Includes video report
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio man is in the hospital recovering, after he says he was brutally beaten and robbed.
The 57 year-old is now fighting back and wants the men behind the crime to be arrested and put behind bars.
David Williams is in fair condition at Grant Medical Center.
He says he recently won some money from a local bar, and when he went to pick it up, a guy asked him for a ride home. That's when he was beaten.
"I thought the guy was going to kill me. I truly thought I was going to die right there," Williams said.
Williams can hardly talk. "You don't want to ever feel nothing like this. No one should have to feel this kind of abuse," Williams said.
That abuse, Williams says, started after leaving the Keg Room, a bar on West Broad Street.
He won $2,600 from the bar Wednesday and came to pick up his winnings this past weekend.
When the place closed, a stranger asked him for a favor. "This guy was talking about (how) he had to walk home and I said 'it's raining. I'll give you a ride," Williams said.
So he gave him that ride, about two miles down the road, to Evergreen Terrace. "As soon as he got out the car, this other guy jumped in. He went the wailing on me," Williams said.
Williams says he begged for his life. The man finally let up and turned his attention elsewhere. "He says 'where's your money at?' I said 'in my pocket.' He got off with about $160. But, he beat the living crap out of me to get it."
Williams says he thinks the man from the bar and his attacker knew each other and planned the whole thing.
He has broken bones in his face, missing teeth and stitches, all for a favor. "You try to do something for someone to help them out and this is what you get," Williams said.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crime. If you have any information about it, you're asked to give them a call at (614) 525-3310.
Williams said he could be released from the hospital Monday.
VIDEO: Watch the news report
Probably should have picked up the cash and just left to go drink and celebrate somewhere else....or better yet left and pick up a six pack or more on the way home and celebrated there
can't fix stupid
Cashes his winning ticket at the bar and hangs out until it closes? do doubt he was boasting about his win which is why he was an easy target.
I agree with hearsetrax "can't fix stupid"
The robbers only got 160.00 but what is so sad is that you can't even be kind to people any more. He offered the guy a ride because it was raining.
Yep
That's quite sad. I wonder what they would have done to him if he had won several thousands or more. Innocent strangers who truly needs ride or any other help are the ones that suffer from this kind of unfortunate situation. I hope the perpetrators of this inhuman act are caught and placed behind bars soonest.
"He says he recently won some money from a local bar, and when he went to pick it up, a guy asked him for a ride home. That's when he was beaten."
"He won $2,600 from the bar Wednesday"and came to pick up his winnings this past weekend."
I have a couple of problems with this story.
1. The headline reads that "Ohio Man Wins Lottery" but the story never states that he won the "lottery". It just says that he won some money ($2,600) from a local bar and went to pick it up on Wednesday. My guess is that he didn't win the Ohio State Lottery but instead won the "street/mafia daily numbers" which are illegal.
2. We all know that if you win the State Lottery, they will only pay you cash up front up to $600. Winnings above $600 you must file a claim form to get your prize, minus the mandatory tax witholding. This man picked up $2,600 cash which means it was not a "State Lottery" that he won.
I feel bad for this man and I wish this had never happened to him but truth in reporting is needed here from the author of this story. This story should never have made the "lottery" websites instead it should have just been reported as another robbery in the crime blotter of the newspaper.
"The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is investigating the crime. If you have any information about it, you're asked to give them a call at (614) 525-3310."
I have a feeling that the Franklin County Sheriff's Office is going to be investigating more that just this crime now. This local bar is going to have some explaining to do about the "lottery game" they are running.
"street/mafia daily numbers" no longer exist anywhere because of the state lotteries. he probably won a football pool (also illegal but abound everywhere). everyone in the western world knows that if you win one of those you go in the next day get your money, tip the bartender, then leave asap, especially in dowtown columbus, ohio. what i want to know is where was the other 2440.00 that didn't get taken?
Some criminals must have a death wish for attacking a man like that and not knowing if they're armed or not.
faber,
"street/mafia daily numbers" no longer exist anywhere because of the state lotteries..."
You should have started that with "Once upon a time"...i.e., a fairy tale.
The day New Jersey apporved a lottery bookies were calling people reminding them they pay in cold, hard un-taxed cash. Not that a Pick 3 hit is taxed, but load up on a number....
