An unknown suspect forcefully robbed an SF State student of their laptop Tuesday afternoon in front of the Station Café, according to a university police press release.
The student who was robbed said they were sitting near the café on 19th and Holloway avenues by the HSS Building when their laptop was taken.
An employee at Station Café, Christian Ortega, 28, identified the victim as a woman.
He said a car pulled into the carpool lane and a man, who was about 5-foot-9 and wearing all black, got out. Ortega heard a woman scream and then saw the man run back to the car with the computer.
Ortega estimated the suspect was 20 to 25 years old but said he could only see around his eyes due to the mask he was wearing.
The person who was the target of the crime attempted to thwart the robbery, but was unsuccessful. The victim was lacerated amid the tussle, which the press release described as a minor injury. She said she did not see a weapon and it is unknown whether the suspect had one.
The student said they did not pursue the suspect who fled to a nearby black Toyota Camry with tinted windows and no plates that had a driver behind the wheel waiting to make their escape.
According to the victim, the suspect who took the laptop was wearing a black SF State sweatshirt, black pants and a black surgical mask.
There is no description of the driver at this time.
University police said in the press release that it will be increasing patrols in the area of Station Café.
Police are encouraging anyone with information on the incident to contact them at (415) 338-2222 or the anonymous tip line at (415)338-3030.
This incident comes only days after Gabriel Vasquez, 22, a third-year SF State student, reported his scooter was stolen from behind the J. Paul Leonard library at the bike lockup.
Vasquez said on Aug. 27 he locked up his black Segway scooter and entered the library at around 9 a.m. and left around noon to find his scooter missing.
Vasquez contacted the non-emergency police number and said University police Officer Timothy Barber responded to the call.
“In my mind, I feel like there’s no way that this was going to be recovered, as much as the officer reassured me,” Vasquez said. “After the occurrence of this happening— I felt very unsafe and unprotected. I felt like anyone could come up to you, especially with the story of [the student’s] laptop who just got stolen and they were attacked.”
From 2017-19 there have been 20 robberies and 66 vehicle thefts on Sf State’s main campus, including campus residential, according to the SF State annual security report. There have been 124 burglaries.
University police are recommending students use the SafeWalk service which is an escort provided to anyone by police officers to all on-campus buildings, attached residential properties and all parking lots. Call 415-338-7200 to request one
Editor’s note: This was story was updated at 1:09 p.m. with most recent information.
