A University of Illinois at Chicago student was robbed off-campus Tuesday, the latest in a series of robberies near the campus.
The female student was standing in the 1400 block of West Lexington at 5:27 p.m. when a man exited a white SUV and demanded her purse, according to UIC police in a statement to students and faculty.
The man grabbed the student's purse and knocked her to the ground, before fleeing north on Loomis in the SUV. The offender was described as an 18- to 23-year-old black male, about 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, wearing a black skull cap. The student was not injured, police said.
Dozens of crime alerts were sent to UIC students last year following a series of robberies in and around campus. UIC police in November addressed concerns and confirmed campus crime alerts were up.
"We're trying -- we're more active than ever in trying to make people aware of crime as it occurs and what they can do to prevent it," said UIC spokesman Bill Burton.
Police warn students to be aware of their surroundings and not to wear headphones or ear-buds when walking alone. They also urge students to avoid displaying electronic devices on the street and to travel in groups when possible.
Anyone with information about the Tuesday robbery is asked to call UIC Police at 312-996-2830.
