August 25, 2004

Campus Safety Alert

Southern Illinois University Carbondale police are investigating an attempted strong-armed robbery that occurred on the sidewalk on the north side of Morris Library at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24.

The victim, a female SIUC student with disabilities, was in her wheelchair when two African-American men grabbed a book bag from the woman's left hand. The suspects unzipped the book bag and the contents spilled out. A passerby came to the woman's aid and the suspects dropped the book bag and ran. The suspects did not display a weapon.

The victim told police the same two men followed and harassed her in the Student Center on Monday. The victim did not sustain any injuries in Tuesday's incident.

The first suspect is an African-American male, in his 20s, about 6 feet tall, 150 pounds, with short hair. The second suspect is an African-American male, also in his 20s, 6 feet, 5 inches tall and 350 pounds. Both suspects were wearing baggy white T-shirts and black pants.

Anyone with information about the incident should call the SIUC Department of Public Safety at 618/453-2381 or the Crime Stopper Line at 618/549-COPS.