Multiple armed robberies reported near University of Chicago campus, police say
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The University of Chicago is warning students about recent armed robberies on or near campus.
Chicago police confirm two of those armed robberies happened near UChicago's School of Theology building near 55th and University Avenue.
One of the robberies happened on Saturday, and the other on Sunday. A total of four armed robberies took place since the weekend with more than eight victims.
Up to five robbers walked up to the victims, and demanded their wallets, cell phones, and passwords.
Late Wednesday, the University of Chicago Police Department recovered the vehicle, a gray Kia Sportage, that it's believed was used to commit the crimes.
One student, who didn't want to be identified by name out of fear for his safety, said his friend was one of the robbery victims who was held at gunpoint on Saturday night.
"Five or six guys came up to them and pointed guns to their heads and demanded that they grab all their stuff," he told CBS 2's Marybel Gonzalez. "Phone, wallet, keys to their house, all taken. Physically, they're fine, but they're pretty shaken up, pretty rattled."
While the university had warned students of the attacks, some told CBS 2's Tara Molina that it was too little too late. They called on the school to be quicker in warning about such incidents, and that wasn't the only change they wanted to see.
"I don't want to get robbed in the middle of the night," said Victor, a University of Chicago student.
Students have been tracking the robberies too. Several reached out to CBS 2.
"People are going to have to take some action and that's why we are trying to spread the word," said Henry Cafaro, another student.
Cafaro said, in his third year on campus, he's seen too much to stay quiet.
"I remember when the three kids got killed a couple years ago," he said.
All three of those students were killed in separate incidents in less than a year in 2021. Cafaro said the school took too long to warn them about crimes on or close to campus last weekend.
"The university didn't communicate at all," said Cafaro. "Word of the attacks was traveling by word of mouth, social media and in-person. So students were really freaked out, but there were no emails. There no warnings to watch out for this car, watch out for this area."
An email was sent to students on Monday.
Molina: "So you're saying the school did share the information with students, but they shared it too late?"
Cafaro: "They shared it too late, yeah, and when people reached out over the weekend about why it wasn't being shared, it seemed like the deans didn't really know what was going on."
For some students, communication was the biggest concern, but not the only one, who said they wanted to see more officers on campus. They also want to see the rideshare program kept in place, but cut down this year, brought back to 10 rides per semester.
CBS 2 took students' concerns straight to the university. A spokesperson said the university did share information with students over the weekend but through an opt-in alert system. Students need to sign up to receive those alerts about incidents off campus.
The spokesperson said, "at last count, more than 2,600 people are signed up to receive them ... We strongly encourage anyone in the UChicago community to sign up."
In a statement, a university spokesperson also said:
"On October 17, the University issued a security alert regarding an armed robbery that occurred at 1314 E. 58th Street. The robbery appears to be a part of a pattern of robberies earlier reported by the University of Chicago Police Department in a crime notice on October 14 and in the Daily Crime Bulletin on October 16. The four armed robberies over the weekend occurred off campus (5401 S. University, 5631 S. Kenwood, 1121 E. 54th Pl, and 5436 S. University). Details can also be found on the crime log.
"The University takes all crimes seriously. The University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) has increased patrols in the area and is actively working in collaboration with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. UCPD obtained the license plate number and vehicle make and model; we shared this information with our community to help identify the suspects and aid in their apprehension. We will incorporate feedback from our community into strengthening our efforts. CPD is investigating the crimes as the lead investigating agency."
The spokesperson did not address students' concerns about delayed warnings.
Chicago police are still investigating all of the recent incidents.
Here is the full text of the university's email to students:
Dear UChicago students,
This weekend, four armed robberies occurred near campus. According to reports, it appears as if the robberies were committed by the same perpetrators. Fortunately, no one was physically injured. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is actively investigating, and the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) has increased patrols in the area.
In addition to sharing an update on the robberies (more details can be found on our crime log), we are writing to highlight information and resources that you can use to get timely information about off-campus safety, including crimes and patterns of crime in neighborhoods near the University. Especially for students and families who are new to UChicago, this is a good time to review safety measures and the ways in which we alert people to serious crimes that occur off-campus.
General information on campus safety, staying informed and related safety resources can be found at the Department of Safety and Security (DSS) website.
All students automatically receive Security Alerts for certain crimes that occur on campus, in accordance with federal law. Please visit the Department of Safety and Security websiteto learn more about the guidelines for Security Alerts. Parents and others who wish to sign up to receive Security Alerts can do so by visiting: https://lists.uchicago.edu/web/info/community-alerts/
In addition, we strongly encourage everyone to sign up for both types of opt-in safety alerts regarding off-campus crime. (Each of the recent four robberies were included in either the Crime Notice or Daily Crime Bulletin sent Saturday and today.)
Crime Notices – These notices are sent as needed on a timely basis for three types of serious off-campus crimes that have been reported to UCPD: homicides, shootings, and patterns of robberies. To sign up to receive Crime Notices, please visit: https://lists.uchicago.edu/web/info/ucpd-crime-notice
Crime Bulletin – This summary is sent once each weekday to inform interested community members about serious crimes that have been reported to UCPD. The Crime Bulletin summary encompasses more crimes than the timely Crime Notices, including homicides, criminal sexual assaults, robberies, aggravated batteries, and residential burglaries that have been classified as home invasions. To receive the daily Crime Bulletin, please visit: https://lists.uchicago.edu/web/info/ucpd-crime-bulletin
These channels are designed to be useful for anyone who wants to stay informed about crimes that occur off-campus. Crime Notices typically are sent quickly to help people guide their behavior, focusing on the most serious crimes; Crime Bulletins are sent each weekday morning and include information about a broader set of crimes.
Thank you for your support as we continue to collaborate with our neighbors and campus partners to build a safe and thriving community.
Eric M. Heath
Associate Vice President for Safety & Security
Michele Rasmussen
Dean of Students in the University
