happens to these guys when they get sentenced. They get out early. "

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