More University Robberies

The Minnesota Daily, campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota, reports more robberies of students: "Three robberies, an assault reported near the University".

These crimes follow a disturbing trend of violent crime on or near campus, which I've documented previously in this blog. It's clear that the University environs are not immune from the Minneapolis culture of lawlessness.

The Minnesota Daily details the crimes:

A University student was robbed about 1:35 a.m. Sunday outside her apartment complex 1301 University, close enough to home that the security cameras caught the incident.

Monica Leitner, a journalism and political science junior, said a car drove to the corner of 13th Avenue Southeast and Fourth Street Southeast. A man got out of the car and got her to come over to the corner.

He pushed her to the ground, took her purse and then got back into the car that had circled around the block, she said.

“It happened so quick,” she said. “The next thing I know, I was on the ground and he was in the car.”

And this:

About one hour later, another University student was robbed near the intersection of 15th Avenue Southeast and Brook Avenue Southeast.

Keith Schroder saw the robbery. He said he saw a man and woman walking along the street together behind another woman.

The couple split up, the woman took a right and the man ran up and took the student’s purse, Schroder said.

Ron Reier, public information officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, said the man had run from behind the victim, pushed her down and never said a word to her.

Reier said she never saw him coming, and received no injuries.

Schroder said the crime seemed to be “orchestrated.”

Some will say that the above incidents happened late at night when people shouldn't be out anyway, but I reject that premise. Students are notorious for being out at all hours socializing, or, yes, even studying. Some of the libraries are open 24 hours. Add to that late night jobs or activities, and you've got a lot of people with legitimate reasons to be out.

They shouldn't have to worry about getting mugged.

Not every incident happened in the early hours. This one is even more disturbing:

About 10 p.m. Saturday, two women were robbed at gunpoint near the corner of 11th Avenue Southeast and Fifth Street Southeast, according to police.

Teresa Gramse said she and her cousin were walking on the sidewalk when two men passed them.

She said they heard, “Give me your purse,” and when they turned around the men had a handgun.

Gramse said they immediately gave the men the purses.

Gramse said $30 and her driver’s license were stolen. They took $90 and a digital camera from her cousin.

Sometimes they just beat you up:

Minneapolis police responded early Sunday morning to an assault near 15th Avenue Southeast and Rollins Avenue Southeast.

John Kreuch, a computer science sophomore, said he was walking along 15th Avenue Southeast when he passed two men standing on the sidewalk.

When he walked by, the men assaulted him by kicking and punching him, Kreuch said.

Kreuch said he’s not sure whether they took anything from him because it’s “all kind of a blur.”

Kreuch said he went to the hospital and needed stitches on his lip. He also plans to get a tooth replaced.

And finally, more dangerous people are walking the streets in Minneapolis:

Police broke up a fight that resulted in the arrest of a man for probable cause related to a felony assault.

Greg Hestness, chief of police for the University, said an officer observed a fight Thursday near 27th Avenue Southeast and Delaware Street Southeast and went to break it up. In the process he learned that one of the men involved was picked up on probable cause for an incident that occurred in south Minneapolis.

According to a police report, the previous crime was assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to the report, on Jan. 9 a person was stabbed multiple times while being assaulted by five or six suspects. The suspects fled on foot in different directions.

Police said they believe the man arrested was connected to both crimes.

The Minneapolis Quagmire deepens.