When a 23-year-old UW-Madison student walking home from studying was tested by a thief on State Street early Thursday, he aced it — not only hitting the robber to the ground and reclaiming his
Tino B. Luu, 38, was arrested on tentative charges of theft and disorderly conduct, Madison Police Department Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain said in an incident report. The attempted robbery happened around 1:15 a.m. on the 700 block of State Street, according to DeSpain.
The student encountered Luu, who was panhandling for money, on his walk home. He gave the suspect one dollar. When Luu saw the student had a $20 bill in his wallet, he asked for more money.
After the student told Luu that “wasn’t going to happen,” the suspect snatched his bag and ran off. The student caught up to him and delivered a blow, getting his belongings back.
The student, who appeared “distraught” following the incident, told police he had an exam that morning and asked for a note that might get him out of it.
“The investigating officer provided him with a business card and a case number and that seemed to suffice,” DeSpain said.
