Police following leads on university-area robberies, no suspects identified
Updated: Saturday 1:37 p.m.
Police are currently investigating possible leads into the three robberies over the last week on and near the Syracuse University campus. Sgt. Tom Connellan, of the Syracuse Police Department, declined to give details on the leads and said police have not identified any suspects.
The three robberies seem to have been committed by the same two men, according to descriptions of the robbers submitted by each of the victims. Police declined to say that it is the same two men who have committed all three robberies. No one was injured in any of the robberies.
‘It’s possible that there are a couple of folks that are looking for an opportunity and taking advantage of it,’ said Tony Callisto, SU Department of Public Safety chief.
Two students were robbed Monday in a span of about an hour. A State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry student was robbed at gunpoint at 9:21 p.m. in the rear parking lot of 101 Smith Lane, just south of the SU campus.
Then, an SU student was robbed as he walked behind Heroy Geology Laboratory on the SU campus at 10:15 p.m., but did not report the incident until Thursday night, Callisto said.
The SU student was walking behind Heroy on the way to his residence hall when he saw a late model, dented and scratched Honda drive up. Two men exited the car, one from the driver’s seat and one from the rear, and approached the student. They demanded money and grabbed the student’s wallet. The student turned and ran, and did not see the two men leave, Callisto said.
The student described the first robber as a black male, mid-late 20s, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, medium build, and wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt and light-colored blue jeans. The other man was black, mid-late 20s, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, and wearing a brown sweatshirt with an Element logo on the front and black baggy jeans, Callisto said.
Two other ESF students were robbed at gunpoint at the 100 block of Judson Street near Westcott Street Wednesday at 10:25 p.m.
The SU student did not report seeing a firearm, while the Smith Lane victim and Judson Street victims did report seeing one. Police declined to release the names of the victims at this time.
SPD is leading the investigation of the off-campus robberies and has increased marked patrols of those areas.
DPS issued news alerts via e-mail to the university community last week after each reported robbery, alerting students to the robberies and reminding them of safety precautions.
Check back at dailyorange.com for more updates.
Published on September 11, 2009 at 12:00 pm