Tale of Two Cities: Akron deliverymen robbed; Pittsburgh robber shot

As the weather warms, crime against restaurant delivery workers tends to rise.

Robbers are more comfortable lurking outside in the shadows, waiting at a phony address, having provided a bogus phone number, police say.

``Although there hasn't been a significant change, there does seem to be a rise in restaurant delivery robberies,'' said Capt. Daniel Zampelli of the Akron Police Department. ``Our detectives are seeing one or two robberies per week.''

On Saturday, police saw two such robberies in one day.

At 5:30 p.m., Charles Paparone, a 54-year-old deliveryman for Domino's Pizza, 1260 Copley Road, was bringing a pizza to 909 Greenwood Ave. in West Akron. He arrived at the house and found it was vacant.

Two people then came out of the house and grabbed Paparone, tying him up in the house.

Later that evening, Yi Yang, manager at New China Restaurant, 1586 S. Hawkins Ave., was making a delivery in North Hill.

As Yang approached the house at 775 Elma St., a man standing on the porch motioned Yang to approach, police said.

When Yang did, the man punched him in the face. While falling backward, Yang kicked the man and they struggled. The robber eventually ran away, and Yang notified police.

Meanwhile, in a state that allows its law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense, a different outcome resulted when this Pennsylvania deliveryman was threatened with death:

Click on the Read More..." link below for the full story.

Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA

A 27-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pizza delivery man was taking an order to what turned out to be a vacant house when he was accosted by a teen who demanded, "Give me the food, give me the
money, give me your car, then I am going to shoot you in the head. The delivery man's response was to pull a semi-automatic handgun--which he is licensed to carry--from his car and shoot his attacker. The wounded would-be robber fled, but police later found him hiding in nearby bushes. Police said the delivery man would not be charged in the incident.

• Could the lifting of Ohio's unconstitutional ban on carrying a concealed weapon for self-defense have saved these Akron robbery victims?

Contact information for the area's elected officials is provided below:

State House of Representatives
• Rep. Barbara Sykes (D-44) - consistent anti-CCW voter
Phone: (614) 466-3100
Fax: (614) 644-9494

State Senate
• Sen. Leigh Herington (D-28) - Sen. Herington sits on the Criminal Justice Committee which is considering HB12
Phone: (614) 466-7041
Fax: (614) 466-4120

Click here to read the entire story in the Akron Beacon-Journal.

UPDATE! Click here to read about a similar incident in Napoleon, OH.