Armed Man Robs Patio Party - Offered Wine & Camembert Cheese - Asks For Hug After Putting Gun Away

[matcom]

<snip>

A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest.

"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he demanded, according to D.C. police and witness accounts.

<snip>

The five other guests, including the girls' parents, froze -- and then one spoke.

"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, blurted out. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"

The intruder took a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry and said, "Damn, that's good wine."

The girl's father, Michael Rabdau, 51, who described the harrowing evening in an interview, told the intruder, described as being in his 20s, to take the whole glass. Rowan offered him the bottle. The would-be robber, his hood now down, took another sip and had a bite of Camembert cheese that was on the table.

<snip>

"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said, looking around the patio of the home in the 1300 block of Constitution Avenue NE.

"I'm sorry," he told the group. "Can I get a hug?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071202356.html

[sakabatou]

1. Wow

[Pierre.Suave]

2. Wow

That must have been one hell of a hug, or wine and cheese, take your pick.

in all honesty, that guy must have been going through some really tough emotional stuff and probably needed a hug. It is amazing that people can be so cruel to each other, and then wonder why there is so much violence in the world.

I hug is what he needed more than anything.

[Nickster]

3. Yeah, I'd have given him a hug alright.

[unpossibles]

5. honestly, hopefully the hug will turn him around

I've lived in a lot of bad neighborhoods, and although I think crime is stupid and wrong, I see a lot of crap started because someone feels they have nothing to lose and life owes them something.

Not excusing it, but perhaps this guy realized the error of his ways more truly than he would have from time behind bars.

I think this is a wonderful story. The people at the party are lucky he was not completely crazy or so desparate that he'd have done something even more stupid than he did.

[pagerbear]

4. Kudos to Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan--she's got brass ones!

[KurtNYC]

6. now THAT is great wine

Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry 2004 - peaceful put-the-gun-down nose, notes of this was all a mistake on the mid palate, life-changing can-I-get-a-hug finish that lingers. WA: 94

[Gormy Cuss]

14. That post is a DUzy candidate, KurtNYC n/t

[bleedingheart]

17. combine that with xchrom's post...and I think you two have a great

comment piece in the Wine Spectator..

I can see it now!

[xchrom]

7. how many times has a bottle of really, really good wine come to the rescue

of an evening threatening to go south?

and camembert -- a good camembert can be a religious experience.

put the two together -- the next thing you know -- you're hugging people.

[bleedingheart]

13. you know...I expect this to be in my next issue of Wine Spectator

In fact...I think you should send your post to WS and I bet they publish it...

[xchrom]

15. oh god -- you just cracked me up. -- i LOVE wine spectator! n/t

[bleedingheart]

16. I am serious...I would send your post to Wine Spectator

you might want to elaborate further but your post was so witty and funny that I thought...this would be great in WS..

I love the magazine...granted Mr. B and I can't afford the really high end wines but we are learning..the only problem is that here in PA we can't find most of the wines listed.

[Shakespeare]

8. That story just made my morning.

I think sometimes the most messed up people are just looking for a little kindness. What a cool story.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

9. Finally, you post a story that doesn't make me cringe!

Thanks for posting! That's a good 'un...

[Blue-Jay]

11. And then he shot himself in the dick.

[matcom]

12. and resumed robbing them

:rofl:

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

18. As long as his wife and kids witnessed it

and were thoroughly traumatized, then okay.

[BarenakedLady]

10. Wow

that's incredible!