Northwestern grad student robbed of phone at gunpoint

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Updated: January 27, 2012 3:17PM

A Northwestern University graduate student was robbed of his cell phone after a gun was pointed at his chest Thursday afternoon near the Evanston campus.

It happened about 2:50 p.m. as the student walked east on Garnett Place from Ridge Avenue, a security alert from Northwestern University said.

Two men approached and took a cell phone from him. One of the men pointed a gun at the student’s chest and told him to put his hands up, while the other took the victim’s bag and went through it, Evanston police said. The robbers took the student’s Samsung cell phone, according to police.

The student went to a campus emergency phone at Maple Avenue and Emerson Street and activated it. Police officers from the Evanston and Northwestern police departments responded, the alert said.

The student was not hurt and the cell phone was recovered by Evanston police a short distance away.

The first offender is a black man 20 25, 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds with a medium build. He was wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt and a light colored shirt.

The second man was black, about 15-20, 5-foot-5 and 160 pounds with a medium build and short-cropped hair. He was wearing a black and red fleece jacket, the alert said.

Evanston police are asking anyone who may have information to call (847) 866-5000.

Campus police are reminding students to report suspicious activities immediately to campus or Evanston police by dialing 911 or using a blue light emergency phone.

— Sun-Times Media