Domino's Pizza Scare

by Pauline Justal

Before winter break Platteville was the scene of a crime that some can only imagine happening on TV. Ryan J. Barthel, Madison resident, was arrested early on December 19th on suspicion of armed robbery at a local business. Where at? Domino’s Pizza. 
The 39-year-old reportedly entered Domino’s around 2:15 in the morning with black boot polish on his face and a knife in hand. He proceeded to rob the store and leave in a dark-colored vehicle. That same morning Barthel was seen washing his face at a Mineral Point business where an employee alerted police. Eventually the suspect’s vehicle was stopped and he was arrested.  
Barthel now awaits a chance to enter his plea at the Grant County Circuit Court on January 22nd.
The real question comes down to safety: is Platteville as safe as everyone thought it was? Statistics show that living in a small city or town does not guarantee freedom from worry about these types of crimes. Barthel’s stunt is just further evidence. 
Some PHS students did not even hear about the event and when told the story confessed to not feeling as safe as they used to in Platteville. On the contrary, others, such as Dillon Shinee (‘17) and Claire McMannes (‘15) admitted they weren’t affected much. Shinee added, “I used to work at Pizza Hut, so it didn’t bother me.”