October 12, 2010

Campus Safety Alert

The Southern Illinois University Carbondale Department of Public Safety is investigating a robbery and aggravated battery that occurred Sunday, Oct. 10, along the sidewalk on the south side of the Student Recreation Center on East Grand Avenue.

The robbery occurred at about 12:50 a.m. Several witnesses found a 21-year-old male SIUC student unconscious on the ground. One of the witnesses told police a large number of men were in the area where the victim was found as the witnesses were walking toward the crosswalk on Grand Avenue. Witnesses said the men ran as they approached the victim.

The victim’s wallet and cellular telephone were taken in the robbery, police said.

The victim told police he did not see who knocked him to the ground. He received a bruise on the left side of his neck, and refused medical treatment.

Anyone with information about the incident should call the SIUC Department of Public Safety at 618/453-3771 or the Crime Stopper Line at 618/549-COPS.

Police advise members of the campus community to be aware of their surroundings at all times, and if traveling at night to use the Saluki Express, Night Safety Transit Service and Brightway Path. In addition, emergency phones are located across campus, including on both overpasses.

For more information on safety precautions, visit the Department of Public Safety website at http://www.dps.siu.edu/.