Two students mugged outside of T.J. Hoops

Two University students were robbed at gunpoint Wednesday night in the parking lot outside of T.J. Hoops in Durham.

Engineering sophomore Daniel Cook said that he and his roommate, engineering sophomore Brian Albarran, were walking toward the entrance to the club from their car at about 11:30 p.m., when two men jumped from behind some cars and put a handgun in Albarran's face. One of the assailants told Albarran to drop to the ground, and the other put a gun to the back of Cook's head and told him to do the same.

After the assailants took Albarran's wallet, a car drove by the scene of the crime and the robbers started to run away, Cook said. At the same time, the bartender and other T.J. Hoops staff came out of the establishment, saw what was happening and started to chase the assailants, he said.

Zack Chahine, manager of T.J. Hoops, said that two members of his staff walked out of the front entrance and saw Albarran and Cook lying face-down in the parking lot. When the staff realized what was happening, they started shouting at the assailants, trying to scare them away, Chahine said.

A T.J. Hoops employee then called the Durham Police Department, and officers immediately arrived at the scene.

Chahine said incidents of this nature are extremely rare in the area where his establishment is located. "It's the first time in over a year that we've had any problems," he said.

Cook said that the only item taken during the incident was the money in Albarran's wallet. Albarran found the wallet a short time later where the assailants had apparently ditched it, he added.

An official police report on the incident has not yet been filed and a description has not been released. Durham Police Department officials said the case would be assigned to an investigator today.