Detroit pizza delivery man robbed, beaten, carjacked at home on Cherrylawn Avenue

Army veteran working as delivery man says men jumped him, tore off his pants at Detroit home

DETROIT – Another pizza delivery driver has been robbed, beaten and carjacked in Detroit.

Rapheil Cummings, 55, says the attack happened at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday on Cherrylawn Avenue near Davison Avenue.

Cummings is a disabled Army veteran working to make ends meet delivering pizzas.

"I was infantry artillery," he said.

A call came in for six pizzas in the 13000 block of Cherrylawn Avenue. Cummings says he has a number of regular customers in that area and he pulled up to the house.

"Before I knew it, the guy came out with a shotgun and put it to the back of my neck," Cummings said. "He told me, 'Don't touch nothing. Don't take off.' "

As one man was collecting money from friends at the house to pay for the order, Cummings says the men attacked him. They tore the pants off of him to get to the cash in his pocket despite the fact he was trying to hand over the money.

"They was going in the pockets, tearing the pants. Trying to get the money and they wouldn't even give me a chance to give it to them. They told me, 'Don't reach for nothing,'" Cummings said.

Cummings has visible injuries from the beating to his face and head and he has three cracked teeth from being kicked in the face while he was down.

The men then took off in Cummings' 2006 Chevrolet Equinox.

"Detroiters, we're better than this. We've got to stop this. We've got to stop this. We got to," Cummings said.


About the Author:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.