A Northwestern University graduate student was the victim of an armed robbery in the 1100 block of Garnett Place in Evanston this afternoon.

NU police say that the student was walking east on Garnett Place from Ridge Avenue about 2:50 p.m. when two men approached him and took a cell phone from him. One of the offenders displayed a handgun during the robbery.

The student went to a campus emergency phone at Maple Avenue and Emerson Street and activated it. Police officers from the Evanston and Northwestern University Police Departments responded.

The student was not hurt in the incident.

The cell phone was recovered later by Evanston police a short distance from the crime scene.

The victim described one of the robbers as a six-foot-two-inch tall black male, about  20 to 25 years old, weighing about 180 pounds with a medium build and wearing a light grey hooded sweatshirt and a light colored shirt.

The the other robber was described as a five-foot-five inch tall black male, about 15-20 years old, weighing about 160 pounds with medium build and short-cropped hair and wearing a black and red fleece jacket.

The offenders were last seen fleeing westbound on Garnett Place.

Evanston police are investigating the incident, and persons who may have information that might assist in the investigation are asked to call the police 847-866-5000.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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5 Comments

  1. This happens too much!

    As a parent of a Northwestern graduate student who has been in Evanston since the summer I am concerned about these attempted robberies of NU students almost on a montly basis. This has not only happened on campus but also on the periphery of NU campus. I urge the university to look into having more security personnel patrol streets near campus and on campus so that this does not happen again!

    1. Good Luck With That

      TrollfaceNote the link below.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_v._District_of_Columbia

      "The court stated that official police personnel and the government employing them owe no duty to victims of criminal acts and thus are not liable for a failure to provide adequate police protection unless a special relationship exists."

      And you thought your kid's tuition was high?  Bend over and smile when they pass on the public safety costs to you in the form of higher fees.

       

  2. Armed robberies

    This is happening all over Evanston. I read the police blotter everyday. The trend is they do not catch the serious criminals like this. Just the underage drinkers, DUI, shoplifters, pot smokers and the occasional domestic disturbance/simple battery.

    As a father of two teenage boys with  whom I reside with in South Evanston, I watch and worry. Please Evanston leaders and police department, help stop this.

    1. Right on

      Yes. This should be priority number one. Crime in Evanston needs to be drastically reduced. It's a joke. This needs to be at the top of everybody's mind. I support cutting spending anywhere and everywhere in order to fund more police if we need to. A safer Evanston would equal a more prosperous Evanston I believe.

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