DPS, LAPD searching for robbers
Three USC students were robbed in separate incidents Monday night. Officials suspect the same people are behind each crime.
The first robbery occurred at 9:15 p.m. on the 1100 block of 29th Street. The victim was on his cell phone when he was approached by four suspects who demanded his phone. When the victim refused, a suspect displayed a handgun, and the victim surrendered his cellphone. The suspects left promptly after.
The second robbery occurred five minutes later on the 2700 block of Hoover Boulevard. This time, two suspects approached the victim and demanded his property. The victim refused, but a suspect displayed a weapon, grabbed the victim’s property and fled.
The third robbery occurred at 9:35 p.m. near the 2700 block of Ellendale Place. The suspect held his weapon out and demanded the victim’s property. The victim quickly complied and the suspects fled.
“All three of the victims were USC students and the robberies occurred pretty quickly,” said Dept. of Public Safety Capt. David Carlisle. “We think this is the same group passing through the neighborhood and taking advantage of the people they encounter.”
DPS is currently working with the LAPD Southwest division to find the suspects.
Carlisle encourages students to take reasonable precautions to prevent more incidents from occurring.
“Go in a group if you’re going to be off campus after dark,” Carlisle said. “Don’t go out alone because you’re more vulnerable that way. Better yet, take Campus Cruiser or other university transportation.”
Carlisle said he does not suspect the incidents to be gang-related and encourages any students who saw the robberies to contact DPS or LAPD.
A whole gang was in the restroom ? Did you call DPS or just go to class?
Seriously, send out a Trojan Alert! I live right at 27th and Hoover…would have been good to know!
Was an alert issued last night?
Seriously, what kind of incident would merit sending out an alert by DPS? Because this incident occurred “off campus” is USC saying this does not warrant issuing an alert? If more students were aware of what was happening then perhaps three attacks would not have occurred and some of the students would have been indoors. Any comments DPS?
How can DPS be so sure this incident isn’t gang-related when a gang was on campus tagging a restroom this past Friday/Saturday?
As yet another politically-correct entity, DPS doesn’t consider crimes committed BY gang-members to be “gang-related”, unless the victim is also a gang-member. And while there are probably a handful of gang members in the USC student population, the odds of robbing three in one night are very very low.