Eastern Michigan University student fights off men who attempted to steal her car on campus, police say
Updated with additional details.
An Eastern Michigan University student was pulled from her car by a man who attempted to steal it Tuesday evening on campus, but the crime was thwarted when she fought him and yelled for help, campus police said.
The student told police she was sitting in her BMW in the Oakwood guest parking lot on the west side of campus at 8:30 p.m. when two men approached on foot, according to a campus crime alert.
She said one of the men demanded her vehicle, while the second man stood near the passenger side door, and she told them she wasn't giving them her vehicle, the alert said.
The man who demanded her car pulled her from it, struggled with her and got inside to start it, the alert said. The student continued struggling with the man and screamed for help, the alert said.
The man was unable to start the student's car because it takes several steps to start it, Police Chief Greg O'Dell said. He said the parking lot is gated and has a gate attendant.
"This is not an isolated area of campus," he said.
Two witnesses approached, and the men ran in a southwesterly direction from the lot, the alert said. The student's backpack, containing books and other items, was stolen by the men, O'Dell said.
According to Ypsilanti police, the victim's property was found a couple hours later by residents in the 700 block of Collegewood Street.
No weapons were seen, the alert said. The student reported minor injuries, but declined any medical attention.
The man who demanded the car was described as black, in his early 20s, 5 feet to 5 feet, 5 inches tall, medium build and wearing a white or gray hooded sweatshirt. The second man was described as black, in his early 20s, 5 feet to 5 feet, 5 inches tall, medium build and wearing a green EMU hooded sweatshirt.
O'Dell said police are reviewing video surveillance in the area and are actively investigating the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call the EMU Police Department at 734-487-1222 or the EMU police tip line at 734-487-4847.
Comments
Sallyxyz
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 5:46 p.m.
GMDA: the individuals that approached my friend and I walking to our car were not panhandlers. They were thugs, young, tough and with pants hanging around their knees and mighty fancy athletic shoes. They were congregated on the street one block off Michigan Ave near Beezy's, waiting to pounce on what looked like two easy targets (two older women) in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. I have been approached by panhandlers in downtown AA on many occasions and they have not been threatening. Some are disabled, and some are "down and outs" (unclean, possibly homeless, etc). I have never felt any of them to be dangerous. I used to volunteer at the shelter when it was in the church on Huron, and most of the marginal population in AA are quite harmless. Some beg for $$, but they are not threatening, at least in my experience. The group I'm talking about in Ypsi on my last visit downtown was not "down and out," in fact they looked quite prosperous based on their clothes and shoes. They were very aggressive, however, and had the strength and size to easily overtake a couple of women, especially with all the rest of their chums watching from across the street.
Grand Marquis de Sade
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 12:01 p.m.
Sally... so in other words you and your friend encountered a pair of aggressive panhandlers (not uncommon in Ann Arbor I might add) and were frightened (a natural response). This does not make Ypsilanti at large a "dangerous" place any more than my bike getting stolen in Ann Arbor makes that town a "dangerous" place. There are bad apples everywhere and while your statistics may be accurate to some extent I think that if you look beyond the raw data you'll find that MOST of the serious crime in the City (excluding the Twp.) is concentrated in certain areas. Painting the City with a broad brush when it comes to crime is totally simplistic and reflects the shallow nature of your analysis. Take Detroit as a contrasting example. I don't think anybody would argue that Detroit is a dangerous place relative to other cities. However, the 1st Precinct (downtown) is statistically safer than the U.S. at large. Statistics don't always equal facts and are usually misleading. I'm sorry that you had a poor experience in my city, I really am, but that doesn't give you carte blanche to trash her.
Sallyxyz
Sat, Oct 9, 2010 : 1:34 p.m.
