Two University students were robbed in two separate incidents Sunday, the first by a group of individuals on Madison Lane and the second at gunpoint on Shamrock Road.
The first robbery occurred at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, when a student walking down Madison Lane was approached by a black SUV and offered a ride by the occupants of the vehicle, Dean of Students Penny Rue said.
The student accepted the ride offer and upon entering the vehicle was driven a little further down the street, taken out of the car and assaulted by several of the car's occupants, Charlottesville Police Sergeant Joe Hatter said.
During the course of the assault, the student's wallet was taken, and the student was left on Madison Lane, Hatter said.
The second robbery occurred at 11:30 p.m. Sunday night, when a University student was robbed at gunpoint on the 200 block of Shamrock Road, University police Sergeant David Jones said.
The 23-year-old student was walking alone down Shamrock Road when he was approached from behind by an unseen individual who held a gun to the student's head and ordered the student to lie on the ground, Jones said.
The mugger then took the student's messenger bag, which contained the student's cash, credit cards, cell phone, iPod and books among other things, Jones said.
The victim did not see the individual who robbed him and therefore could not provide a description, Jones said.
Although the Charlottesville police currently have no suspects in custody in relation to the robbery at gunpoint on Shamrock, a witness saw a black male, 25 to 35 years old and approximately six-feet-two-inches in height running from the scene. The feeling man is a potential suspect in the robbery, Jones said.
The police declined to comment on whether either of the cases are linked to each other, or to an armed robbery that occurred at the La Chata grocery store in the 1900 block of Commonwealth Drive around 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Rue said the robberies should prompt the University community to take a look at what it can change to better protect students from criminal acts such as robberies.
One such change made recently is the joint patrols of Charlottesville and University police officers on weekend nights.
"The joint patrols were created to protect students, not to spy on them," Rue said. "We do believe that the joint patrols are making a difference."
However, students who do not keep their personal safety at the forefront of their minds run the risk of being victimized, Rue said.
"Students who walk around alone at night get preyed upon," Rue said, adding that students who are victimized are often distracted by their cell phone or MP3 player, or they are intoxicated and not fully cognizant of their surroundings.
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