And he’s dead, Jim.
Mugger who died trying to rob two men with a fake gun on Staten Island was out on parole
A man who died when he tried to rob two men on a Staten Island street with a fake gun was out on parole for attempted robbery at the time.
Robert Compton, 33, pulled a phony handgun on two 33-year-old men near Pacific Ave. and St Albans Pl. in Eltingville as they walked home from a bar around 1:55 a.m. Sunday, police and sources said.
Compton allegedly approached the men and told them to “give me all your s—t,” sources said.
One of the would-be victims grabbed the fake gun and the men fought back, tussling with the mugger and restraining him.
One of the men got behind Compton, grabbed him around the neck and pulled him to the ground while the other called 911, sources said.
During the struggle, Compton fell unconscious.
“He robbed us at gunpoint,” one of the men told responding officers.
Police performed CPR on Compton before he was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital North, where he died.
The two other men were taken to the same hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Compton had a lengthy rap sheet, including for grand larceny, robbery and assault, sources said.
He spent over four years behind bars for an attempted robbery charge and was paroled in December 2019.
A neighbor of one of Compton’s targets believed he was in the “wrong place, wrong time.”
“I’ve known him since he was a little boy,” said Richard Vitale. “He’s a stand-up guy. I heard a rumor that he took karate. He’s outgoing, he has a lot of friends.
“He gets along with everybody,” the man continued. “He’d be the last person I would think would be connected to this.”
The victims’ attorney said the men were “clearly acting in self defense.”
“Our clients, two hard working young men, were the victims of a terrifying armed robbery by a career criminal,” said Louis Gelormino. “We are grateful that the District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD conducted a complete and thorough investigation of this matter. Our prayers go out to the family of the deceased.”
The city Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on Compton’s body, but said more tests would need to be done to determine his exact cause of death.