Steve Pierce states: "The City Ypsilanti is as safe as any other community in the county." Steve, you may want to check the data... Here are the facts for crime RATES for Ann Arbor and Ypsi, both in Washtenaw County. Rates reflect crime per 100,000 for 2006. Ann Arbor Ypsilanti, MINational Murder: 0 8.4 7 Forcible Rape:28.32 59.69 32.2 Robbery:75.2 349 205.8 Aggravated Assault:200.9 849.5 336.5 Burglary:558.5 1639.3 813.2 Larceny Theft: 1875.4 3733.1 2601.7 Vehicle Theft: 153.1 578.6 501.5 Source: http://www.areaconnect.com/crime/compare.htm?c1=Ann+Arbor&s1=MI&c2=Ypsilanti&s2=MI So, Ypsi is as safe as any community in the county? Dream on. If crime have decreased in Ypsi in the last 10 years, then it's due to the population decreasing, not a decrease in the RATE of crime, based on per capita. Ypsi still is closing public schools due to population losses due to plant closings. If Ypsi isn't a crime-ridden city, then why were my friend (a woman)and I approached by several thugs last Saturday afternoon, in broad daylight, as we walked to our car after having lunch at Beezy's, one block off Michigan Ave, the heart of downtown Ypsi. These thugs, hanging out on the street, saw us walking to our car parked on the street, and then quickly crossed the street and followed us as we walked to the car, coming up behind us and starting to speak as we quickly got into the car, locked the doors and took off. Had we not been moving quickly, they would likely have hassled us, or worse, potentially grabbed our purses or attempted to car jack. No thanks to downtown Ypsi.
maissa osman
Thu, Oct 7, 2010 : 10:29 a.m.
this is not an ann arbor versus ypsilanti issue we are forgetting the big picture. these things happen everywhere and people react differently in crisis, if we could only do anything no matter how small when we hear someone in distress, i am not saying to physically help, but even honking the horn to get attention, calling the police and not assuming someone else has turning on the car headlight, anything to let the guys know someone else is in the area, little acts like that can go a long way.
Jay Allen
Thu, Oct 7, 2010 : 8:08 a.m.
@A2 is a Eutopia and @cash. Please, no pretty please, keep believing that EMU is SAFER than U of M. Please do. And as far as my information being wrong, please keep reading the EMU and Ypsi police blogs. I also suggest instead of setting on your laurels and thinking that Golden Pond is on Huron River Drive in the 48197 that you listen in to what REALLY goes on. Until either of you do that, keep believing in Santa Claus. And no cash, I am quite sure there are MANY other quality schools where an 11 year old little girl is attacked by a thug and her swim bag stolen. I agree. But not at U of M.
Thomas
Thu, Oct 7, 2010 : 8 a.m.
@Sallyxyz and @Glimmertwin, no one needs either of your negativity. Steve is right. Ypsilanti may have its share of idiots who create these news stories, but on the whole, Ypsi is an excellent place to live! Over 80% of the city not geographically covered by EMU has its own neighborhood associations. There is a very vibrant downtown and Depot Town life, bars, restaurants, music, tons of art and theatre! Civic groups, community groups, sustainability groups, two farmers markets, and more! Don't throw your negative Ann Arbor view on the rest of us, because most of us love Ypsilanti and wouldn't live anywhere else.
Cash
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 2:53 p.m.
Keeping car doors locked is a wise practice everywhere! People get accosted in church parking lots anymore. It's a common sense habit to cultivate for all college students. It will stay with them for life.
Mark A.
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
Although catching the guys later in your car is a good assailant detection method, so is pepper spray with bright green marker dye.
rusty shackelford
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 1:36 p.m.
I'm glad she's OK, and it isn't her fault someone tried to rob her. But when they said get out of the car why not (1) lock the doors and (2) drive away? Why not keep the car doors locked in a dangerous town at night in the first place? Lesson learned the hard way, glad it wasn't worse :-/
Cash
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 12:46 p.m.
glimmertwin, Please, if you think Ypsilanti is not a good place to live or visit, don't come around. We won't mind. More room for the rest of us to enjoy our hometown. I lived in the Ypsilanti area my entire life and retired from EMU. I have never been involved in any type of crime. Some of the best people I know work hard to run businesses in downtown and around campus. This is a great place. To each his/her own.
Steve Pierce
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 12:30 p.m.
