Police suspect an armed robbery at an Adams Street residence Wednesday morning may be the latest in a string of incidents reported in the Vilas and Greenbush neighborhoods over the past week.
A female student saw the suspect standing on an enclosed porch and looking into her living room window on the 1600 block of Adams Street around 2:30 a.m., according to a Madison Police Department statement.
She went to close the front door and shouted at her roommate to call 911 when the suspect allegedly forced his way in, threatening the victim with a handgun, the statement said. The suspect took her Macbook laptop and fled the scene.
The suspect, who is described as a black male, 5-foot-5-inches tall and wearing a black mask and dark clothes, allegedly pushed his way inside, MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said. A second suspect was involved in the robbery as well, although the victim was not able to provide a detailed description because he met the first suspect on a street corner and never entered the home, he said.
DeSpain said MPD believes these cases might be connected to two other armed robberies in the area: a home invasion and armed robbery on the 1200 block of Vilas Avenue Sunday evening and an armed robbery in a parking lot on University Avenue last Wednesday.
“We believe these cases may be connected to other robberies including one on Vilas Ave,” DeSpain said.
The descriptions of the suspects for each of the incidents were two black men between 18 and 20 years of age, according to a statement released by MPD’s South District office Wednesday. In each of the incidents, the weapon was a handgun and the suspects stole electronics, including cell phones and laptops.
The electronics were in plain sight during the robbery on Adams Street, and college-aged residents may have been targeted because they likely own newer electronic devices, according to the statement.
South District Captain Joe Balles said he believes all the victims were students, although he was unsure if they were University of Wisconsin or Edgewood students.
He said the two home invasions were particularly concerning. The situation was dangerous and students need to talk to each other and be vigilant especially at night, when all of the robberies have occurred, he said. Balles added MPD is working to apprehend the suspects.
“We’re doing the best we can to get these guys identified and picked up and get them off the streets,” Balles said.
DeSpain said this case was a high priority for MPD as these sort of robberies are “unusual” in Madison.
Both Balles and DeSpain said students should take proper safety precautions in securing their home and call 911 if they see a suspicious person immediately.
Ald. Sue Ellingson, District 13, said the two armed home invasions were the most likely the work of the same two men, and people in the area should be sure to lock their doors.
