A Kansas man waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Jasper County Circuit Court in Joplin on a charge that he robbed a man of his wallet and cookies in August using a toy gun.
Travis M. Robinson, 22, of Columbus, Kan., waived his hearing on a charge of first-degree robbery and was ordered bound over for trial by Associate Circuit Judge Richard Copeland. The judge set Oct. 26 as the date for his initial appearance in a trial division of the court.
A probable-cause affidavit filed by Joplin police states that Robinson forcibly stole the wallet and cookies Aug. 30 from Ira Brookes at 1631 E. Fourth St. The affidavit states that Robinson displayed what appeared to the victim to be a handgun.
The defendant then allegedly struck Brookes in the face with the gun, cutting his chin, although Robinson reportedly later told police that he hit him with his fist, not the gun, according to the affidavit. Police said the handgun turned out be “a realistic-looking toy gun.”
