University police are investigating a report of a UCLA student who was robbed on Hilgard Avenue on Monday.
At about 1:31 p.m., the student was sitting at a bus stop on the corner of Hilgard Avenue and Wyton Drive when a man grabbed the student’s backpack that was on the ground next to him and ran away from campus down Norcroft Avenue, according to a police report released Monday. The student and a bystander chased the man for about a block until they were able to catch up with him and push the man to the ground and retrieve the backpack, police officials said.
At that moment, three men got out of a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta parked about 10 yards away on Norcroft Avenue. One of the men pushed the bystander to the ground and covered the car’s license plate from view while the remaining three men got into the car and drove away at a high speed, officials said. The man who was covering the license plate then ran toward campus, according to the report.
The man who stole the backpack allegedly suffered cuts on his knees, officials said.
He was described in the report as black, 5 feet 11 inches and muscular with braided hair and diamond stud earrings. He was wearing a white shirt, blue shorts and a blue “L.A.” baseball hat at the time. The man who pushed the bystander was described as black and 5 feet 9 inches with a buzzed hair cut. He was wearing a gray Nike T-shirt, white shorts and white and red shoes at the time.
UCPD recommends that students stay aware of their surroundings and avoid walking alone. When confronted with a robber, students should comply with the robber’s requests and get a detailed description.
Anyone with information regarding this robbery should call UCPD at (310) 825-1491.
Compiled by Erin Donnelly, Bruin senior staff.