Two Students Robbed at Knifepoint
Victims unharmed, $50 and a pack of cigarettes taken
Two BU students were robbed at knifepoint early Saturday morning while sitting on a bench in front of Rich Hall.
The victims, both women, were robbed of a pack of cigarettes and $50 at about 4:15 a.m. by a white male. Neither was injured, and the perpetrator fled immediately.
The incident prompted Boston University Chief of Police Tom Robbins to send an e-mail to all students, urging anyone with any information to call the Boston University Police Department at 617-353-2121, or e-mail him at tgresq@bu.edu.
Robbins urged students to follow five rules of safety:
1. Always be aware of your surroundings.
2. When possible, plan to walk with others at night.
3. If you don’t have anyone to walk with, use the University’s escort security service (617-353-4877) on campus, or take a taxi.
4. Safeguard your valuables by keeping them out of sight.
5. Report suspicious persons and activity on or near the campus to the Boston University Police Department at 617-353-2121.
Robbins says the suspect is believed to be a white male, approximately 5’7", 160 pounds, and clean-shaven. He was wearing a blue and gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a light blue T-shirt.
The police chief says his department received a call from one of the victims, and officers from the BUPD interviewed her. Police then questioned a man who fit the description of the suspect, but neither of the women could make a positive identification. Robbins says one student who responded to the University-wide e-mail alert believes she may have seen the suspect prior to the incident. The BUPD will continue the investigation with help from Brookline and Boston police.
“Incidents such as this remind us that our University community is part of a larger urban community, and as such we need to remain vigilant,” Robbins adds.
Art Jahnke can be reached at jahnke@bu.edu.
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