Jim Boeheim, the legendary Syracuse men’s basketball coach, discussed Wednesday how his wife Juli was doing after she was robbed at gunpoint at a New York mall in broad daylight.
Syracuse police said the robbery occurred outside Destiny USA just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday. A male youth had a conversation with the victim before he pointed a gun at her and reached into the car and grabbed the victim’s purse, according to authorities. Multiple reports indicated the victim was Juli Boeheim.
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Jim Boeheim appeared on ESPN Syracuse and said his wife was "definitely shook up."
"I mean, this isn’t television. It’s not movies. It’s real life. Somebody puts a gun in your face. She’s handling it well, better than I probably would or most people, I think. But it’s not easy. She’s a little shook but I think she’s doing much better than could be expected," Boeheim told the radio station.
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"I think the thing that helped her was it was a kid. If it was an older man it probably would have. … Her main thought was, ‘let’s help this kid.’ That’s what she does, we do with our foundation. Try to help these kids. That was the first thing she said, ‘I feel like I want to help this kid.’ But that’s the way she thinks. That’s who she is. She tries to help people."
Syracuse police said Tuesday that vehicle thefts were up 40% compared to last year. Authorities offered tips to residents on how to stay safe while thefts appeared to be on the rise.
Juli and Jim Boeheim have been married since 1997 and have three children – two sons and a daughter. Jimmy and Buddy Boeheim are both playing for the Syracuse men’s basketball team. The Orange are 15-15 this season and 9-10 against ACC opponents.
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The Boeheims also run a charitable foundation. Their charity "strives to enrich the lives of kids in need within our Central New York community, as well as, provide support for eliminating cancer through research and advocacy," according to their website.