Possible link between Commonwealth Avenue assault reports

Two recent reports of assault and robbery in Allston near Boston University’s campus may be connected, the BU Police Department said.

The most recent incident on July 17, reportedly occurred near the address of 1092 Commonwealth Ave., located just beyond BU’s West Campus.

According to the report, a woman told the Boston Police Department that an African-American man choked her from behind at 2:19 a.m. as she was walking down the street. After knocking her to the ground, the woman claimed the man took her cell phone and ran toward Naples Street.

The woman described her assailant as a thin and light-skinned black man of average height. He was wearing a black hat, black shirt and khakis, she said.

This report is similar to an earlier reported crime on July 9. According to the police report, a woman said she was assaulted and robbed at 12:30 a.m. by the intersection of Naples Road and Commonwealth Avenue, only a block from the site of the previous incident.

As with the previous assault, the attacker was able to take the belongings of the victim, in this case her purse, after a physical struggle, the report said.

The woman described her attacker as a black male with similar characteristics as the suspect in the July 9 case.

In both instances, the victim was speaking on a cell phone.

Students were instructed to be careful when walking alone late at night in an emergency alert emailed to students Tuesday by BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins.

In the alert, Robbins gave some safety tips for students walking at night, asking them to remain aware of their surroundings, stay with others, call a taxi or the BU escort service if necessary and contact the BUPD about any suspicious activity.

“Always be aware of your surroundings, whether on or off campus&-speaking on your cell phone while walking alone may distract you from possible danger,” Robbins said in the email.