Prosecutors say a Cincinnati robbery suspect turned to a weapon straight out of a horror movie: a sharpened wooden stake.
According to court records, Mukabizi Masumbuko is accused of attacking a person in Cincinnati with the stake, striking the victim in the head and leaving a large, visible wound on the forehead. Investigators say he then grabbed the victim’s purse and tried to run off before officers stopped him and took him into custody. Masumbuko has been charged in Hamilton County Municipal Court with one count of aggravated robbery.
What the complaint says
A Hamilton County Municipal Court complaint, as reported by WLWT, alleges Masumbuko brandished the sharpened stake while making threats, then hit the victim in the head. Officials noted a large, visible injury on the victim’s forehead. The complaint states that Masumbuko took the victim’s purse before officers detained him, and that the incident led to a single aggravated robbery charge in Hamilton County Municipal Court.
Legal context
Under Ohio law, aggravated robbery is a first-degree felony when a person displays, brandishes or uses a deadly weapon during a theft-related offense, or inflicts serious physical harm while committing the theft. The Ohio Revised Code notes that a conviction under this statute carries steep penalties and is prosecuted as a high-level felony.
Where this fits in Cincinnati
The alleged stake attack lands as detectives have been working a run of robberies downtown and in nearby neighborhoods this winter. Cincinnati police recently released suspect photos after an aggravated robbery on Race Street on Feb. 19, covered in Race Street heist coverage. City neighborhood crime reports from the Cincinnati Police Department show recent robbery incidents in spots including Oakley; see the department’s report, available from the Cincinnati Police Department, for details.
What’s next
The municipal complaint starts the case in Hamilton County’s system. Arraignment and bond information were not included in the court filing available to reporters. If prosecutors move forward on the aggravated robbery charge, Masumbuko would face the usual Hamilton County Municipal Court process and potential first-degree felony penalties under state law.
