Student robbed by man with gun

A university student was robbed at gunpoint Friday evening at the Old Koons Ford Lot located near the University View, police reported.

According to a University Police crime alert disseminated to the campus community Saturday, a female student asked for a friend to arrange a ride from her apartment at 8301 Baltimore Ave. to the Stamp Student Union Friday evening. Her phone rang at about 8 p.m., and the voice on the other end of the line said her ride was waiting outside, the alert stated.

When the student went outside, she was called over to a black and purple Toyota Scion, the alert reported, and as she approached the vehicle, two males got out of the car and insisted she give them her purse. She refused, and one of the males pulled out a handgun, according to the alert.

The female handed over her purse, and the men got back in the car and drove north on Route 1, police reported. The student was not harmed.

Police reported the female described the driver of the Scion as a 23-year-old black female. The male who got into the front seat of the car was described as a 20-year-old, 5-foot-9-inch black male wearing a green and blue sweater; the man who got into the back of the car was described as a 20-year-old black male, according to the alert.

The incident was reported to Prince George's County police minutes after it happened, police said. County Police did not have any further information yesterday.

District 1 Commander Maj. Hector Velez said the department is still investigating the armed robbery. Velez said police are unsure if the victim's friend set up the off-campus robbery.

"We're certainly looking into that, but at this point, we're still investigating," Velez said.

Since the incident occurred outside of University Police jurisdiction, University Police Chief David Mitchell said the county police department will be handling it. University Police wanted students to be aware of the reported armed robbery.

"We wanted to tell the community about it, and we wanted to send out a crime alert because it was in such a close proximity to campus," Mitchell said. "The case is under investigation, and we're hoping it'll end in an arrest."

Some students, such as Amanda Harouche, said that incidents such as these prompt them to avoid that area of Route 1.

"I just feel like that area isn't too safe," said the junior criminology and criminal justice and psychology major. "And it's really scary because something like this could definitely happen to anyone."

egan@umdbk.com