Hey Sallyxyz, Thanks for trashing our community, too bad you don't have all your facts correct. The City Ypsilanti is as safe as any other community in the county. We have seen significant and consistent drops in crimes over the last 10 years. We have more active neighborhood associations than nearly any other community and a great relationship with the police department, a department that is proactive and community focused. Ypsilanti is a great college town with a vibrant and growing downtown. There is more to Ypsilanti than the crime blotter on a local blog. If you want to get the facts, I would be happy to buy you a cup of coffee or soda at one of our local establishments and answer any questions or concerns you have about Ypsilanti. Cheers! - Steve Pierce Steve@Ypsi.com
trespass
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 11:05 a.m.
The Cleary act requires separate reports for the campus and the surrounding community. Compliance with the Cleary act is problematic. Look at the Channel 4 News story about the Oakland Community College police officers that allege the crime statistics are being manipulated. http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/25145355/index.html
Terrin
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 10:45 a.m.
My brother currently goes to U of M. Two weeks ago somebody smashed in his window on his vehicle and stole his bag. This was on North Campus. Crime happens everywhere. U of M has a larger campus. Makes sense there would be more crime.
ViSHa
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 10:44 a.m.
For some reason the HEIGHT jumped out at me. I wonder if there is any connection with this past crime, vicinities are close: http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/ypsilanti-township-homeowner-scares-off-burglars-who-kicked-door-broke-window/
SemperFi
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 10:39 a.m.
@A2 is a Euphoria To use the Daily Beast as a source for legitimate journalism is a problem for me. Did they slide this report in-between the "50Cent Gay Suicide Controversey" & the "30 Rock's Tough Guy" stories? They managed to work the entire Ivy League lineup into their crime ridden campuses. I suspect their writers couldn't get into a good school and massaged their data to get back at the ones that rejected them. There are 3 kinds of lies: Little lies, Big lies & Statistics Be careful out there. Cheers to the young lady for fighting back!
Cash
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 10:22 a.m.
Announcer Man, Your information is false. http://www.annarbor.com/news/emu-student-sexually-assaulted-at-west-cross-street-home/ The home invasion/sexual assault first of all was not an EMU police case but an Ypsilanti Police case (the student attended EMU) and was reported the same morning it occurred. Please see the article in that regard. Second, the horrible murder case in the dorm brought about a total change in the hierarchy at EMU. The president is gone and a new president replaced him (from U of M-D). Susan Martin, who came from University of Michigan-Dearborn brought an open and above-board policy. The vice president is gone. Actually all of the VPs are replaced. The chief of police is gone. The police chief is Greg O'Dell from AAPD. That incident several years ago brought about an entire house cleaning at EMU. It's time to let go of the past. If you honestly believe EMU is the only school where a gym bag gets stolen, good luck!
A2 is a Utopia
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 10:08 a.m.
What murder? You mean the the murder that occured almost 4years ago? Yeah that was horrible for everyone invloved and was poorly handled by EMU but according to the the stats brought to life in the article there was one on UofM campus within the same time period. If you read the past articles and releases about the one rape and home invasion your talking about that occured off of campus. SO if you want to blame the City of Ypsilanti go ahead but the blame doesnt fall in EMU or make EMU campus unsafe. Hell with that logic we can say the AA crime stats released each week on this very site make UofM worse aswell. Here is the link to the stats posted:http://www.annarbor.com/news/ann-arbor-crime-statistics-for-the-week-of-september-19-25/. Take a look at the home invasions, larceny complaints, and assaults that occured near UofM campus, does that make UofM campus unsafe no. Crime happpens everywhere but to say if it happens in the same city as a campus makes that campus unsafe is untrue
Jay Allen
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 9:44 a.m.
