University Police officials responded to two incidents on Grounds near Memorial Gymnasium during Fall Break, both of which remain open, active cases, Lt. Melissa Fielding said.
At about 1:45 a.m. on Oct. 10, three or four black males robbed a Roanoke man, pushing him to the ground near the Snyder Tennis Center, taking his phone and wallet. No one was injured, and the suspects fled on foot.
Two days later, on Oct. 12 around 7 p.m., an unidentified white male approached a University student walking near the Central Grounds Parking Garage and Memorial Gymnasium. He pulled up her skirt and forcibly fondled her. When the victim screamed, the suspect fled on foot in the direction of University Avenue.
University Police has yet to released the names of any suspects.
As a result of these attacks, officials have deployed additional uniform and plain-clothes officers in the area, Fielding said. By Wednesday, two police cars were stationed in the alley between the parking garage and the gym.
Since the end of September, the community has seen nine incidents on Grounds and in the Corner area, including robberies and sexual assault, suggesting an unusually high crime rate.
"I do think we've seen more this fall than in the recent past," Fielding said.
The sidewalks between Snyder Tennis Center and the Central Grounds Parking Garage are frequented by students heading to and from Clemons Library or the gym. First-year College student Ivonne Navarro said she is often in the area, given her late-night study schedule, but does not plan to change her schedule or walking path. "It's two seconds and you're back," she said, though added that she does plan on walking back with friends in the future.
University Police officers continue to be concerned by the number of robberies and assaults, Fielding said. The department works under a timely warning requirement, which is met with the help of University Alert System e-mails that warn the community about specific events and provide personal safety tips.
"I think certainly the number of incidents like the robberies and assaults are concerning to us," Fielding said. "And what we're trying to do is alert the community as quickly as possible."
The police department has asked anyone with information related to these crimes to contact Crimestoppers at 434-977-4000.
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