ROBBERY - 400 block of Erie Street SE

POSTED: MAY 5, 2009

On Tuesday, May 5 at approximately 2:10 a.m., a University of Minnesota student was the victim of a robbery of person in the 400 block of Erie St. SE. The robbery occurred off-campus, near university property.

The victim had just parked along the curb and was sitting in her vehicle with the driver's door open when two suspects approached. The suspects reached inside the vehicle, grabbed the victim's purse and one said "Give me the purse." The victim held onto the purse until one of the suspects forcibly pushed her across the face which caused her to release the purse. The suspects fled southbound on Erie Street and the victim chased after one of the suspects on foot while yelling for help. She lost sight of the suspects near Erie Street and Dartmouth Place. During the chase, one of the suspects dropped a hooded sweatshirt he was wearing. The victim recovered the sweatshirt and turned it over to police. The victim was not seriously injured.

Both suspects were described as black males, between 18 and 30 years of age, and between five feet seven inches and six feet tall. One is described as having a medium build and the other is described as having a heavy build. Both were wearing dark colored hooded sweatshirts.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Minneapolis Police Robbery Unit at 612-673-3645. Reference case number MP-09-131528.

This robbery may be related to a similar incident that occurred on April 30 at approximately 1:15 a.m. in the 800 block of Washington Avenue SE. In that incident a lone suspect robbed a non-University affiliated female victim. The suspect in this robbery had a similar physical description and wore a black T-shirt bearing a graphic and a black baseball cap. This is also a Minneapolis Police Investigation, case number MP-09-125614.

As a reminder, racial descriptors alone are not a valid reason to profile or cast suspicion on an individual. In cases of serious crime such as this we may include them only as part of the totality of circumstances, if it may reasonably assist in the identification of the perpetrators.

The University of Minnesota Police Department has increased patrols in the area and asks that you remember the following:

* When threatened with a weapon, it's best not to resist. Your personal safety is more important than a lost wallet or cell phone.
* Always be aware of your surroundings.
* Walk in well lit areas and don't walk alone. If you can't find someone to walk with, call the Campus Escort service at 612-624-WALK for a free security escort.
* Carry minimal amounts of valuables.
* Keep written records of valuables, including model and serial numbers, in a safe place.
* Call 911 immediately if you are the victim or witness to a crime.
* Document information about the suspect for police (i.e. clothing descriptions, facial features, piercings or tattoos, speech, etc.).

This Crime Alert is sent in compliance with the federal Clery Act which requires universities to alert the campus community of crimes that may pose an ongoing threat to students and employees. For updates on any developments in this case, please visit the Crime Alerts page on the UMPD website: http://http://www1.umn.edu/police/alerts.html