The Duke University Police Department released a composite sketch Monday of the man who attempted to rob a female student Oct. 9 near Jarvis Dormitory on East Campus.
DUPD is asking members of the public to contact investigators if they recognize the man and know his name or location. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male between 18 and 25 years old and weighing between 150 and 160 pounds. He was described as between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-6 and was wearing blue jeans, a green baseball cap and a dark blue American Eagle hoodie at the time of the crime.
The University sent a DukeAlert at approximately 5 a.m. the day of the attempted robbery. The alert noted that the suspect told the student he had a gun and demanded her purse. After he walked her to the side of building closest to Campus Drive, however, the student was able to run free.
The DukeAlert was sent as part of the federal Clery Act, which requires DUPD to provide timely crime alerts to members of the Duke community.
The incident has been recorded as first degree kidnapping, armed robbery and assault on a female, according to DUPD’s website. A person is guilty of first-degree kidnapping if the individual kidnapped “either was not released by the defendant in a safe place or had been seriously injured or sexually assaulted,” according to North Carolina general statutes.
Anyone with information pertaining to the case should contact Duke Police Investigator Christine Autry at (919) 684-6424, Durham Police at (919) 560-4427 or Durham CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200.
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