Junior Seth Robinson had a gun pointed to his head Wednesday night, but he said he wasn't too afraid despite the death threats because he had a feeling the gun wasn't real.
"You'd be amazed how your senses improve in situations like that," Robinson said. "I started picking up everything. I heard his gun against the wall; it sounded like plastic. That's when I lost a lot of my fear. I thought 'What's really going on here?'"
The man suspected of holding the gun, Lewaki Lewis, 33, and two others, Elijah Fairchild, 27, and Carisha Gilmore, 26, were arrested Wednesday night at 11:45 p.m. on suspicion of armed robbery, according to a police report. Robinson and his roommate Nikolai Volkoff, a junior, helped lead to the suspects' arrests by chasing after them in Volkoff's car and giving the Muncie Police the suspects' license plate number, Robinson said.
While Robinson was studying for a test, Lewis and Fairchild entered Robinson's home looking to rob him, he said.
"I walk into my living room and there's this huge dude wearing a hoodie," Robinson said. "I just said 'What's up?', and he just comes up to me and pushes me against the wall, and then pulled out his gun and pushed it in my face, and then he asked me for my money."
Because he suspected the gun was plastic he was able to stay focused on how to get out of the situation, Robinson said.
"I remained calm for sure," he said. "I didn't want to let my fear get in the way of me thinking straight. It really wasn't that scary once I realized it."
Volkoff arrived at his 1400 block Marsh Street house a few minutes after Lewis and Fairchild, Robinson said. Volkoff had just planned to stop at the house for a minute, so he left the car running with his friends sophomore Kaitlyn Nogar and junior Lucy Harcourt stayed inside.
When Volkoff entered the home the men demanded money from him, Robinson said. When Volkoff said he had none, they took his cell phone. Robinson said neither he nor Volkoff knew the suspects. Lewis and Fairchild said the students owed them money, according to the police report.
After Volkoff's arrival the men seemed more nervous and ran out of the house a few minutes later, Robinson said. Gilmore was waiting in a car parked outside and the three suspects drove off, Robinson said.
Volkoff and Robinson chased after the suspects in Volkoff's car, catching up to them before they even turned right onto New York Avenue. The students got close enough to write down the suspects' license plate number and used Nogar or Harcourt's cell phone to call the Muncie police. Officer Ryan Winningham passed by the suspects light blue Buick and followed the suspects to Gilmer's house, 1110 S. Brotherton St., where he arrested them on suspicion of armed robbery at 11:45 p.m., according to the report.
Neither the gun nor the cell phones was found in the car. Lewis said he tossed them out the car window, according to the report. The three suspects are still in the Delaware County jail being held without bond.
Robinson said he and Volkoff were determined not to let the suspects get away.
"That's just nature, just want to get someone who was messing with you," Robinson said. "It actually felt really good to be honest, to catch them. It was completely satisfying."
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