Two UM students were robbed at gunpoint early Saturday morning, several blocks off campus. The students were not harmed.
Police would not release specifics regarding the incident, including whether the students were male or female, or whether anything was taken. The students were walking from a house on Southwest 58th Ave. and Southwest 52nd Terrace.
The crime occurred at approximately 12:45 a.m., in the area of Red Road and Miller Road.
According to the safety advisory the University of Miami Police Department (UMPD) issued, the offender is described as a 5-foot-8-inch black male, with shoulder-length curly hair. He is described as having a thin build, and was seen wearing black baggy pants and a light or white tank top.
The incident is part of an ongoing investigation.
Though the crime took place several blocks off campus, UM helped the students recover.
“Our University of Miami Police Department and student affairs on call staff responded immediately, providing support for the students throughout the morning and weekend,” said Patricia Whitely, vice president for student affairs.
By law, UMPD is not required to send an advisory to students informing them of the crimes that occur out of their jurisdiction.
“We sent out a crime advisory, even though by law we don’t have to send that out. It’s something extra we do for our students,” UMPD Police Chief David Rivero said.
Though UM’s campus crime rates have gone down 16 percent this year, according to Rivero, he still encourages students walking back to campus late at night to “follow safety protocol.”
“We’re bound to go around campus and make sure that’s safe. We patrol our campus, we can’t leave it because we run into jurisdictional problems,” he said.
Sophomore Ali Pezzi was walking near the area where the crime took place at approximately 3:30 a.m. Saturday with three other girls.
The next day, after learning of the incident, Pezzi did not feel safe.
“I thought I was safe, but after hearing that I am scared and rethinking, ‘why did I walk home then?’” she said. “That could have been me. It freaked me out, you know? It still scared me because they were in a group when that happened.”
Rivero and UMPD encourage students to bike back, walk in groups or take cabs. Should they encounter a problem, he encourages them to call 911 for help.