Sarah Muench
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 25, 2006 12:00 AM
TEMPE - Four people were robbed at gunpoint over the weekend, adding to a rash of armed robberies targeting people walking or standing near Arizona State University.
"They are stealing people's purses, wallets in the case of men. They are using extremely confrontational and potentially deadly force for stealing someone's wallet or purse," Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters said Monday.
The city logged an average of six robberies a week in 2005. Police are attempting to determine if the current crimes are linked.
"I think that's one of the reasons that we are looking at if there is a group or one person going around targeting people walking or standing at a public sidewalk," Masters said.
In four Sunday robberies involving seven victims between 3:30 and 11:30 a.m., four were victims walking or standing near ASU.
Less than a week ago, two women, ages 19 and 21, were robbed. One was punched in the face and one struck with a baseball bat at night as they were walking alone near ASU.
And earlier this month, a man was robbed at a bus stop near the university.
Six of the 10 victims have been women; most of the victims are in their early 20s and seven were robbed near the campus, mostly at night.
In all of the robberies on Sunday, handguns were used by the robbers, all of them men.
Masters cautioned Monday that a link has not been made, but he added, "Our robbery detectives aren't ruling it out."
Police began increasing patrols in the area Wednesday, using more officers on horses and bicycles.
Danielle O'Neil, 21, an ASU graphic design major who lives near campus, said she wouldn't even walk to an on-campus parking structure alone.
"I think it is scary because this is supposed to be an area of college students, which is a big reason for why people come here for school," she said.
The Sunday incidents were:
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