Somerville restaurant employee robbed while delivering food
Police arrested two men on Saturday night while investigating the robbery of a restaurant employee delivering Chinese food to a Canal Lane residence.
Paul Venuti, 30, of 76 Ship Ave., Medford, was arrested on two outstanding warrants for resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer. Michael Barnett, 29, of 500 Mystic Ave. was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon.
Police responded to a call around 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23 from an employee of the Oriental Chinese Restaurant at 513A Medford St. who claimed he was robbed while delivering food to an apartment on Canal Lane. According to a police report, the victim was instructed to enter the hallway of the building and proceed to the second floor landing. Upon doing so, he was robbed by three masked men of $200 in cash, the report states.
The victim described two of the suspects as white males wearing hoodies. The third was described as a black male wearing a blue hoodie.
After speaking with Canal Lane residents, police determined that the call had not originated from that location. Acting on the descriptions provided by the victim, police traveled to the Mystic View housing project, where they located Venuti in the common area.
According to the report, Venuti was wearing a blue hoodie when police arrived and was arrested on two outstanding warrants.
Barnett, who is known to police from prior dealings, was located in his apartment and told to enter the hallway for questioning. At that time, he told police he had a knife on him. Officers conducted a pat frisk and located an 8-inch stainless steel knife inside a homemade cardboard sheath on Barnett.
Police secured the knife before arresting Barrett for possession of an illegal weapon in violation of a Somerville city ordinance.
Both men were shown to the victim, who was unable to identify them, before being transported to the Somerville Police Station for booking.
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