Student Knocked Down, Robbed at Gunpoint on Cal Campus

A UC Berkeley male student was knocked to the ground and robbed at gunpoint by two assailants on campus near Moffitt Library on Sunday night, UC Berkeley police reported today, Monday.

The assault and robbery followed an attempted robbery on campus early Saturday morning when three assailants tried to wrest away a male student's backpack.

The Sunday night robbery occurred at 9:11 p.m. when the victim was walking near the library, campus police said in a "Crime Alert."

One of the robbers approached the student and pointed a black handgun at his chest and demanded the student's cell phone. The robber then pushed the victim in the chest, knocking him to the ground, police said.

The student dropped the cell phone, and one of the suspects picked it up, according to police. The pair then ran away, eluding a subsequent police search.

Berkeley has experienced a jump in evening robberies this year, including around the UC Berkeley campus. (See a list of related articles at the bottom of this article.)

Here is the full UC Berkeley police alert about the Sunday night crime:

On Sunday, October 13th, 2013, at 9:11 p.m. an armed robbery occurred near Moffitt Library.  The male student victim was walking westbound on University Drive when he saw two males walking towards him.  Suspect #1 walked up to the victim and pointed a black handgun at his chest and demanded the victim’s cell phone.  Before the victim could comply the suspect pushed him in the chest knocking him to the ground.  The victim dropped his phone and one of the suspects picked it up.  The suspects fled the scene running northbound on the west side of Haviland Hall.  UCPD searched the area but could not find the suspects.  The victim was not physically injured during the encounter.

The suspects are described as:

Suspect #1 – A Black male, 6’0” in height, with a light build and dark complexion, wearing a dark sweatshirt and dark pants.

Suspect #2 – A Black male, 5’10” in height, with a light build, wearing a dark outfit.

If you have any information about this crime or this suspect, please contact:

University of California Police Department
Criminal Investigation Bureau
(510) 642-0472 / 8AM–5PM
(510) 642-6760 / All other times

UCPD would like to remind the campus community about the following safety tips:

• Utilize the free Night Safety Services located at http://nightsafety.berkeley.edu 
• Travel with a friend or in a group
• Be alert and aware of your surroundings
• Avoid dark, vacant or deserted areas
• Use well-lit, well-traveled routes
• Dress in clothes and shoes which will not hamper movement
• When out and about, keep your electronic devices out of public view as they are a popular robbery target
• Dial 510-642-3333 or use a Blue Light emergency phone if you need help.

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