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Men attempt to rob carriage driver right in front of Statehouse

Horse-drawn carriage driver targeted by robber

Dan Klein | News 8

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis police are investigating after two men tried to rob the driver of a horse-drawn carriage downtown.

It happened right in front of the south lawn of the Indiana Statehouse on West Washington just before 10 p.m. Thursday. One of them had a gun.

Matt Rzeszutko walks by the area often, even late at night as he leaves his job at a restaurant to return home to the IUPUI campus.

“That’s kind of alarming, I find myself walking through here 10, 11 at night a lot of the time,” Rzeszutko said.

Glee Crowder comes by the area regularly to walk with the hiking club. She said it’s a good reminder to always have someone with you, no matter the time of day.

“I think it makes you a little leery about coming downtown,” Crowder said. “You might think twice before you do that.”

The female carriage driver works for Yellow Rose Carriages, headquartered at 13th and Capitol. The owner declined to be interviewed or let News 8 talk to any of his drivers.

The police report does not provide any description of the robbers or detailed account of how the driver got away.

Officers apparently met her a few blocks away on Maryland Street.

Both Crowder and Rzeszutko are thankful the driver appears to be fine, but stunned she was the intended victim.

“I was surprised, probably shouldn’t have been, but I was,” Crowder said.

“That also seems like a really dumb target for a robbery,” Rzeszutko
adds.

Rzeszutko said he’s been approached a couple times late at night, but never felt in danger. But it’s got him rethinking his late night treks in favor of a scooter.

“Maybe I’ll Bird instead of walking,” he said with a laugh. “It will be a little bit quicker.”

Yellow Rose Carriages do offer several trips to the Canal so that may have been where she was heading to or from. Their hours end for the night at 11 p.m. so this was about an hour before they close.

If you have any information about the incident, give police a call.

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