Three men tried to rob a UCLA student at gunpoint late Wednesday night on Strathmore Avenue, police said.
This is the latest in a string of incidents involving robbery or attempted robbery in the North Village. A total of seven robberies and attempted robberies have been reported on North Village streets since early April.
The men approached the student around 11:10 p.m. on the 11000 block of Strathmore Avenue as he was leaving his apartment building, said Lt. Carlos Islas of the Los Angeles Police Department of the West Los Angeles station. The men, one of whom reportedly had a gun, tried to steal a cell phone from the student.
The student began to resist, and during the struggle, another one of the men tried to tase the student, Islas said. The student was also hit with the gun while resisting and received a minor injury to his forehead, he said.
The men finally ran away empty-handed, Islas said.
The three men are described as black, 18 to 23 years old and wearing hooded sweatshirts, according to a university police report released Thursday.
Their descriptions are similar to those of the men described in many of the previous robberies, Islas said. He said it is hard to say if Wednesday’s attempted robbery is related to the previous robberies, but is likely connected, based on the recent trend of incidents in the area. Most of the robberies have taken place on Kelton, Levering and Veteran avenues and Ophir Drive between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Police recommend students be aware of their surroundings and not walk alone at night, especially if intoxicated. If students see somebody in the area who doesn’t appear to be from the area and doesn’t have a legitimate reason to be there, they should call the police.
Islas said police are also asking students to be cognizant of people who fit the reported descriptions of the men involved in the robberies, especially if they are in a car that matches the reported descriptions in the robberies ““ an older, dark four-door car. If students are able to safely write down the license plate, they should report it to police.
Students should not resist if in a robbery situation, and should instead cooperate, take a description of the people’s characteristics and report it to the police once safe.
Police are investigating these robberies. Anyone with information should call UCPD at 310-825-1491 or West LAPD at 310-444-0701.