Also think of ststes with no lotteries...you think 'bookmakers' aren't booking the action and using lottery states' Pick 3s?
Oh yeah, some of them use the last three dollar digits of the daily mutuel handle at various racetracks.
Golfer: That is a good point that you brought up. I have never won a lottery prize over $600 so it never crossed my mind.
Kind David, wishing you a speedy recovery & money covering all medical bills!!
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Yes Coin Toss I agree. In NJ you can still play the street numbers (they use the NJ Lottery pick 3 and pick 4 numbers) and the payout is better. They pay a straight $500 instead of a pari mutuel payout.
My only guess on #2 is that he had multiple winning tickets that added up to 2600. I would be surprised if the bar had that much and only gave him what they could.
what once did exist no longer exists. there wouldn't be enough business for these alleged "crime factions" to bother to continue running a numbers racket. no taxes "sure" but anyone can avoid those by playing smaller denomination tickets (.25) will not get you a tax ticket on a 3 digit number. and who is going to bother going to the shoe repair shop to play a number that will pay more than the 600.00 with a mobster type. at least with the state they know they will get paid. hard to believe the nj lottery bookies called up people (who willingly gave them their numbers back then) to help save their numbers racket business. it just doesn't exist anywhere anymore. yes, they used to use the last 3 digits of the race track handle in the 60's but now the track only runs 2-3 days a week. too much confusion over which track they would be using. most criminals turned to crack sales to offset their numbers racket game revenue loss.
plus they rarely print the race track handles, making it difficult to get the results in this day of instant gratification the public would get tired of waiting to find out if they won. the bookies turned to sports betting back in the 70's "coin toss" to replace this damon runyan image you have of people running to the newspaper stand guy to play a number today (ridiculous assumption). you've been watching too many dead end kids and bowery boys movies from the 40's. the few states with no lottery drawing have a flow of people across the state lines and other ways (online) to play rather than running down to a deserted main street to put their numbers in with "shorty" the bookie. what a joke.
lol..... faber98 what county do you live in .... or should i say you dont get out much ...... hell yeah you can still play numbers on the street , outside of any state lottery
i bet i can go to MA. and in less than an hour find multiple locations to play the street numbers....... are u kidding me
The golden rule to asset protection is to not let the world know that you have assets available in the first place. They wouldn't have targeted him specifically if they didn't know he was carrying cash. HIs heart was in the right place to give a ride, but his brain wasn't in not being street smart in passing knowing that he was carrying cash.
i bet you couldn't. maybe in 1973 but not now. you would be referred to the local lottery agent if you could find someone to ask. what does tony soprano ride around at dusk stopping at all the shoeshine boys, cobblers, and newstands to pick up hand written numbers bets every nite, and then checks them in the morning and brings the payoff money back to them. i don't think so. they have been replaced. 40 years ago. there would be no players unfamiliar with those blue machines as opposed to having an unreliable wannabe hood taking their action. no customers not worth the crime bosses time.
Yeah, maybe he should have taken his money and left right away, but I can't see blaming the victim for this. Blame the jerks who thought of the evil plan to harm, then rob him, the victim said he felt that the guy was hitting him to kill him. How can you blame the victim for such an evil crime? Did he deserve a beating for opening his mouth? I think not. Just wanted to give a guy a ride out of the rain. What a horror story. Have we become so jaded that everything is the victim's fault, and the criminal's are now the innocent ones? Sorry if I ranted too much.
Exactly.
I'da lit him up like the 4th of July.
Criminals are everywhere. This gentlemen should have used some discretion after cashing his ticket. Just imagine he had gone to an ATM in a bad part of town populated with hoodlums and withdrew $2600. Do you think everyone within hearing distance would ignore him if he started talking about how much money he has?
This poor guy was indeed a victim but his trusting attitude toward strangers around him got him in trouble.
I would have done the same thing. I hope I never have to shoot anyone but would consider it if me or my family were confronted in a life threatening manner.
Yessir, me too.
And it wouldn't have been warm rain falling on his face before the light left his eyes.
I agree. Hope he wasnt bragging about his win. That brings on resentment in others . And worse apparently.
Win -Collect-Leave
This is one of the reason why most winners would like to remain anonymous. Their safety is at risk and some people would like to take advantage of them. If I will win a lottery I will hire security to protect me.