Four robbed near Metro

Prince George's County Police are urging students to take caution after four people were robbed near the College Park Metro station at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

The four people — 17- and 18-year-olds who are not university students — were walking on the 4500 block of Paint Branch Parkway from the Herbert Wells Ice Rink when a white SUV pulled up next to them and an occupant said something they didn't understand, police said.

"The victims continued walking and paid no attention to them," District 1 Commander Robert Liberati said. "They couldn't understand what they said anyways."

The SUV then pulled into the parking garage of the Metro station, and three black men between 5 feet, 6 inches and 6 feet tall got out, approached the teens on foot and demanded money; Liberati wouldn't say what, if anything, was taken. The men fled by car along Paint Branch Parkway toward Kenilworth Avenue, away from the campus, police said.

No injuries were reported and no weapons were displayed, Liberati said, but the suspects implied to their victims that they had weapons, and the incident was classified as an armed robbery.

The first suspect, who police believe was carrying a weapon, is described as 6 feet tall and 140 pounds, wearing a black jacket, a gray hooded sweatshirt and black pants. The second is approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs about 120 pounds and was wearing a red and black shirt and black pants, with his hair in dreadlocks. The final suspect was described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and wearing sky-blue clothing.

None of the victims is affiliated with the university, University Police spokesman Ken Leonard said.

"They were close to the university, but I checked them all online and none came up as students," Leonard said.

Even so, some students who live in that area said they are frightened by the crime.

"To be honest, that's pretty scary," said sophomore letters and sciences major Kenny Sheain, who lives in the Leonardtown community not far from the robbery scene. "I know that walking around by yourself is pretty dangerous in College Park, but to hear that a group of four was robbed makes me want to rethink how I'll be walking around Leonardtown from now on."

Nate Calcagni, a sophomore computer science major who also lives in Leonardtown, said he was worried.

"These incidents are getting closer and closer to campus," Calcagni said. "From now on, I think I'm just going to be careful and mindful of who is around me when I'm walking alone. I just have to use my street smarts."

The investigation is ongoing, Liberati said, and anyone with information about the incident should call the Prince George's County Police Department's District 1 Investigative Section at 301-699-2601.

egan at umdbk dot com