A@ is a Eutopia: EMU is not safe. How about the home invasion/sexual assault just this year that EMU police did not report for 2 days? How about the murder in the dorm? Those are two that just come to mind. If I think about it, I will think of more. Your turn, please tell me a reported home invasion/sexual assault on U of M's campus in the last year? And oh, tell me about the murder too. My kids swam for a large club that rents Jones. There were several e-mails and press releases about kids being approached. One child had his swam bag ripped from him and the idiot ran off. At Canham on U of M's campus, there was NEVER an incident. If you read and believe 100% of what is reported on the internet then shame on you. People get all up in arms about AA.Com (me too) because of the stuff that gets put up. But do not try to do an end run and toss dirt elsewhere just because YOU read it. You posted the link, you take the heat. That study is crap. Period. Harvard is on there; Howard is on there; Penn is on there; Brown is on there; Columbia is on there; Yale is on there; Wake Forest is on there; Princeton is on there; Vanderbilt is on there; Northwestern is on there. All top Universities in the U.S. (including U of M) and they would NOT be put on prestigious lists if they were crime filled. Sounds to me like those who believe in conspiracies and Santa Claus wrote the article.
Killroy
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 9:18 a.m.
@ Rob Pollard, well played. I totally agree, we all have phones and should simply make it a habit of calling security.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 9:10 a.m.
"I'm not in law enforcement but I think anyone that is would say that it would have been better for her to assume they were armed and give up her vehicle rather than risk injury or worse." Unfortunately thie "just comply" argument may or may not work. Ask Dr. Petit what happens when compliance doesn't.
A2 is a Utopia
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 9:08 a.m.
@TheAnnouncerMan007, the stats used in the report are stats reported by UofM not AAPD. If you read the article it clearly states the following: "For The Daily Beasts second-annual ranking of the most dangerous colleges in the U.S., we pored over the three most recent calendar years of campus security and crime data (2006-2008) compiled by the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the FBI and the Secret Service, in conjunction with the Clery Act, the federal mandate requiring all schools that receive federal funding to disclose crime information annually". To suggest EMU stats are "suspiciously lower" than UofM's like Trespass was implying is completely off-base. IMO weather it is the fault of the AA.Com staff or UofM PD, incidents of crime are not released or reported to the public in a timely matter like EMU does. This alone creates a false sense of security or unsafe campus, depending where you stand. EMU as a whole is a very safe campus, thats all I am saying. That said it is good to hear in this case everything turned out ok.
Rob Pollard
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 9 a.m.
Interesting. Some quick thoughts: - On Monday at 9pm-ish, I was leaving the library, and as I was walking towards the parking structure (which is right next to the Oakwood N lot; not sure if the crime in the story above was in Oakwood N or S), I heard someone woman yelling as loud as she could, "GO AWAY" (or maybe GET AWAY) and she also screamed "AAAAGH" once or twice. She said Go Away about four times and it echoed of the structure, sounded like it was coming from the top levels. At first, I thought it was someone goofing around (it was so loud and repetitive, it sounded like a haunted house effect), but after the fourth or fifth yell, I called campus police. They were there in literally 1 minute and drove up there. Not sure if they found anything, but I'm guessing not, as I didn't see a report. - I relate this b/c while there were literally dozens of people walking btw the student center and library, I'm not sure if anyone else took notice of this screaming. When I called the dispatcher, it seemed like I was the first person to call in, even though I couldn't have been the only one to hear the yelling. In short, folks, most everyone has a cell phone and if you don't, there are scads of those emergency call boxes around campus (both EMU and U of M). If you hear something odd, call the campus police. They're literally right there on campus and even if it's false alarm, it only takes 5-10 minutes.
glimmertwin
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 8:58 a.m.
I'm glad she's ok. It's just too bad that the university suffers from its location. Ypsilanti is not a good place to live or even be near. Sad but true.
ThaKillaBee
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 8:38 a.m.
Good for this student! I do not like the attitude that is usually pushed around, that of "just let them take what they want, it's not worth your safety." Yes it is! If we all had the guts and attitude this student has, there would be very little crime.
Jay Allen
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 8:12 a.m.
None the less, KUDDOS to the EMU student for chasing the "fun sized" thugs away.
Jay Allen
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 8:11 a.m.
