A female student was robbed by two men, one of whom was carrying a handgun, near Bobb Hall early Sunday morning.
The student was walking with a friend when the men approached them at about 4:50 a.m., according to a security alert posted on NU's Web site. One of the students gave her purse to the men. As the other student attempted to do so, the strap of her purse broke. The two men took the first student's purse and fled, the site said.
Chicago Police have three men in custody today for questioning, said Alan Cubbage, vice president for university relations, Monday afternoon. Police stopped a vehicle in Rogers Park on the city's North Side a few hours after the robbery occurred and found two BB guns inside, Cubbage said.
The students were not sure if the guns used in the robbery were real, he said.
The student whose purse was stolen notified her bank about a stolen credit card and was told it had been used, Cubbage said.
University Police Asst. Chief Dan McAleer would not comment on the report this afternoon, but provided more details on where the two students were when the robbery took place. The students were walking toward Bobb Hall, though McAleer would not say if they were entering the dormitory, on the sidewalk that runs north from Sargent Hall through the Fraternity Quads.
NU police are in contact with the two students to continue to piece details together, Cubbage said.
Cubbage said the robbery was rare because of its proximity to Bobb Hall, which is located on North Campus between the Fraternity Quads and the Sports Pavilion and Aquatics Center.
"This was pretty unusual in that it was up in the heart of campus," Cubbage said. "We're taking it very seriously."
Three robberies occurred on the Evanston campus in 2006, the last year for which University Police posts crime statistics online.
Bobb residents said they were shocked the robbery occurred just outside their residence hall.
Weinberg freshman Meredith Bundul said she found the incident frightening because she thought the two students were taking necessary precautions.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 11
Outraged
posted 4/07/08 @ 10:06 AM CST
As a parent of a Bobb student, and as a career Prosecutor, I am deeeply disturbed that students were not immediately notified via the "vaunted" NU security system after this crime occurred. (Continued…)
billyjoe
posted 4/07/08 @ 10:54 AM CST
Dear Outraged: Crimes like this one happen all the time in Evanston, and in the greater Chicago area. They happen everywhere else, too, especially during the hours between Midnight and dawn. (Continued…)
Outraged
posted 4/07/08 @ 12:14 PM CST
Billyjoe,
I appreciate your response! My main point(s)--possibly lost as I wrote on & on :>) -- was/were that NU's immediate response after receiving the report of this dangerous crime was apparently NOT to notify NU employees & students via the expedient means [developed after VA Tech]of e-mail & text messaging; rather, it was posted on NU's Website. (Continued…)
{In}Secure
posted 4/07/08 @ 12:28 PM CST
Well, it's
Greg
posted 4/07/08 @ 2:59 PM CST
What were they doing out at 4:50 am? They should have been in bed! Being out that late is practically asking to be robbed.
Becarefulatnight
posted 4/07/08 @ 4:43 PM CST
Based on the repeated robberies in and around the campus during the past few years, I'm guessing it must be a common assumption among local criminals that NU students are naive and easy marks. (Continued…)
Sunita Motiani
posted 4/07/08 @ 6:13 PM CST
As a parent of a Bob student ,I was really scared and concerned about the safety of students in and around campus.Are there any campus police patrolling the area around the clock?Fortunately it was only armed robbery and no one was hurt. (Continued…)
Matt
posted 4/07/08 @ 8:51 PM CST
What those students were doing walking around at 5 am is irrelevant. We all have the right to walk around just before sunrise without being held up at gunpoint. (Continued…)
What
posted 4/07/08 @ 10:41 PM CST
I agree - what they were doing at 5am is irrelevant. Students have rights to feel safe inside the campus, and this should serve as an alarm for NU and Evanston securities, who are oh so bent on parking enforcements
fouroone
posted 4/08/08 @ 10:22 AM CST
What will it take before NU finally wakes up? Students continue to be the victims of rare and isolated incidents. Thats NU speak for it doesn't happen here. (Continued…)
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