Early yesterday morning, two masked men walked into a Lambeth Field Apartments suite, tied up its four male occupants and robbed them of their wallets and a watch, according to University Police.
The victims described the two suspects as stocky, six-foot tall black males. They were dressed in black sweaters and dark pants and "their faces were covered," University Police Capt. Mike Coleman said.
Although Coleman could not confirm whether the door of the on Grounds suite was unlocked, he said the suspects "did just walk in through the door," noting that there was no damage to the door.
The suspects used various objects such as a pillowcase and a Velcro strap to bind the four men in the apartment.
There was "no evidence of any struggle" from the victims, Coleman said.
The robbers allegedly stole a watch along with the victims' wallets and the cash they were carrying.
The victims told police that the robbers were not visibly armed.
A Lambeth resident witnessed two men fitting the suspects' description fleeing the area some time after 1 a.m.
Coleman said Wednesday morning's crime was a rare case and he could not recall any recent or similar incidents in University housing.
"It's unusual to have folks come into the residence halls in that kind of manner," he said.
He added that University Police would explore any possible connections to other crimes in the area.
Leonard W. Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said the University is taking the incident very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation.
When asked whether the police and the University need to increase security precautions in Lambeth and other areas, Coleman said this crime "isn't the sort of thing that general security activities could necessarily prevent."
He said students need to keep their suite doors closed and locked at all times.
Second-year Architecture student James Zehmer, a Lambeth resident, said that it is common for residents to lock individual rooms' doors but not always the door to the suite.
Another resident, second-year College student Rachel Hardison, said she and her suitemates try to make sure their doors are locked and their blinds are drawn at night.
But Hardison said she rarely sees any police patrols in the area.
"It would be nice if every once in a while they had somebody checking on us," she said.
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