Lincoln Park is located at 2100 W. University Blvd. in Brownsville.
Jesus Sanchez | Editor-in-Chief
A man approached a UTRGV student Tuesday night in Lincoln Park, pressed an object against his back and demanded the keys to his vehicle, University Police say.
The student complied with the demand and the suspect drove away in the student’s vehicle, a 2014 white Dodge Durango.
University Police said the aggravated robbery occurred around 9:20 p.m. at Lincoln Park, located at 2100 W. University Blvd. in Brownsville.
The suspect is about 6 feet tall and was wearing a pink/red shirt and light-colored shorts. The student wasn’t hurt, but shaken, University Police Chief Raul Munguia said.
No arrest has been made. The whereabouts of the suspect and vehicle are still unknown, Munguia said.
“It’s not university property, but those of us that are down here all the time, we know that a lot of the students actually park there in that Lincoln Park parking lot,” Munguia said. “As such, we patrol it. Right next to it is one of the UTRGV parking lots and, actually, the student came over, back onto UTRGV property to make the notification to our police department. So, our police department was called first and then we notified Brownsville PD.”
The Brownsville Police Department also patrols the area, the chief said.
“It is free parking and there are no rules against it, you know, being able to park there,” he said.
Munguia said University Police can provide an escort to campus community members who do not feel safe walking to their car alone.
“If for some reason they’re nervous about it, they can call us and ask for an escort and we’ll take them out there,” he said. “We’ll either walk with them or give them a ride, depending on who’s out there. Our police officers and our security guards both do it.”
Brownsville PD is conducting a criminal investigation.
University Police sent an email to the campus community notifying it of the incident at 12:34 a.m. today. In the email, UTRGV police provided the following safety tips:
–Be aware of your surroundings
–Report crimes immediately when they occur
–If possible, don’t walk alone during late-night hours. Walk in groups whenever you can—there is always safety in numbers.
–Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible. Avoid alleys, vacant lots, wooded areas and other short cuts or secluded areas. They are usually not well-lit or heavily traveled.
–Walk on the sidewalk whenever possible. Avoid bushes and other potential hiding places.
–Report any suspicious activity or person immediately to the UTRGV Police Department. In case of an emergency, dial 911.
“If [any campus community member] witnesses [a crime or potential crime], try to be a good witness,” Munguia said. “Get enough information, make note of what they’re wearing, their size … any unique feature that you might see, like tattoos or how they cut their hair, anything that can actually single somebody out. … Call 911 or call our, you know if it happens here on our property, call our police department and relay that information because that can always be hugely helpful.”
Anyone with information related to the crime may call the University Police Department at 665-7151 in Edinburg, 882-2222 in Brownsville or email police@utrgv.edu.
