DePaul University students targeted in violent Lincoln Park, Chicago robberies near Seminary and Belden, Racine and Belden

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago police are investigating after multiple DePaul University students became targets of violent robberies in at least two separate attacks on the Lincoln Park campus Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

The first one happened just after 10 p.m. Saturday near the campus’s quad area off of Seminary and Belden.

That’s when, the university and police said, two male suspects wearing black hoodies and gray pants walked up to an 18-year-old man, an 18-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl, who were sitting on a hill. The suspects demanded the victims’ cellphones before striking the 16-year-old and getting away with all three victims’ property.

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Hours later, just after 2 a.m. Sunday, the university said, three more students were robbed outside of a dormitory at Racine and Belden, where junior student Diego Galloza lives.

“This shouldn’t have to be constantly happening to us,” Galloza said.

Authorities said four masked, armed suspects, wearing all black, hopped out of a car before demanding the students’ belongings. Police said a 19-year-old woman, who initially refused to give up her things, was then pistol-whipped before the thieves got away.

“It really hit me. Like, how are students getting mugged and assaulted on, basically, my own front porch?” said freshman student Phillip Nunez. “We’re all attending this university to gain an education, and not to be afraid.”

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As the crime alerts were sent out, word quickly spread, and so did fear amongst DePaul students.

“Anytime I do read them, you know, it brings a sense of almost dread,” Nunez said. “Always got to keep that one ear pod out, you know, looking over because you never know what’s going to happen.”

This isn’t first time thieves have targeted students at DePaul. And, while school leaders have, once again, promised to increase security on campus, some students say that isn’t enough after the recent robberies.

READ MORE | Man charged with attacking DePaul students in campus bathroom, parking garage: CPD, school

“We definitely need more of a police presence, and I think we have to acknowledge the fact that crime is actually occurring in our city,” said senior student Samantha Arce.

The university said in both attacks, the suspects escaped in a silver Toyota Prime, and no one is in custody.

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