Robbery or Burglary?

It’s important to understand the differences between burglary and robbery, because many people get the two charges confused. Often times, we hear that people describe what was actually a burglary as a robbery. It’s critical to note that a burglary is basically a crime against a property, and a robbery is a crime against a person. Both charges involve theft, but the victim is present during a robbery. If a person’s valuables are stolen from the home while that person is at work, that’s a burglary. If a person is held up at gunpoint for his or her jewelry and wallet, that’s a robbery. In most cases, robbery charges carry much more serious penalties, due to the potential harm to the victims involved.

Armed Robbery

When we think of robberies, we most often think of armed robberies. Whether weapons are present or implied, an armed robbery involves a threat against the safety of the potential victim. A variety of weapons can be considered ‘deadly’ when describing the elements of an armed robbery crime. These weapons can be guns, knives, rifles, broken bottles, tire irons and just about anything else that can be used to harm somebody. In fact, even just the implication of a weapon is enough to get you charged with armed robbery. This is the case we hear about when somebody uses a suspicious looking bulge in a paper bag or jacket to induce somebody into giving up money or valuables. Armed robbery charges can arise from actual weapons or implied weapons.