Stanford police investigate second armed robbery
Police sketches depict two men who are wanted for questioning in connection with the May 10 robbery of a female undergraduate in a campus parking lot. The woman was not injured, police said.
The Stanford Department of Public Safety has increased the number of personnel patrolling campus in response to two recent armed robberies at the university.
The most recent incident took place approximately 11:30 p.m. Monday, May 15. Three men approached a male graduate student near the entrance to Crothers Memorial Hall and asked him for directions, police said. One of the men was armed with a handgun and instructed the student to hand over his money. He complied, and the three men departed. The student was unharmed, police said.
The men were last seen leaving the area in a red sedan on Escondido Road traveling toward Campus Drive.
A similar incident took place about 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, in the parking lot adjacent to Toyon Hall, police officials reported. A female undergraduate student was walking to her car when two men approached her. After talking with the student briefly, one of the men pointed a small handgun at her and asked her to get into her car, police said. After she complied, they asked her for all her money, which she surrendered. Then they fled. The woman did not recognize the two men and was unharmed, police said. She called the police, who searched the area but did not locate the suspects.
"The safety and security of Stanford community members is of paramount importance to the university and its leaders," university President John Hennessy said. "We are working with our chief of police, who has immediately increased the number of personnel on patrol, and with the Office of Student Affairs to ensure that students are both aware of the two robberies and taking precautions to ensure their own safety."
Sketches of the men in the May 10 incident have been issued by the police department and are available at http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2006/may17/pdf/may10sketch.pdf.
They were described as black, both approximately 18 years old. One was about 5-feet-6-inches tall and weighed approximately 175 pounds, with a medium build, dark eyes, black, short, curly hair and a very short goatee. He was last seen wearing a dark bandanna on his head, a white long-sleeved T-shirt and black baggy cargo pants. The second was described as 5-feet-9-inches tall and weighing approximately 175 pounds, with a medium build, dark eyes, black, short, curly hair and no facial hair. He was last seen wearing a dark baseball cap, a black-and-white collared shirt with horizontal stripes and dark baggy pants.
Sketches of two of the three men involved in the May 15 incident have been issued by the police department and are available at http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2006/may17/pdf/may15sketch.pdf.
The three men were described as black with dark complexions. The first was described as in his early 20s, 5-feet-7-inches to 5-feet-10-inches tall and weighing 150 pounds. The second also was described as in his early 20s, 5-feet-5-inches to 5-feet-7-inches tall with a heavy or chubby build, weighing approximately 240 to 250 pounds, and armed with a black semiautomatic handgun. The third man was in his 20s, approximately 5-feet-5-inches to 5-feet-7-inches tall with a medium build.
Both cases are under investigation, and the men remain at large. The Department of Public Safety urges anyone with information about either incident to contact the dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.
"Historically, Stanford has been a very safe community, but we also recognize that the university is part of the larger world, and we remind students to walk and travel with friends, use well-lighted routes at night and carry cell phones," Hennessy said. "I encourage students with concerns or information to speak immediately with their resident fellows, residence deans or graduate deans. At the same time, university leaders will continue to communicate frequently and widely through the student and staff newspapers, e-mails and the university website."
Safety suggestionsThe Stanford Department of Public Safety urges members of the Stanford community to take safety precautions both on campus and off campus.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Avoid using headphones and other devices that muffle noise.
- Walk and travel with friends.
- Call 5-SURE (725-7873) for rides on campus from 9 p.m. until 1:30 a.m.
- At night, use well-lighted pedestrian routes.
- Carry a cell phone. Report suspicious activity immediately.
- Call 911 from your cell phone or 9-911 from a campus phone.
- While on the campus, familiarize yourself with the locations of the tall blue emergency telephone towers.
For more information, refer to the "Safety and Security Almanac" at http://police.stanford.edu/crimestats.pdf and the "Suggested Travel Routes" map at http://www.stanford.edu/group/SUDPS/STR_Map_8-16-05.pdf
Campus officer apprehends armed suspect in May 9 incidentThe May 10 and May 16 robberies followed an incident that took place Tuesday, May 9, in which authorities arrested a man who allegedly was involved in a commercial burglary at the Stanford Shopping Center.
According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, the suspect fled through the main campus on a motorized scooter. A Stanford deputy later spotted him and gave chase. The deputy was able to restrain the suspect, who brandished a sawed-off shotgun, with the help of a passer-by, police said.
Chad McCall, 35, was placed under arrest on suspicion of assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm at a police officer, possession of an illegal firearm and possession of stolen property. The Sheriff's Office is investigating that case.