BILL NOVAK | The Capital Times | bnovak@madison.com | Posted: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 10:30 am

A 24-year-old Madison man lost not only hundreds of dollars in cash but his clothes as well, fleeing naked after he was robbed when, he told police, he went to buy a car at an east-side apartment.

Madison police said the naked man, apparently holding a cereal box in front of his privates, ran to his girlfriend's car outside the apartment in the 4700 block of Cottage Grove Road after the robbery.

Police learned of the robbery at about 12:50 p.m. Tuesday, when the victim's girlfriend called 911 after he jumped into her car with nothing on.

"She was being less than cooperative with the dispatcher and ended up saying she couldn't wait for police to arrive because she had to get to work," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

Police came to the scene and couldn't find anybody, naked or otherwise.

"The case went cold for a few hours, until the victim called for police to meet him at an East Washington Avenue restaurant," DeSpain said.

Police met up with the victim and the girlfriend, seated at separate tables at the restaurant.

"As far as we could piece the details together, the victim heard of a car for sale while at a local barbershop," DeSpain said.

"With cash in hand, the victim and girlfriend drove to the apartment."

Upon arriving at the Cottage Grove Road address, a woman greeted the victim outside and took him into the apartment.

"It quickly became apparent to him that no deal for a car was being made," DeSpain said. "There were two masked men in the apartment, one pointing a gun at him."

The victim apparently got so scared he threw his cash into the air.

"The robbers then told him to strip naked, which he did before running out the door," DeSpain said.

The victim also told police he grabbed a bag to cover his groin and not a box of cereal.

The victim was evasive in providing details to police, such as what barbershop he was at when he heard of the car for sale.

"He did disclose he had been attired in a red and white polo shirt, Levis and sneakers, prior to the ill-fated car buying trip," DeSpain said.

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