Two University of Richmond students were assaulted during the early morning hours of Oct. 3, making a total of 10 on-campus assaults reported in one month.
The victims, a Westhampton College student and a Richmond College student, were attacked without provocation within the same hour of the night.
Each victim described the assailants as a group of three to four black males.
An official connection between the two assaults has yet to be made, URPD Capt. Beth Simonds said.
These two cases, along with the eight other assaults, remain part of many ongoing investigations, Simonds said. No arrests have been made at this time.
A Westhampton College student was walking down UR Drive, across from the 100 block of the University Forest Apartments, when a group of unknown males approached her from behind.
The assailants began to verbally harass her, and one of the men draped his arms around the woman's shoulders, Simonds said.
The woman managed to run away from the assailants and reported the incident to campus police the next afternoon.
On the same side of campus, between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., a Richmond College student was attacked and robbed by a group of three to four black males.
The student was walking alone on the bridge that connects R-lot and the Modlin Center parking lot when he was approached by the group of assailants.
Without provocation, the men attacked the student from behind, knocked him to the ground and stole a watch from his wrist.
The assailants fled the scene after they took the victim's watch. The student did not report any injuries in need of medical attention.
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Simonds said that campus police had received many substantial tips from students regarding recent on-campus crimes and assaults.
Campus police continue to increase patrols on campus and have encouraged students to exercise caution for their personal safety.
Campus police recommend that students:
* Do not walk alone at night
* Avoid unlit areas of campus
* Use the safety shuttle
* Review additional personal safety tips detailed on the University Police website at: http://police.richmond.edu/prevention/index.html
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Contact staff writer Fred Shaia at fred.shaia@richmond.edu
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