Two Students Robbed Near Lot B
Two Cal Poly Pomona students were robbed Sunday night on a walkway near South Campus Drive and Temple Avenue.
The crime occurred about 9:30 p.m. when a man passed the students on the walkway adjacent to Parking Lot B, then circled back to confront them and demand their belongings, University Police said. He lifted his shirt to reveal what the students believed was the handle of a gun tucked into his waistband. The students handed over a purse, wallet, laptop computer and other personal effects to the robber, who fled into the darkness.
The victims called University Police, who arrived within two minutes, Lt. Bruce Wilson said. After determining that the students were not physically harmed, the officers alerted the Pomona Police Department, which assisted in setting up a perimeter around the area and provided a search helicopter equipped with an infrared sensor to identify anyone hiding in the bushes or trees. A suspect was briefly detained at the Residential Suites but was released when the victims said he was not the robber. The search lasted about 45 minutes. Several bus stops are in the area, so it is possible the robber boarded a transit bus, Wilson said.
The victims described the robber as a male black in his 20s with a thin build. He was wearing a dark gray hooded sweatshirt and jean shorts.
Anyone with information about a possible suspect is encouraged to call University Police at (909) 869-3070. Anonymous tips may be left at (909) 869-3399. Officers will continue to provide extra patrol near the housing areas on the south end of campus throughout Monday.
“This is a low-crime community, but we take each and every crime very seriously – especially those that involve a weapon,” Wilson said. “We encourage anyone who sees suspicious activity to call us immediately.”
Two robberies were reported on campus in 2011, the most recent year in which full statistics are available. This spring, two robberies occurred within a week in the southwest end of campus. In both instances, the robber made off with a cell phone. The assailant or assailants in those crimes does not match the description of the suspect in the latest robbery.
