FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 12/14/2009) It was a start to a Monday that 16-year-old Christopher Branch wasn't expecting.
"I was texting on my phone and there was a dude, he pulled the little thing on the bus to get off, he grabbed my phone, got off the bus and I chased him," said Branch.
Christopher was riding a MATA bus for the 40 minute trip from his Whitehaven home to Southwest Prep in South Memphis where he attends school. At first he thought he would just get his two hundred dollar cricket cell phone back on his own. He chased the suspect, eventually catching up to him.
"I pushed him and he turned around like he was about to pull out a gun," said Branch.
Christopher eventually ran back to Southwest Prep where he goes to school, he told school resource officers what happened to him, and they called his mom. She came and got him out of school.
"I was just really mad, I just said I'm taking him out of school, I wanted to make sure my son was alright," said mother LaTonya Simmons.
Simmons says she was terrified at the thought her son was robbed. She immediately took him to the Whitehaven police precinct to file a report. Simmons believes he was targeted because he was a student wearing a uniform.
"I know somebody had to be watching him or whatever, he is in his uniform," added Simmons.
Simmons says the phone can be replaced. Now she is looking to hold someone responsible, so this won't happen again.
"The bus just pulled off, I know you got a mirror or something, if you seen him jump to get off the bus, you seen something."
Simmons says she canceled service to that phone number, making the phone useless for the crook.
- A Memphis student robbed on his way to school ...while riding on a MATA bus/
- His mother says it her son was targeted and she wants to make sure it doesn't happen again
- It happened on Gill near Hamilton Elementary
(Memphis 12/14/2009) It was a start to a Monday that 16-year-old Christopher Branch wasn't expecting.
"I was texting on my phone and there was a dude, he pulled the little thing on the bus to get off, he grabbed my phone, got off the bus and I chased him," said Branch.
Christopher was riding a MATA bus for the 40 minute trip from his Whitehaven home to Southwest Prep in South Memphis where he attends school. At first he thought he would just get his two hundred dollar cricket cell phone back on his own. He chased the suspect, eventually catching up to him.
"I pushed him and he turned around like he was about to pull out a gun," said Branch.
Christopher eventually ran back to Southwest Prep where he goes to school, he told school resource officers what happened to him, and they called his mom. She came and got him out of school.
"I was just really mad, I just said I'm taking him out of school, I wanted to make sure my son was alright," said mother LaTonya Simmons.
Simmons says she was terrified at the thought her son was robbed. She immediately took him to the Whitehaven police precinct to file a report. Simmons believes he was targeted because he was a student wearing a uniform.
"I know somebody had to be watching him or whatever, he is in his uniform," added Simmons.
Simmons says the phone can be replaced. Now she is looking to hold someone responsible, so this won't happen again.
"The bus just pulled off, I know you got a mirror or something, if you seen him jump to get off the bus, you seen something."
Simmons says she canceled service to that phone number, making the phone useless for the crook.
