A Northwestern student was robbed at gunpoint Wednesday night in Evanston’s first armed robbery of the year.
The student was walking home from downtown Evanston around 10 p.m. when a man followed her into the lobby of her apartment building on the 700 block of Foster Street, said Sgt. Steven Stoeckl of University Police.
The student was retrieving keys from her purse to open the security door when she was approached from behind, Stoeckl said.
“A person with a muffled voice said, ‘Give me your purse,'” Stoeckl said. The student then turned around and the man displayed a gun.
The student handed over the purse and her attacker fled. She was not harmed and immediately called police.
Both UP and Evanston Police Department responded to the incident, which is still under investigation by EPD.
The student described her attacker as a black male between 28 and 32 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and wearing a navy blue hip-length coat with a gray hood.
In a security alert posted on HereAndNow Thursday afternoon, Stoeckl advised students to be cautious, especially when alone or at night, and to report suspicious people to police.
UP has increased both foot and car patrols in the areas of past attacks, Stoeckl said. Those areas include Hamlin Street, Simpson Street, Ridge Avenue and Noyes Street.
The last attack occurred in October 2002, when a man was held at gunpoint on the 2100 block of Ridge Avenue. A cellular phone and $50 were taken. The man was not affiliated with NU.
If attacked, Stoeckl said, “Hand over whatever they are requesting.”
Stoeckl advised students to walk in groups and to avoid alleys and unlit streets. If a student cannot avoid walking alone, Stoeckl recommended calling a taxi or the Escort Service, carrying a cell phone or calling a friend.
He suggested students carry mace or a panic alarm. But he cautioned students to be aware of how to properly use mace.
Mace and panic alarms often get lost in the bottom of bags and purses and are not easily accessible when someone is attacked, Stoeckl said.
“Once you mace someone, run, call 911,” he said. “My best suggestion is … carry a cell phone.”