@A2 is a Eutopia: Huh? I would think those stats are real messed up. It appears they are pulling data from AA and using it as U of M data. Murders: 1 Negligent Homicides: 0 Forcible Rapes: 119 Non-forcible Rapes: 0 Robberies: 83 Aggravated Assaults: 225 Burglaries: 230 Car Thefts: 142 Arsons: 20 119 rapes? Not buying that. 20 Arsons? Perhaps this is the data that was used to ban couches as this is ludicrous. I am not buying how so many studies put U of M at the top of every list imaginable and then this crud comes out. U of M could not and would not be at the TOP of so many high end studies if it had crime per capita of Detroit. And if you think for 1/2 of 1 second that EMU is safer than U of M, that says it all.
lumberg48108
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 8:01 a.m.
EMU has greatly increased its police presence on campus in the last 16 months and upped prevention efforts inlcuding expansion of the Student Eyes and Ears for University Safety (SEEUS) patrols to seven days a week. The primary purpose of SEEUS is to provide escorts to persons walking alone on campus. There are also visible Campus Emergency Assistance Stations thru out campus (58)... EMU is not sitting back - they are proactive! Of course more can be done but to simply suggest "more police" is a solution is a simplistic way to look at things. Ypsi is not a safe place all the time - it takes work to make a safe environment on campus.
Sallyxyz
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 7:35 a.m.
Need MUCH more patrolling on the EMU campus. The campus is located in a crime-ridden city and students should not be subjected to attempted car jackings at 8:30 in the evening. I'm glad she wasn't seriously hurt, but if these thugs were armed, it might have had a different outcome. More police patrols on campus! No female should ever walk to a car at night alone.
Top Cat
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 7:32 a.m.
I'm not in law enforcement but I think anyone that is would say that it would have been better for her to assume they were armed and give up her vehicle rather than risk injury or worse.
Chase Ingersoll
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 7:29 a.m.
Question: What is the "jurisdiction" of a "campus" crime. Is it a crime by or against a student, employee in an activity with a nexus to their attendance or employment? Or, when is it a crime that takes place in the Community i.e. Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti, rather than reportable through Cleary? Notwithstanding the debate on how to best act to preserve your life in situations with criminals, I think that we should perhaps take up a collection to reward this gal for refusing to be a victim. When criminal bullies like this, receive a "beat-down" and then get arrested, it is a double does of reality. Criminals are most active when they believe no-one will fight.
A2 is a Utopia
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 7:08 a.m.
@Trespass. this incident will show up on cleary and why do you think it is suspicious EMU's stats are lower. Every campus has crime and according to the below listed link UofM is one of the top 50 most dangerous universities in the nation. Don't get me wrong EMU has their fair share of crime, EMU PD is just more open about alerting the community the past three years than UofM, IMO. http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2085/1/?newsmaker=279&redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsmaker/college-safety-rankings/
smokeblwr
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 7:02 a.m.
Or they just didn't eat their vegetables...
YpsiLivin
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 6:51 a.m.
I could be wrong but with both suspects being described as 5' to 5,5", I'm guessing that these industrious-yet-unarmed young men were teenagers.
Cash
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 6:47 a.m.
@trepass, You cannot go by the headline stories choices at Ann Arbor.com to determine what area has the most crimes. Ann Arbor crime reports are consolidated and placed on the "crime" section, not as headline stories. Perhaps Chief O'Dell at EMU will enlighten you on reporting details.
kdadnick
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 6:33 a.m.
This is a love/hate story! Love that this girl had the tenacity to fight back, but hate the thought that it could have cost her her life. AND, when you think about it, had the guys stolen the car, if she'd called the cops with the car's description and plates, perhaps they'd have spent last night in jail. It's a big "if" I know....
trespass
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 6:29 a.m.
I wonder if this incident will show up in their Cleary Act statistics. The numbers for EMU looked suspiciously lower than the UM numbers. http://www.annarbor.com/news/crime-on-campus/
local
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 6:06 a.m.
As a former student at EMU, some of those night classes can be tricky when over. The parking lots have lights, but being by yourself as you walk to your care can be dangerous. As big a commuter school as EMU is, remember to buddy up even when going to your cars. Or EMU needs to get visible police in all parking areas later in the evening.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 : 6:01 a.m.
Good on the student for fighting back! Too bad she had to thanks to the criminal empowerment zones.