Score: Marching band 2, thugs 0

Girl, 17, fends off mugging attempt

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press

Wednesday, April 29, 2009.

By DAISY RATZLAFF

Valley Press Staff Writer

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QUARTZ HILL – Sheriff’s deputies are searching for two would-be robbers who grabbed a teenage girl as she walked to school, but were foiled when she fought back.

The girl punched one man in the nose, kicked the other in the groin, then beat both with her marching band baton before running away.

“The moral to this story is don’t mess with the marching band girls, or you just might get what you deserve,” said Deputy Michael Rust of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station. “Final score: Marching band 2, thugs 0.”

The 17-year-old, whose name was not released, was walking along 65th Street West near Avenue L-8 about 8 a.m. Friday when two men walked up behind her, said Rust.

“One of them grabbed her by the coat and demanded her money,” he said. “(But) she quickly delivered a ‘palm strike,’ hitting the suspect in the nose. She then kicked the second suspect in the groin area.

“The girl happened to be carrying a large baton, which she uses in marching band, and proceeded to beat both of the suspects with the baton.

“Her quick and decisive actions stopped both of the suspects from robbing her.”

The blow to the first man’s nose caused it to bleed profusely and knocked off his sunglasses, leading him to back away, Rust said. The kick “obviously made (the second assailant) back away also.”

After the men retreated, the girl ran away.

Deputies put out a police radio broadcast informing other deputies to look for two attempted-robbery suspects: “one of them is probably holding his nose and the other one is limping after being kicked in the groin area.”

Both men were described as white, under 5 foot 6 inches and in their mid-20s. One was wearing a multicolored knit cap with dreadlocks, which might have been fake. The man whose sunglasses were knocked off appeared to have been missing an eye, deputies said.

Anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts about the men can contact the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station at (661) 948-8466.

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