What action constitutes robbery during a theft?

Robbery is defined as taking property from another person through the use of intimidation, fear, or physical force. When an individual threatens someone with physical force during a theft, they escalate the crime from simple theft to robbery. This is because the act of threatening implies an intent to use violence or the threat of violence to achieve the theft, significantly increasing the severity of the offense. It moves beyond merely taking someone else's belongings and includes an element of direct confrontation and intimidation, which defines robbery.

In contrast, using a vehicle to escape is part of the crime's aftermath and does not define the essential nature of robbery itself. Acting in a deceptive manner refers to strategies like trickery or fraud, which are related to theft but do not involve direct threats or force. Lastly, stealing an item valued under $100 does not automatically make the act robbery; this details the value of the item stolen rather than the nature of how the theft was carried out. Thus, the defining feature of robbery is the use of threats or physical force against a person, which is captured in the correct answer.