Two students were robbed early this morning when two men approached and grabbed one of them outside 550 Veteran Ave., university police said.
The students, both men, were returning from a party around 2 a.m. when the robbers approached them. One of the robbers grabbed a student by the jacket and searched his pockets, taking a cell phone.
A robber then allegedly asked the second student, “What do you have?” The student handed over his wallet, which the robbers returned after discovering there was no money inside, according to the UCPD crime alert.
The robbers, who have not been caught, are described as being black men in their 20s. One is about 5’10,” muscular and has short, black hair. He was wearing dark pants and an open, blue shirt that revealed tattoos on his chest. The second man is about 6’1’‘ and was wearing a gray cap, gray sweater and dark pants, said UCPD sergeant Tim Nyx.
The robbers did not use any weapons other than bodily force, and the only thing they stole was the first victim’s cell phone.
Nyx said patrol officers will do what they can to address the situation until Monday, when the case will be handed to detectives.
In the meantime, UCPD will contact the Los Angeles Police Department and will examine other crimes in the area to see if there are any similarities or leads, Nyx said.
While there are already increased patrols in the Westwood and North Village area this weekend because of Halloween celebrations, patrols will be added near where the robbery occurred, Nyx said.
“There’s a possibility if (the robbers) were successful they could return,” he said.
This comes a little over a week after an attempted strong arm robbery in the first level of Parking Structure 3, when an Asian man in his 20s allegedly pushed a UCLA associate professor to the ground as she was unlocking her passenger-side door and tried to take her purse, according to the police report.
In this case, the woman screamed and others came to her help. One man chased the suspect to his car, a silver Honda, but he was able to escape. He has not yet been caught, and police have released a composite sketch, which can be viewed on the UCPD website.
Police believe the crimes are unrelated based on present information, Nyx said.