A University of Minnesota student escaped an attempted robbery on campus Sunday night.
Mathematics sophomore Lucy Yang was walking along Church Street SE when the suspect — a male between the ages of 18 and 25, wearing a gray polo shirt — exited a vehicle and grabbed her backpack.
When Yang resisted, a second suspect drove a four-door sedan onto the sidewalk, blocking her escape.
“I was taken aback,” Yang said. “I have felt safe [on Church Street SE] up until [Sunday].”
Most robberies happen one or two blocks off campus rather than on campus, University of Minnesota Police Department Deputy Chief Chuck Miner said.
“We encourage people to fight for their safety, not necessarily their property,” Miner said. “Depending on the type of resistance you’re getting, it’s not always beneficial to put yourself in harm’s way for your belongings.”
The suspects fled southbound on Church Street SE through the pedestrian mall area.
Yang was uninjured and managed to escape the confrontation with her backpack.
“Everything happened so quickly,” she said. “I can’t say that if I’d done something else, it would have turned out differently or better. I’m just lucky I got out unharmed and intact.”
