Two students were robbed at gunpoint Monday night in two separate incidents on Central Campus.
The students were not hurt in the attacks and two suspects were taken into custody by both Duke and Durham police officers.
The first student, 21, was robbed at approximately 11 p.m. in a parking lot at 209 Alexander Ave. The second student, also 21, was robbed soon after in a parking lot at 1901 Erwin Rd. The attackers took cash, cell phones and other property from the students.
Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said his staff has been in contact with both students.
“We’ll surround them with whatever they need to help them,” he said.
Moneta attempted to send an e-mail about the robberies to all students at 6 a.m. Tuesday, but undergraduates did not receive it until after 4 p.m. because of a technical problem.
“We are fortunate that our crime rates are very low in this area and especially on campus, but I remind you to always be aware of your surroundings and don’t hesitate to contact Duke Police if you feel threatened in any way,” Moneta wrote.
The attacks are the second and third armed robberies on campus this academic year, but they do not appear to be connected to previous incidents.
The student who was robbed first called 911 at 11:03 p.m. Monday, and all seven Duke University Police Department officers on patrol responded, DUPD Chief John Dailey said.
Nine Durham Police Department officers also responded to the robberies, said DPD Public Information Officer Kammie Michael. One of those officers, L.E. Mazziotto, spotted two men on Anderson Street who matched descriptions of the suspects provided by the victims. Mazziotto and two Duke officers arrested the men, Dantae Trequan Anderson, 17, and Keith Jennings, 21, at approximately 11:25 p.m., Dailey said.
“It’s good for the community,” Dailey said of the arrests. “And it’s great that the students had the presence of mind to call us quickly. If something like this has to happen, it’s great when the systems all work.”
He said police found a .32-caliber revolver in Anderson’s possession and a knife on Jennings. They also found items that were stolen from the students.
Anderson and Jennings are both jailed on $500,000 bond. Both men are charged with armed robbery, and Anderson is also charged with possessing a weapon on educational property.
Dailey said that on average, there are around three to six robberies throughout the entire campus each year.
He added that he hopes the two robberies do not contribute to the impression that Central Campus is unsafe.
“For some reason, there already seems to be a little bit of a perception that Central Campus is not safe,” he said. “People may not feel safe there, but it’s not because there is more crime there.”
Before Monday, there had been two robberies on Central Campus in the past five years, Dailey noted.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.