University police are investigating two reports from students who were robbed at gunpoint early Saturday morning, one in Westwood and one on the Hill.
At about 3:45 a.m. a student was walking on the sidewalk near 400 Midvale Ave., according to a UCPD report released Saturday. A man approached the student holding a black handgun and demanded the student’s belongings, the report stated.
About five minutes later Dennis Nguyen, a fourth-year sociology and Southeast Asian studies student, said he was also robbed by a man holding a gun while walking on a sidewalk near Tom Bradley International Hall at 417 Charles E. Young Dr. West.
Nguyen was walking south down Charles E. Young Drive when a car drove up and a man got out of the car and told Nguyen he had a gun.
Nguyen said he tried to talk to the man to convince him to let him go, but when he saw the gun sticking out of the man’s pants, Nguyen handed over his Android smartphone.
The man then fled in a silver Toyota coupe with about two other people. The same type of car was used by the man who robbed the student on Midvale Avenue.
Police said they could not comment on whether or not the two incidents were related. No one was injured in either robbery, according to the police report.
There have been several robberies in Westwood’s North Village this year but this is the first robbery reported on the Hill.
“I have never felt unsafe on campus with UCPD always around ““ that is why this really shocked me,” said Nguyen, who used to be a community service officer with UCPD.
The man who stole Nguyen’s phone was described in the report as black, 18-22 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build and black clothing.
A second man, described in connection to the robberies, was black, 22-27 years old, 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a muscular build and dark clothing.
Police recommend students remain aware of their surroundings and avoid walking alone or in unlit areas at night.
If confronted by a robber, UCPD recommends students comply with the person’s requests and obtain a detailed description.
Anyone with information about the robberies can contact UCPD at (310) 825-1491.
Compiled by Erin Donnelly, Bruin senior staff.
How is one shocked at being robbed whist walking alone at 3:45 a.m.?