Junior robbed near Saint Clare Hall on Sunday; iPod stolen
From Staff Reports
A male Santa Clara student was robbed on The Alameda just north of Benton Street at around 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to Santa Clara police.
Police said the victim was walking northbound on The Alameda on the west side of the sidewalk.
The suspect, who was walking in front of him, turned around at the 3300 block by Benton Street, approached the victim and told him to give up anything he had, said Santa Clara police spokesman Mike Sellers.
No weapon was displayed, but the victim handed over his iPod and headphones in fear for his safety, Sellers said.
Santa Clara police report the suspect was described as a Hispanic male, approximately 20 to 25 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a closely shaved head. He was wearing an orange T-shirt.
The victim, who asked to remain anonymous, resides in St. Clare Residence Hall. He said he was coming home from a friend's house when the suspect ran up to him.
"He was really angry and yelling and he had one hand in his pocket," said the victim. "Instead of chancing it, I gave him my iPod."
The student, a junior, said he handed the suspect his 80 gigabyte iPod. The robber checked the student's pants pockets, but missed the wallet and cell phone in his jacket.
In a university-wide e-mail, Campus Safety Director Charlie Arolla stated that an individual closely matching this description was seen a few minutes earlier at the 7-Eleven store located at Benton and The Alameda.
The clerk described him as being a Hispanic male, 5 feet 2 inches tall with a shaved head, wearing a red T-shirt and white pants.
In the e-mail, Arolla encouraged students to exercise caution when walking alone late at night in areas surrounding the campus and to travel in pairs whenever possible.
Students and university community members may request an escort from Campus Safety officers to travel to off-campus residence halls during nighttime hours.
"I didn't think that I would ever get my iPod stolen just walking home from a house two blocks away," said the victim.
From staff reports. E-mail news@thesantaclara.com.