NEWS

CHAPEL HILL -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill police warned the campus community tonight (Sept. 19) to stay alert and take extra safety precautions after a report of an armed robbery in a residence hall room.

No injuries were reported in the 6:51 p.m. incident, which occurred in Avery Residence Hall, located off Ridge Road near the Boshamer Baseball Stadium.

An 18-year-old student reported being robbed at gunpoint of a laptop computer, a cell phone, jewelry and a small amount of cash while in his room by a man who showed a gun, said UNC Police Chief Derek Poarch. No shots were fired, Poarch said.

The victim gave police the following description: The gunman was a black male approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, 185 pounds with a medium to dark complexion and no facial hair. He wore his hair in a tight cornrow style and had on a gray T-shirt, blue jeans and boots.

"Students, faculty and staff should take tonight’s report seriously and respond by taking extra precautions with their personal safety," Poarch said. "The department of public safety will continue a thorough investigation of this case."

He said faculty, staff and students should observe the following safety tips:

Don’t walk alone at night. If you must walk alone, make sure someone knows of your destination, route and estimated time of return or arrival. Stay in pairs or groups. Use the buddy system.

Residence hall residents should keep all room and hall doors locked and not admit non-residents into the building or individual rooms. (By policy, exterior residence hall doors are locked 24 hours daily.)

Report suspicious activity by calling 911 or using emergency call boxes on campus. Be alert. Pay attention to your surroundings. Avoid areas that are isolated, dimly lit or dark. Use Chapel Hill Transit, now free to all passengers, and its expanded university and community service. Use the Point-to-Point express service, free to students, which follows a fixed route among posted stops.

Police ask citizens with information about the assault to call either UNC police or Carrboro-Chapel Hill-UNC Crime Stoppers at 942-7515. All conversations are confidential; no one must identify themselves or appear in court. For additional safety information, click to www.dps.unc.edu.

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UNC police contact: Chief Derek Poarch, (919) 966-5730 (Available at this number Friday.)

News Services contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593