Latest Headlines
- Costco Nine Mile Road Plans Set For Development Review Meeting
- Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms Likely Saturday And Sunday
- Lightning Strike Causes Water Outage, Boil Notice In Cottage Hill
- A Very Good Boy: ECSO K-9 Streeter Awarded Medal Of Courage For Jumping Off Bridge After Suspect
- Alabama Death Row Inmate Executed At Atmore Prison For 1998 Shooting Of Father Of Seven
- Plans Refiled For Circle K At Highway 95A, Quintette Road; Intersection Improvements Proposed
- Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Anthony Pleasant Meet & Greet, Catfish Fundraiser Saturday In Century
- Officials Warn Of Possible Alligator In Flomaton’s Hurricane Lake
- Hank’s Furniture to Pay $110K In EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit
- Voter Registration And Party Change Deadline Is Monday, July 22
Escambia Man, 22, Gets Life In Prison For Robbing Couple
June 12, 2012
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to life in prison for robbing a couple.
Darius Christopher Austin was convicted by an Escambia County jury of principal to robbery armed with a firearm and pled to fraudulent use of a credit card and resisting an officer without violence. Immediately following the verdict, Judge Paul Rasmussen sentenced Austin to life in prison.
In December 2011, a couple was robbed in the parking lot of Wellington Arms Apartments. Austin took the victim’s wallet and shortly thereafter used his credit card at a local convenience store where the police were able to get a description of the vehicle from the store’s video. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle was located and a high speed pursuit ensued. The defendant was apprehended after a manhunt with a K-9.
Co-defendant, William Isiah Johnson, is set for trial in July 2012.
Comments
13 Responses to “Escambia Man, 22, Gets Life In Prison For Robbing Couple”
I know the couple that was robbed and I know for a fact that this guy WAS THERE during the mugging. So to this guy’s younger brother: Stop making excuses for someone like this. Family or not, he is a criminal and deserves the sentence that he was given. He was part of a mugging at gunpoint and tried to run from the police, and then resisted arrest once they caught him.
This is Darius younger brother.
You guys are missing the point, HE DIDNT HAVE THE GUN NOR ANY WEAPON …. The only thing my brother had on him was his CLIPPERS TO CUT HAIR… He should have made a better choice of paying for gas with someone else’s credit card… BUT HE DIDN’T KNOW THE CARD WAS STOLEN. You guys are looking at this like he killed someone and he didn’t even have a weapon!!! Yes he had a little trouble in his past, its also a lot more people that will have problems in life… They are going to stumble , its people like you that are so judgmental that is keeping them from standing tall. My brother raised me , he is only 4 years older than me, and he has done a great job. I graduated high school with a 3.8 , I’m in college now. All because of what he taught me. He has kids to make ways for. he doesn’t need to be behind bars for this matter. He has spent almost 3 years in jail for nothing. when the robbery took place my brother was no where to be found until after it happen they called him and picked him up so he could cut the guys hair. So don’t judge my brother like that. We all know that FL has became racist to blacks.
He was sentenced to life because the other guy had a gun.
i am Darius’ sister and im not only saying this because im his younger sister but because im a person that cares whether or not my brother gets to c daylight or not! My brother is not a bad person he mainly just got Put in bad situations. He was a star athlete for both of his highschools, he graduated highschool, and was about to go to school for sports. I mean yall are acting like my brother killed someone…and the fact is he DID NOT ROB ANYONE OR HAVE A GUN. HE WAS AT HIS GIRLFRIEND’S HOUSE AT THAT TIME….so its really sad that yall did not take the time out to investigate the scene…the only thing u did was sentence him to life based on his past. I MISS MY BROTHER SO MUCH!!! FREE MY BROTHER DARIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
REGARDING:
“y’all ‘n’ the judge act like this is a murder case”
Yep, sure do.
When we read “robbery armed with a firearm”, we have enough sense to realize he was ready to murder people to take their money. You don’t point a gun at someone unless you are prepared to kill him. Even if he didn’t intend to kill these particular people, he made it clear he was willing and eventually that is what WOULD have happened. Don’t forget this wasn’t his first crime.
It’s a shame you don’t understand that.
David for understanding
It dnt mtter wat ppl say i dnt think no body deserve to get life for robbery yall n the judge act like this is a muder case
It makes you wonder WHY this really was different.
We have seen robberies where the thug actually hit the victim with the gun
right in the face and were not given LIFE.
Don’t get me wrong I believe anyone who takes a weapon to a robbery could do more than financial harm to the victim and SHOULD GET LIFE. It is my belief
they should never get a second chance to use that weapon. They went with
the intention of getting the job done no matter what it took (even shooting
someone), so they need to learn we will also make sure that they never again threaten to kill another innocent victim. I know people will say everyone deserves
a second chance, but to me that only applies in sports where there are no
victims, whereas, a second chance to kill somone I love. NOPE I DON”t THINK
SO!
I just would like to know WHY some heinous thugs get 8 or 10 years and others
get life.
Thanks to Just Paul Rasmussen on Verdict.
That IS a danger of armed robbery, you might get a judge without a sense of humor. (Also you might meet an armed “victim” who didn’t want to be a victim.)
But just think, pretty soon, maybe you’ll be hearing, “and if this is Austin, I still loooove you.”
David for safe streets
and country music
Da Judge has my vote!!!
I was first like, LIFE, for a robbery? Then I looked at his record…now I also say good job Rasmussen!!
Good Job Judge Paul Rasmussen! It’s nice knowing there is one less thug on the street!
Great job judge Rasmussen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep this judge on the bench. Good Job Judge Rasmussen!!!!