Lawrence and Douglas County

Lawrence and Douglas county

Lawrence man charged, three juveniles arrested, in robbery of pedestrian at gunpoint

March 8, 2013, 1:33 p.m. Updated March 8, 2013, 4:19 p.m.


A 19-year-old Lawrence man has been charged with aggravated robbery and other offenses in connection with a reported mugging involving a handgun Thursday night.

Douglas County prosecutors charged Caleb Christopher Mar Sheridan on Friday with aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, unlawful defacing of identification on a firearm, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheridan was arrested during a traffic stop in the 2700 block of Iowa Street about 1:50 a.m. Friday morning, after a mugging involving a handgun was reported Thursday night, said Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.

A 15-year-old male reported the robbery to police about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, and said he had been held up at gunpoint by two men while walking in the 1600 block of Rhode Island Street, McKinley said.

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The victim told police that one of the men pointed a black handgun at him and demanded cash, which he surrendered. Both of the robbers were dressed in dark clothing, the victim reported, including hooded sweatshirts. One of them wore a blue bandana over his face.

When Sheridan was arrested about five hours later, officers seized a loaded handgun they believed was used in the robbery, as well as additional ammunition and marijuana. Three juveniles in the car with Sheridan have also been arrested in the case and booked into the juvenile detention center, McKinley said. Their names were not made public Friday because of their age.

Aggravated robbery can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, depending on a person's criminal history. The conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery carries a maximum sentence of 136 months, and the defacing a firearm charge a sentence of 13 months.

Sheridan remained in Douglas County Jail Friday and appeared in Douglas County Court via video. Douglas County District Pro Tem Judge James George set bond at $75,000 after prosecutors gave evidence that Sheridan had a criminal record, as a juvenile, of three battery charges and an assault charge since 2004. Sheridan next appears in court March 14.


Geoff Husic 2 years, 7 months ago

Great work on the speedy capture. We in that neighborhood really appreciate it.

Bob Forer 2 years, 7 months ago

Excellent police work. Congratulations to the men and women in blue for a job well done.

ksjayhawk74 2 years, 7 months ago

This guy is 19 and has charges that go back to 2004?!?

So he was 10 or 11 when he was first charged!?!?

jhawkinsf 2 years, 7 months ago

A 19 year old and 3 juveniles rob one 15 year old. Sounds like they've graduated from bullying to full on violent felons. Time the criminal justice system responds in kind, by graduating the offenders to adult prison.

Deb Engstrom 2 years, 7 months ago

This is a perfect example of how we don't provide intensive services to troubled kids when they are young and we pay for it later in the prison system. Sad case.

Anydaynow 2 years, 7 months ago

I go along with Deb Engstrom's prediction of how things are working.

Doug Harvey 2 years, 7 months ago

Some would say that if the victim had had a gun, he could have "defended himself," in which case there would have been some dead kids. As it is, the perpetrators will go to jail, whether prison or reform school, where they will be "punished" and come out probably worse than they went in. Meanwhile, the real social work and education that needs to happen has been defunded and is not considered valid and so on it goes . . .

Al Deathe 2 years, 7 months ago

Tenstring, hate to say but all those social programs you talk about have about a five percent success rate. Not to mention people always have the right to defend themselves when held at gun point. Using you thought process we could have had dead victims instead of dead kids, thats not good either. None of this is good!

Ronnie24 2 years, 7 months ago

Sounds kind of like gang activity to me. Proud of the quick job by the LPD!

weeslicket 2 years, 7 months ago

actually, the greatest respect should be given to the 15 year old who maintained his composure during the robbery, and was then able to give such an accurate description of the suspect that the police were able to catch him/them almost immediately.

FlintlockRifle 2 years, 7 months ago

Caleb, what do you think mom and dad think of you doing this for a living??????

Nikki May 2 years, 7 months ago

Likewise, last week there was a shooting victim life flighted out of Lawrence. I never did see a story about that. Even if it was an accidental shooting, you'd think it would be mentioned. The other night, my husband came across a car pulled over with 4 police cars behind it on his way to work. Nothing. I agree there is very little coverage. I don't need, "There was a fender bender on 6th street." But stuff about bigger things would be nice.

