Woman reports robbery after learning University of Michigan student was assaulted Thursday
After learning that a female University of Michigan student was assaulted by a man Thursday morning on Thompson Street, a woman came forward and reported to Ann Arbor police that a man robbed her downtown Monday night.
It's unclear whether the incidents are related, police spokeswoman Lt. Renee Bush said. The descriptions of the suspect are similar.
The 25-year-old Belleville woman told police that at 10:30 p.m. Monday she got out of her car in the 500 block of East Washington Street, when a man confronted her, Bush said.
The man asked for money, police said, but the woman declined to hand any over. That's when the man touched the woman's arm and insisted that she give him money, Bush said. He told her that his family recently moved to the area and he needed money, police said. The woman gave the man some change, Bush said, but he said it wasn't enough.
"She felt she couldn't leave," Bush said. "She felt intimidated."
The man told the woman that he would follow her to an ATM, police said. The victim went to an ATM on South Division Street and withdrew money for him, Bush said. The woman reported the incident at 1:50 p.m. Thursday. Police are treating it as a strong-arm robbery. The victim came forward after she saw a University of Michigan police crime alert about an assault Thursday morning.
In that case, a man grabbed a 21-year-old University of Michigan student's arm about 1:50 a.m. as she was walking in the 500 block of Thompson Street. She struggled with him, broke free and left the area, university police said. She was not injured.
In Monday's robbery, the man was described as black, 55 years of age, 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches tall, bald and with a thin build. He had a medium complexion and was wearing jeans and a dark-colored shirt.
In Thursday's assault, the man was described as black, in his late 50s, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a thin build. He was clean shaven and was bald or had very short hair, police said. The man was wearing a green shirt, dark-colored pants and a white or light-colored baseball cap.
Police have said Thursday's assault does not appear to be related to 6 other attacks on women in Ann Arbor, including 2 rapes, between July 15 and July 26.
Anyone with information on Monday's robbery can call the police department's confidential tip line at (734) 794-6939.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
Ricebrnr
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
in·tim·i·date ? ?[in-tim-i-deyt] verb (used with object), -dat·ed, -dat·ing. 1. to make timid; fill with fear. 2. to overawe or cow, as through the force of personality or by superior display of wealth, talent, etc. 3. to force into or deter from some action by inducing fear: to intimidate a voter into staying away from the polls. That wouldn't be with great bodily injury or death, now would it?
81wolverine
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 2:41 p.m.
With this major outbreak of crime, maybe it would be a wise idea for the City and U-M to beef up their late night patrols so they're MUCH more visible. Yes, it will cost money. But, the U-M has a huge endowment fund they could easily tap into. And the city reduce some of the unnecessary budget items they currently fund (public art for example) to bring back laid off police officers. We're talking about the safety of people downtown and near the campus here. I don't know what's more important than that.
alan
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 2:21 p.m.
If it's the usual guy he's pretty easy to find. Thin, 50's, medium complexion, always wears a cap. Last time I talked to him, at the NW corner of the diag, he was here for a funeral, his car broke down, and his wife was somewhere nearby with his grandchildren. The churches and United Way were all closed, the babies had no diapers or food, and the shelter only served one meal per day. His brother was going to wire him money the next day from Oklahoma but he needed a place for the kids to sleep for the night.
thinker
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 2:20 p.m.
Panhandler! One of the many!
John A2
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.
It sounds like a man came to A2 to receive hand outs. He is so busy looking for handouts he must have forgot to try to apply for a job. I would believe he is destitute and lives "down by the river", or homeless camps. It's kind of strange for someone to move to a place that's 20-30% higher cost of living then normal cities. If you think he is bad, I heard rumor that the shelter is going to close it's doors soon. Then what??... We haven't seen nothing yet folks!!!
golfer
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 2:04 p.m.
better stop this stuff now!. if it get out of hand it is trouble for ann arbor. if people see that they are getting away with it they will come to a2. need to stop speed traps and hit the area's that have trouble. michigan has to also have cars in the area's.
ThaKillaBee
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 1:55 p.m.
I've seen a guy matching that description twice... once at Briarwood mall, and once around downtown A2. He was wandering around and came up to me and asked if I knew where the nearest Church or United Way was because he needed help for his family. When I said that I didn't, he got VERY agitated and said he needed to find those places because people like me wouldn't give him any money. I didn't think to report him or anything because he did back off but he was intimidating and matches that description pretty well.
Jim Knight
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 1:55 p.m.
Comments that blame the victim will be taken down.
15crown00
Fri, Aug 19, 2011 : 1:37 p.m.
Ann Arbor is becoming lawless.