Student speaks out with details on recent armed robbery
Photo: news-cloud.net
At around 9 p.m. on February 12, senior Robert Acevedo was approached by an armed man and robbed on Lee's campus.
After returning from a trip to Chattanooga to take part in a music performance, Acevedo had a friend drop him off in front of New Hughes.
Acevedo then left the dorm to join friends at a Brinsfield apartment, when he heard the sound of several individuals running towards him from behind.
'[He] put a gun to my temple and said, 'give me the wallet',' Acevedo said.
Acevedo quickly gave up his wallet and the men turned to leave, but stopped short to demand that he also give them his cell phone.
'They cock[ed] the gun and pointed it at my back, because at this point I was already walking away,' Acevedo said. 'I didn't know whether to stop or not so I kept walking.'
Acevedo said that at that moment a car drove up and the men climbed inside and left.
'I was so mad,' Acevedo said. 'I went to my friend's apartment ' they gave me a phone and [I] called [the] P.D.'
The stolen wallet contained roughly $20 cash and two credit cards.
Director of Campus Security Matthew Brinkman commented on the incident.
'Student safety is one of our highest priorities at Lee, so we are relieved that in this situation our student was unharmed,' Brinkman said. 'Although Lee is consistently rated among the safest campuses in Tennessee, this case illustrates why we must be vigilant in our efforts to maintain a safe environment."
Acevedo, who is in his fourth semester at Lee after transferring from a school in Puerto Rico, said that he still feels very safe on Lee's campus.
'Nothing [has] changed; it was probably [just] one of those bad days,' Acevedo said. 'It's an open campus ' there's only so much you can do.'
No suspects were apprehended or approached on the night of the crime. Acevedo described the man holding the handgun as a white male who is around 5 feet 9 inches tall and 150 pounds.
'If I [saw] them I probably would [recognize them],' Acevedo said.
Brinkman maintained Campus Security's dedication to ensuring Lee is a crime-free campus.
'Lee's proactive approach to student safety has resulted in an outstanding track record, and we plan to maintain that commitment,' Brinkman said. 'To that end, we are highly motivated to identify the people responsible for this act and prevent it from happening again.'
Campus Security is working with the Cleveland Police Department to learn more details about the incident.