063255 2 years, 7 months ago

Reading through all the comments, it is hard to know where to begin. One person thinks Caleb deserved the death penalty, in an earlier post I read this morning , by suggesting the victim would have done well to have been armed and shot him and the other kids. Deb Engstrom, Any daynow, and tenstring, all have made valid observations. Only those who know the facts of just how he/they arrived to this point can truly speak to the utter failure of the social services, etc. or the damage actually exacerbated by the "system". To thebcman, that "scum" you speak of is someone's child, nephew, grandson and this is a tragedy for everyone. His future as a convicted felon holds little promise and I don't even want to imagine what will happen to this kid in prison. I'm sure it won't heal him. Only Flintrockrifle even considered how his parents might feel. He could be anyones child. There are no guarantees that come with being a parent. And yes, he is 19. He is still a kid making very seriously dangerous and life altering choices that he may never recover from. I just thank God no one, neither he nor the victim were hurt.

jhawkinsf 2 years, 7 months ago

While it would be nice if society could fix all the problems of all of it's members, that's neither realistic nor is it their responsibility. The first responsibility to fix this individual lies within himself. Next it is the responsibility of his family, friends, mentors. As a last resort, society may intercede when others have failed, but the sad truth is that by the time society gets it's chance to help, it's often already too late. The die has been cast.

Whatever the fate of this young man, it is one of his own choosing. Perhaps it will be a short prison term followed by a productive life. Perhaps he will rob the wrong person the next time and be shot and killed. Either way, it will be of his choosing. Maybe the system did fail him. But that was only after he failed himself and after his family, friends, mentors failed him.

Deb Engstrom 2 years, 7 months ago

For this crime, he will most likely get sentenced to prison. There he will learn everything he needs to know to be a really good criminal when he gets out.

WaxAndWane 2 years, 7 months ago

So what's your solution for adults like him who commit armed robbery? A time-out?

Deb Engstrom 2 years, 7 months ago

First offense, young adult -- something different than the typical prison system.

WaxAndWane 2 years, 6 months ago

He has numerous prior offenses. The slap-on-the-wrist approach apparently hasn't been working. If an adult points a gun at somebody and threatens to shoot them unless they hand over their money, that person should go to prison. What's the "something different" approach that you had in mind for armed robbers?

UneasyRider 2 years, 6 months ago

Not first offense, maybe as adult. Fact is, he doesn't learn. Why do we need to pity him? Lock him up, waste of time trying to re-habilitate him.

teach2live 2 years, 7 months ago

I am afraid Deb Engstrom is right about this young man's likely outcome. jhawkinsf, you are not wrong to suggest he is responsible for the choice he made but unless you know his family and can personally attest to the fact they were negligent in whatever way you believe creates a child who has committed such a crime as this, I find your blaming his family presumptuous and unfounded. As I do know his family ,I must add ignorant and cruel. He is loved and has had all the support any family could provide. As for the services that are in place to help him and his family, that is truly disturbingly tragic

Deb Engstrom 2 years, 7 months ago

I agree. I also know his mom. He did receive some interventions as a juvenile, but then was just placed back into the community and the family was left to fend for themselves. Very similar to the adult mental health system.

jhawkinsf 2 years, 7 months ago

I didn't say the family was negligent. I said it was their responsibility. That they failed is not a condemnation. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, no matter how diligent we are, we still fail. That's life.

If you say you know the family, you know the friends, you know the mentors and you say they all tried their best, I will take you at your word. Still, they all failed. Given that, why condemn society? If failure is part of being human, if you are free to absolve the failures of the family, etc., why not absolve society as well?

The bottom line is this, some problems cannot be fixed. Maybe this is one of those problems. Why condemn society when this young man failed himself, the family failed, friends failed, mentors failed. Maybe this young man cannot be fixed and he is going to the appropriate place, not to fix him, but to protect us.

UneasyRider 2 years, 6 months ago

This guy failed himself. Lock him away so the rest of society doesn't suffer.

like_n_Lawrence 2 years, 7 months ago

The firefighters were at Jason's Deli having dinner. I saw them. They don't usually put that type of thing in the paper. Come on LJWorld! Slacking! :)

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