In Worcester, a clash between an elder resident and a brazen urinator turned into a daylight robbery, resulting in a quick arrest by local law enforcement. On April 13, according to Worcester Police Department reports, a 72-year-old man found himself the target of an aggressive assault after attempting to document an act of public indecency right outside his Millbury Street apartment.
The victim, snapping photos of the man who relieved himself on the sidewalk, didn't anticipate the aggression that would follow. Livingston Taylor, 35, took offense, chasing the elderly photographer through the labyrinthine streets of Kelley Square. With the theft of a single phone, Taylor crossed the line from public nuisance to a felon—stripped from the elderly man's grip after being shoved to the ground.
Authorities say two officers patrolling near the scene spotted Taylor not long after, and it wasn't hard to pinpoint him as the suspect—he hadn't even bothered to change his clothes from the earlier confrontation. Recovered from Taylor's pocket, evidence of his alleged crime couldn't be more concrete—the victim's cell phone, still holding the unflattering snapshot of its alleged thief.
Wearing the same attire, when officers recognized Taylor while walking down Madison St, it must have become clear to him that his brief foray into crime would have consequences. The Worcester Police Department confirmed the arrest of Taylor, who now faces charges for Unarmed Robbery with a Victim over 60 and Assault and Battery with a Victim over 60, as documented in the victim's cell phone, and also later corroborated by the clothing worn during his jaunt in Kelley Square.
Justice can be swift for those who gamble with the law, and for the unnamed elder who endured this ordeal, at least some solace might be found in the return of his stolen property and the apprehension of the man alleged to have robbed him. As for Taylor, he awaits the judgment of the courts to determine the next chapter of his life outside the prison of urinary urgency that instigated his regrettable chain of actions.
