HOUSTON – Students at the University of Houston were put on alert Wednesday night after a man attacked a student in a parking lot, the University of Houston Department of Public Safety said.
According to a police report, the victim was walking to her car in the parking lot on the north side of the Calhoun Lofts at 8:39 p.m.
Investigators said a man approached the girl and told her she had dropped something.
UH police said the man then punched the girl to the ground and took her purse.
"It kind of scares me,"said student Cesar Guerrero. "My sister lives at the lofts right next to it, so it is scary to think that it could happen to anybody."
Police sent out text messages and emails to students to alert them to the crime.
"As soon as it happens, they usually let us know," said Guerrero.
The witness described her attacker as a black man in his 20s. He was approximately 6 feet tall, 140 to 145 pounds and clean shaven. He was last seen wearing a black shirt with blue and white lettering and khaki shorts.
There have been 14 robberies on campus in the last year, according to the university's security alerts website.
"That is a little scary, but it is a reminder to always be cautious and careful, especially if your a woman, just make sure to keep all your stuff together and have your keys out and always be ready," said student Samantha Arizpe.
Back in December, three armed men entered through a secure door in the basement of one of the dorms and robbed six students of their cellphones and wallets before leaving out of an emergency exit.
Campus police have warned all students to take precautions to stay safe.