Spring Break
Thief carries out armed robbery in broad daylight
Sam Sheffield
Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: News
Serious crimes are unsettling, but, given the recent events at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech, they are even more so when they involve the use of a weapon directly adjacent to a college campus in the middle of the day.
Two armed robberies were reported last Wednesday, April 2, between 1:10 and 1:30 p.m., one of which took place across the street from the UMKC School of Law.
An e-mail from UMKC campus police alerted students, faculty and staff of the incidents. It stated a person was robbed at gunpoint in the Central United Methodist Church's parking lot at 52nd and Oak streets.
Several minutes later, a woman was held up at the intersection of 51st and Main streets by a person matching the description from the first robbery, according to the e-mail.
The afternoon robbery suspect was described as a 6-foot-1-inch black male of medium build, in his mid-20s, wearing a dark hat and baggy clothing.
The e-mail report said the suspect carried a silver semi-automatic handgun with a black and white bandana covering it.
The first victim was stopped and told to keep his head and eyes down, and to drop his wallet and cell phone, according to the report. The second victim had an undetermined item taken from her. Their names and information have been withheld to ensure their privacy. Neither person was harmed physically in any way.
The Central United Methodist Church's pastor stated the victim wasn't a church member and he just happened to be robbed in the church's parking lot. The victim then went to the Law School and called the police.
UMKC Police Sergeant Dean Leach confirmed the police had been called from the UMKC Law School, and said the first victim was a UMKC student. Leach said the Kansas City Police Department was in charge of the investigation since it happened off campus.
An employee at one of the businesses on Main Street, who declined to be named, said he had been in the area when the incident happened. He said he saw the victim surrounded by police after the fact, and he saw a man that might have fit the suspect's description.
Two armed robberies were reported last Wednesday, April 2, between 1:10 and 1:30 p.m., one of which took place across the street from the UMKC School of Law.
An e-mail from UMKC campus police alerted students, faculty and staff of the incidents. It stated a person was robbed at gunpoint in the Central United Methodist Church's parking lot at 52nd and Oak streets.
Several minutes later, a woman was held up at the intersection of 51st and Main streets by a person matching the description from the first robbery, according to the e-mail.
The afternoon robbery suspect was described as a 6-foot-1-inch black male of medium build, in his mid-20s, wearing a dark hat and baggy clothing.
The e-mail report said the suspect carried a silver semi-automatic handgun with a black and white bandana covering it.
The first victim was stopped and told to keep his head and eyes down, and to drop his wallet and cell phone, according to the report. The second victim had an undetermined item taken from her. Their names and information have been withheld to ensure their privacy. Neither person was harmed physically in any way.
The Central United Methodist Church's pastor stated the victim wasn't a church member and he just happened to be robbed in the church's parking lot. The victim then went to the Law School and called the police.
UMKC Police Sergeant Dean Leach confirmed the police had been called from the UMKC Law School, and said the first victim was a UMKC student. Leach said the Kansas City Police Department was in charge of the investigation since it happened off campus.
An employee at one of the businesses on Main Street, who declined to be named, said he had been in the area when the incident happened. He said he saw the victim surrounded by police after the fact, and he saw a man that might have fit the suspect's description.
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