A University of Wisconsin student was mugged on Charter Street early Sunday morning, escaping with his wallet and leaving only his backpack full of soda cans behind.
At 12:42 a.m., the 19-year-old male victim saw two men on the other side of Charter Street while he was out walking. According to the incident report, one of the men came across the street, attempting to take the victim’s backpack.
The victim fought back during the robbery and punched the robber, according to the report.
The robber then brought the victim to the ground and tried to punch him; however, the punch only grazed the victim’s right ear, Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said.
“When [the robber] took a hold of his shirt, [the victim] was able to wriggle free,” DeSpain said.
The victim escaped by pulling out of his shirt and backpack, which contained only soda cans, the report said. The robber also tried to take the victim’s wallet out of his pocket but was unsuccessful.
The victim walked to Regent Street, where other people were around and heard the suspect yell for the victim to come back, according to the report. The victim last saw the suspect — along with a man who was not involved in the actual mugging — run west on Regent Street.
According to the report, the mugging suspect is described as a black male in his early 20s, 6-feet-2-inches, 210 pounds, medium build, bald with facial stubble wearing a light tan hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
The other man was described as a black male in his early 20s, with short hair and a dark complexion, wearing a dark blue hoodie and blue jeans.
DeSpain said criminal analysts and district captains are reviewing the recent robberies citywide to determine any connection between them.
UW spokesperson John Lucas said the robbery fits within the bounds of things the university has been telling people to avoid.
“We are very aware of this [robbery] and we will continue to look for ways to get in front of students,” Lucas said. “We’ve hoped people have responded to our earlier message of safety.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014.
