Two BU students robbed outside dormitory

Two Boston University students were robbed at knifepoint early Saturday morning in West Campus, BU officials said.

A male and a female student, who were not injured, were robbed while sitting on a bench outside of Rich Hall around 4:15 a.m. on Saturday, officials said. The suspect allegedly stole $50 and a pack of cigarettes before fleeing the area.

Students were asked to be on the lookout for the suspect, who is described as a white man, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, 160 pounds and clean-shaven. He was reportedly wearing a blue-and-gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a light blue T-shirt.

BU spokesman Colin Riley said police had found someone who may have fit the description, but have been unable to identify the person as the suspect.

As of Monday evening, BUPD did not have any new leads or suspects in connection with the case.

Riley said it is unusual that the robbery was so close to a BU building, let alone right near the BU Police Department station. Knife attacks such as these are rare on campus, he said.

An Emergency Alert email was sent to students late Saturday morning, detailing the robbery and warning the BU community to take extra caution, whether on or off campus. The email mistakenly referred to the alleged victims as both women, Riley said.

Some students who live in West Campus who had not yet read their email said they were unaware that the robbery had occurred.

School of Education sophomore Emily Bernstein said she has heard that there is usually more crime in Allston, which is near West Campus.

‘They should have more security over here since it is closer to Allston,’ she said. BUPD is located at 32 Harry Agganis Way, one street over from the West Campus complex.

College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Dorothy Filiotis had not heard of the crime.

‘It makes sense to come here looking for someone to rob,’ Filiotis, a Rich Hall resident, said. ‘Most kids have money on them.’

Although he said he had not read the email about the robbery, CAS sophomore William Dubbs said he was surprised a robbery had happened in West.

‘It’s scary for something like that to happen this close to where we live,’ Dubbs said.

Rich Hall resident Suhina Minocha said she was at breakfast with friends Saturday morning when someone got a text about the robbery.

‘We all freaked out about it for a good minute,’ Minocha, a College of Engineering sophomore, said. ‘This was at a completely well-lit area and there’s a security guard virtually right there. It threw us off that it could happen at such a close proximity.’

Minocha said she had not heard of anyone getting mugged outside the West Campus complex before, where there are people coming in and out even early in the morning.

‘I’ve heard of people getting mugged near the [Metcalf Center for Science and Engineering] or the [stairs behind Metcalf leading up to the Beacon Street bridge], but that’s all the dark, dingy areas,’ she said. ‘But this is a residential area, there are people awake at every point in the night.’

Minocha said she’s trying to be more cautious when she goes out at night.

‘Everyone is a little bit more on edge,’ she said.

CAS freshman Kevin Cronan said he was surprised to hear about the robbery because he usually feels safe at West Campus.

Cronan said while BUPD could have done little in preventing this specific crime, they might want to increase surveillance around specific areas at night and early in the morning when students are still out.

‘People should be a little more conscious at that time anyway,’ he said.

Staff reporter Lilia Stantcheva contributed to the reporting of this article.